Pink (real name Alecia Beth Moore), 42, is opening up about being hospitalized for ‘stroke-like’ symptoms and her lifelong struggles with mental health in a new Instagram video. As part of her collaboration with the Child Mind Institute’s Dare To Share campaign, the “What About Us” hitmaker said to her 8.8 million followers, “In my early twenties I used to get pretty awful panic attacks, I didn’t know what was happening, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it and I didn’t know what to do, I’d feel like I was having strokes, with stroke symptoms. It was terrifying.”
The mom of two then shared that she used to visit the hospital for her severe panic attacks. “I’d sit in the emergency room parking lot in my car and wait until I felt better, or else I’d go in.” She also touched upon something many fans in her comment section expressed relating to— feeling dismissed, belittled, or that her suffering was downplayed.
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Pink explained that she had multiple EKGS to record the electrical signal from her heart in order to potentially detect heart conditions. After her tests consistently came back clear, Pink said she felt as if she could not prove what she was in pain from. “They’d say I was imagining it and it was all in my head,” she added.
The “Try” singer then told fans that therapy helped her pinpoint what she needed to seek help for and to work towards her goals. “I’d never been taught how to take care of myself,” she acknowledged, before also saying that she found comfort in creating a “spiritual toolbox” for herself full of resources and soothing items.
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“I started developing ways to take care of me and my heart and head,” she continued. “Writing songs saved my life.” Pink also noted that writing poetry, journaling, regularly exercising, eating healthily and cooking more all helped her along her healing journey. “Now, I know when I’m getting lost, I reach under my bed, get out my spiritual toolbox, light my incense take a bath, and I breathe,” she said. “I encourage you to write, talk to someone and start building your own spiritual toolbox,” she said to her fans.
“From being a very afraid woman,” she concluded, “it does get better and there are beautiful moments waiting for you.” Users on social media continue to share clips of the singer recalling her experiences and dubbing her “inspiring,” “brave,” and “kind” to share her journey with fans that “might also be struggling.” (We couldn’t agree more.)
