Kathy Griffin is opening up about a personal matter.
The 62-year-old comedian revealed that she’s been diagnosed with “complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)” in a video shared to her TikTok this week.
“Let’s talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly,” Griffin began the candid video before sharing that her complex PTSD is “called an extreme case.”
“If any of you know my story, you’ll understand that this really started for me about 5 and a half years ago. Wink,” she continued, seemingly referring to her personal and professional fallout in 2017 after she posed for a photograph with a bloodied replica of former President Donald Trump’s head.
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@kathygriffin Never talked about this publicly. I have lots of tools, but it is extremely intense. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. If you’re someone who also deals with this, I am sending you lots and lots of love. #PTSD#Depression#Anxiety#ComplexPTSD
Following the controversial incident, Griffin saw many of her stand-up gigs and TV opportunities get cancelled, including co-hosting CNN’s New Year’s Eve special. She was also investigated by the Secret Service and put on a “No-Fly” list.
Last year, The Emmy winner spoke out about the repercussions from the problematic photo in a Newsweek op-ed, calling it “an erasure.” Griffin noted that she didn’t leave her house for months and began “taking any prescription pill I could get my hands on.”
In a follow-up TikTok posted on Friday, she revealed she experienced an eight-hour anxiety attack on April 13.
“Eight hours of freaking writhing in pain in the bed,” she described in the clip.
“Today, I felt like one might be coming on. So, I’m on my walk now, and I’m outside and looking at the ocean, which is helpful,” Griffin explained. “And I’m sort of almost like mid-anxiety attack right now. It feels good to be walking my way through it. I just keep telling myself it won’t last forever.”
@kathygriffin PTSD AnxietyAttack Anxiety KathyGriffin
In Griffin’s initial TikTok, revealing her diagnosis, she asked her followers for tips on how to cope with “depression or anxiety.”
One fan commented, that they “found eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy combined with medication very helpful.” The Cleveland Clinic describes EMDR therapy as a “method [that] involves moving your eyes a specific way while you process traumatic memories” in order to “help you heal from trauma [by] changing the emotions, thoughts or behaviours that result from a distressing experience (trauma).”
Griffin replied to the suggestion, revealing, “I am going to try EMDR. My good pal Sia has been helping me out,” adding that the “Chandelier” singer “recommended a really good doctor.”
In the meantime, Griffin has been practicing “lots of self-care and love from family and friends [plus] animals,” she added, as she resonated with another fan’s suggestion.
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“We have four [dogs],” Griffin shared. “They are my healers!”
It appears the actress’ openness about PTSD has resonated with many of her supporters, as Griffin took to TikTok again on Saturday, this time stating that she’s “really grateful for [the] response about my PTSD and anxiety attacks.”
“I woke up okay today,” she said, explaining that her PTSD “attacks me in mornings.”
“Every single morning I wake up terrified to see if I’m gonna be okay or not. It’s the weirdest thing,” she continued. “It hits me in my chest first. [It] starts to tingle then it goes right to my stomach,” which she said sometimes makes her “vomit” from the anxiety.
“So far I’m okay and that’s how it is… day by day.”
@kathygriffin Thank you to the response about my PTSD Anxiety PanicAttacks This is all this is new to me. My life definitely changed 5 1/2 years ago as you guys know, but this last year and a half has been plagued with PTSD stuff. it’s funny. I don’t have anxiety about performing, but I have anxiety about life. 😰