A child star is speaking out about his crippling anxiety. It has even prevented him from taking on more projects in the past.
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Speaking with People, former Boy Meets World star Will Friedle opened up about suffering from anxiety. The former child star has battled it for years.
"I never tell people you get over it because you never do, but you learn to cope with it in such a way where it just becomes a nuisance," Friedle says. "I think that's really important. It comes with age. I was first hit with this stuff when I was 23 and I'm going to be 50 this year, so eventually you just kind of wear it like an itchy blanket."
The former child star, who played Eric Matthews on the show, said that he has techniques to deal with his anxiety. He practices breathing exercises and counting down from zero.
Child Star Speaks Out
"There are little tricks you can pick up that seriously help you. I always thought of it as something that was being done to me when it's not," he said. "Breathe in five, hold six, breathe out five. If you can do that, you're then using the analytical side of your brain and it kind of shuts down the feeling side of your brain. And next thing you know, it's 30 seconds later and you're good."
The former child star confessed to getting mad at his anxiety.
"I know it sounds so stupid, but just be like, 'No, you're not doing this today. I'm not allowing this right now. We'll deal with this later, but right now we're not letting this happen.' And then you don't spiral," he explained. "There are ways where you take it back and it gets better. The older you get, the better it gets. It just gets easier."
Previously, he confessed that anxiety kept him from taking on projects.
"I was planning to do more on-camera work, but then I got hit with these anxiety attacks that prevented me from doing that. I was so thankful I had voice-over because I could still perform and act," he said at the time.
