Mandy Capristo
She suffered from panic attacks and depression
Mandy Capristo opens up about living with a history of panic attacks and depression.
© imago/STAR MEDIA
Mandy Capristo has suffered from panic attacks and depression in recent years. Now she has spoken openly about how she deals with it.
In July 2018 she suffered a panic attack for the first time, reports Capristo. “At first I ignored it, thinking I was just scared. I couldn’t breathe and was hyperventilating. This feeling became anchored in my body and kept coming back when I was too stressed – which I was all my life.” These feelings did not go away; she was constantly nervous and stressed at the time.
“I felt like I was dying”
“At the height of a panic attack, I had the feeling that I was dying,” the 33-year-old reflects in an interview. That is incredibly difficult to put into words. She was unable to relax, even with the help of calming techniques. “I felt dizzy and shaking. Despite the constant tension, I tried to keep everything together.” Therapy specializing in panic attacks ultimately helped her. “I was outdoors a lot, worked less and focused on having fun instead of completing to-do lists.”
In 2021, depression was added to the panic attacks. “Since I was 16, I was constantly traveling, on stages, among people. Suddenly that wasn’t possible anymore. It was difficult because I wanted to do all that, but it didn’t work.” The resulting depression made her situation even worse. “I could have done without this experience.”
Today she no longer suffers from depression
Many things in her life are different today, says Capristo, who is a solo artist after Monrose disbanded in 2011. “It changed the way I felt about myself.” During the depression she thought “very badly” about herself. “I didn’t feel good at all and I beat myself up about why I couldn’t perform like I did before. I had to understand that that was the point: not to continue like that.”
Today she no longer has the depression. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing right now. When I was depressed, I had to cancel everything. Depression isn’t a bad phase, it’s an illness.” Looking back, she is no longer surprised that she became ill: “It didn’t surprise me that my body went to such extremes because I led an extreme life and didn’t put my (mental) health first. Today I come first.”
The telephone counseling service offers help with depression and suicidal thoughts on the free number: 0800/111 0 111.