Coronation Street’s Samia Longchambon reveals secret anxiety battle as she gets diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy
CORONATION Street’s Samia Longchambon has opened up about her anxiety battle after successfully getting a diploma in cognitive behavioural therapy.
The soap star, 38, said she was “proud” of herself after spending the last eight months studying for the qualification.
Samia explained that her own struggles with anxiety motivated her to learn about new kinds of therapies.
The TV beauty proudly posed with her certificate, writing: ” I’m a little bit proud of myself and wanted to share.. After 8 months of studying I’ve got my diploma in CBT! (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) .
“I’ve tried lots of different ways of dealing with my #anxiety over the years so it’s been really good to learn from the other side of how this kind of therapy works!
“Hopefully now I’ll be able to help myself and others in the future.. #mentalhealthmatters #cbt #therapy #homestudy.”
Samia has previously spoken about her mental health, recently revealing that she weighed less than 7st as she battled extreme anxiety while appearing on Dancing on Ice.
She said that she was filled with nerves and had stopped eating, admitting that she was “running on empty”.
Speaking on The Capsule in Conversation podcast, she said: “My first week of Dancing on Ice, I weighed just under seven stone. I couldn’t eat anything.
“Sylvain was giving me doughnuts for a bit of sugar because my anxiety was so bad.
“I couldn’t sleep, I was running on empty for the first couple of weeks because I was so nervous.”
The actress, who has plays Maria Connor on the popular ITV soap, recently revealed how the less pressured pace of life during lockdown has helped to ease the crippling anxiety she has battled for years.
She had previously struggled with panic attacks, which she describes as “all- consuming”.
Speaking about lockdown, Samia says: “Actually, this period has been OK for me.
“I’ve always preferred a night in to a night out. It takes a lot to get me out to a party, so I was fine with the thought of staying at home.
“But the biggest impact has been on my anxiety, which I have really, really struggled with for a long time.
“I’ve found it’s finally eased while being on lockdown. I’ve had social anxiety most of my life which has been very challenging.
“But I’ve found that now everyone has had to slow down and I don’t have that pressure to attend social events. The bustle of life has lifted.
“I’ve been trying things for years to help and some of it has been good. I do yoga every day and I did a webinar about anxiety yesterday with a clinical psychologist, but this period has really helped me.
“I hope that by talking about it I might be able to assure other people that it’s normal too, and that it’s something you can deal with.
“Although, I’m now going to the supermarket in a mask and gloves so that’s a different sort of anxiety.”
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Samia lives near Manchester with ten-year-old daughter Freya from her previous marriage and son Yves, five, who she shares with her French skater husband, Sylvain, 40.
The couple, who met on the skating show eight years ago, tied the knot in Cheshire in 2016.