Content Warning: This story discusses sexual assault.
Thirty years later, Gabrielle Union is continuing to navigate life after a traumatic event.
The Cheaper than a dozen The actress gave a glimpse of some of her personal struggles in an Instagram post on June 7, explaining how post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety photos affected her daily life after she was raped at the age of 19.
“As a rape survivor, I have battled PTSD for 30 years,” she began in her post. “Living with bouts of anxiety and panic over the years has never been easy. There are times when the anxiety is so bad that it shrinks my life.”
Union says leaving my house or even turning left unprotected at a traffic light can “terrify me”. Her anxiety can also turn her excitement about going to a party, such as the Met Gala, into “utter agony”.
“When we tell all we’re going through, believe us the first time we mention it,” she wrote. “No, it’s not the same as anxiety and everyone experiences and deals with anxiety differently, and that’s okay.”
