Former Eastenders star Rita Simons has opened up about her struggles with mental illness – comparing it to torture.
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The actress gave an open interview with the Daily Star, in which she talked honestly about her conditions – which include ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and insomnia.
“I suffer with a million ‘isms’, including ADHD,” she said. “I also have really bad insomnia. The worst is when I can’t sleep at all and I’m up all night.
“Some nights I’m awake just staring at the wall. I don’t even watch TV or listen to music. It is awful. It is like torture. Sometimes it feels like I don’t sleep for days. It’s horrible.”
Rita said that she as found meditation helps lessen her insomnia, but if she lets the habit drop it returns immediately.
The actress also expressed concern that her twelve-year-old daughter Maiya has inherited some of her conditions.
“She shows a lot of signs of being like me, which is one of the reasons why I have let her follow the drama route,” Rita said.
She claimed that being put through a standard schooling system exacerbated her ADHD, leading to her acting out in class.
ADHD affects concentration and can cause an excess of energy and hyperactivity.
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Rita claimed that sending Maiya to drama school instead of regular school gives her a more productive outlet for her energy.
“Maiya is quite similar and since she has done performing arts she has settled down and has an outlet. She is thriving and I didn’t get that opportunity until much later.”
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