Millie Mackintosh reveals she is 12 weeks sober after giving up alcohol to improve her anxiety

‘It’s a huge trigger’: Millie Mackintosh reveals she is 12 weeks sober after giving up alcohol to improve her anxiety as she gives mental health update

For help and support with anxiety, contact Samaritans on 0808 164 0123 or visit a branch
For help with perinatal mental health advice and support, contact (PANDAS) on 0808 1961 776

Published: 04:37 EST, 7 November 2022 | Updated: 04:39 EST, 7 November 2022

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Millie Mackintosh has given up drinking alcohol to help with her anxiety, taking to Instagram on Sunday to share the update with fans.

Revealing that she has been sober for 12 weeks now, the former Made In Chelsea star, 33, admitted that drinking was a ‘huge trigger’ for her anxiety.

It comes after she began medication to help with her mental health back in August, sharing that it had been something she’s struggled with since being a teenager.

‘It’s a huge trigger’: Millie Mackintosh, 33, has revealed that she is 12 weeks sober after giving up alcohol to improve her anxiety (pictured in 2016)

Posting a candid update to her 1.4M followers, the beauty shared that the decision to cut out alcohol was the result of a ‘breakthrough in therapy’.

Talking on the decision to give up alcohol, she also noted the health benefits she has experienced since cutting it out.

‘I had a breakthrough in therapy and decided to stop drinking alcohol, I didn’t want to admit it but it’s a huge trigger for my anxiety. It has an instant negative effect on my mental health and right now I’m focused on feeling my best, finding happiness in my life and not trying to escape from it,’ she penned.

Breakthrough: Posting a candid update to her 1.4M followers, the beauty shared that the decision to cut out alcohol was the result of a ‘breakthrough in therapy’

WHAT IS ANXIETY?

Anxiety is a normal part of life that affects different people in different ways at different times.

Whereas stress can come and go, anxiety often persists and does not always have an obvious cause.

Along with depression, anxiety is among the most common mental-health condition in the UK, affecting 8.2million people in 2013 alone.

Around 40million adults suffer from the condition in the US every year.

Anxiety can make a person imagine things in their life are worse than they are or that they are going mad.

Although it evolved as part of the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism in our caveman days to avoid danger, anxiety can be inappropriately activated in everyday life when stress builds up.

It can have a clear cause, such as moving house or having surgery. However, sometimes little life events build up until a person is unable to cope, with anxiety then taking them by surprise.

Physical symptoms can include:

Increased heart rate and muscle tension
Hyperventilation and dizziness
Nausea
A tight band across the chest
Tension headaches
Hot flushes
Sweating
‘Jelly legs’
Shaking
Feeling like you are choking
Tingling in the hands and feet

Some psychological symptoms are:

Thinking you are going mad or losing control
Thinking you may die or get ill
Feeling people are staring at you
Feeling detached from others or on edge

Treatment often involves counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.

Activates like yoga, exercise, reading and socialising can help to manage anxiety.

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Continuing: ‘It’s been 12 weeks and I’m enjoying sober life, not missing the ‘hanxiety’, feeling more energised, my skin is looking great and I’m sleeping much better.

Millie went on to detail that she may return to drinking in the future, before asking if any of her followers have done the same.

‘Now, I’m not saying I’ll never drink alcohol again, I’m just saying that right now, I’m not and I want to keep going. Has anyone else ditched the booze? How are you finding it? I would love to hear from more sober curious people.’

And providing an insight into her journey with anxiety mediciation, Millie revealed that while it has improved her mental health, she is lowering her dosage as it also makes her feel ’emotionally numb’.

Writing: ‘Generally I am a lot less anxious which is great, I’m still taking my SSRI medication but I recently reduced my dose, as I have been feeling a bit emotionally numb and disconnected which can apparently effect around 30% of people.

‘I am going to see how it goes over the next few weeks and possibly come off my meds by the end of the year, then either stay off them or try different ones.

‘It is a tough decision because I am really benefitting and functioning well without constant anxiety and living in fear of panic attacks but I want to still feel all the good emotions too!’ she concluded.

Millie accompanied the lengthy post with a glowing selfie, in which she displayed her fresh complexion.

Talking about her relationship with alcohol back in 2016, the star explained to Stellar magazine that she always tries to keep it healthy.

‘If I am drinking, I’ll have tequila and soda, or tequila on the rocks, both with fresh lime. This is quite a clean and relatively low-calorie drink. Or I’ll order a glass of red; I’ll just have one glass and make it last,’ she said.

Millie is married to fellow former Made In Chelsea star Hugo Taylor and the couple are parents to daughters Sienna, two, and Aurelia, 12 months.

And back in August, she took to social media to explain that she has been seeing a therapist to deal with some ‘painful experiences’ from her teenage years and has found the medication to be helpful.

While also noting that motherhood and the Covid-19 pandemic have had a negative effect on her mental health.

Mille wrote at the time: ‘Since lockdown & becoming a mother my anxiety (particularly social anxiety) really started to take over, consuming my thoughts leading me to feeling trapped.’

Balance: Talking about her relationship with alcohol back in 2016, the star explained to Stellar magazine that she always tries to keep it healthy (pictured 2017)

Giving birth to eldest child Sienna during lockdown, this led to a spiral of post-natal depression for Millie.

Previously admitting that the birth was ‘daunting’, Millie was also forced to give birth solo, without husband Hugo by her side – due to pandemic restrictions.

For help and support with anxiety, contact Samaritans on 0808 164 0123 or visit a branch

For help call Pre and Postnatal Depression Advice and Support (PANDAS) on 0808 1961 776

Family: Millie is married to fellow former Made In Chelsea star Hugo Taylor and the couple are parents to daughters Sienna, two, and Aurelia, nine months)