Former Married At First Sight star Ines Basic got candid with fans during an Instagram Q&A on Friday.
When asked for advice on dealing with anxiety amid the coronavirus pandemic, the 30-year-old said it’s ‘normal’ to have fear during such trying times.
The influencer also referenced her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, following her stint on last year’s season of Married At First Sight.
‘It’s normal to have fear’: Former Married At First Sight star Ines Basic, 30, comforted an Instagram fan during a Q&A session on Friday, who asked for advice on dealing with anxiety amid the coronavirus pandemic
In response to the fan’s question, Ines began: ‘Since that horse s**t show [MAFS], I got diagnosed with complex PTSD and I’ve pretty much always had anxiety.’
Psychology Today describes PTSD as a mental health condition that can form in response to a traumatic event that happened recently or in the past.
Symptoms can include attempting to avoid reminders of the event or associated emotions.
The former legal assistant went on to reveal that it was a ‘hard’ decision for her to go on pharmaceutical medication as she’s always been ‘really into natural medicine’.
Offering support: ‘What you are experiencing is so normal. This is a global pandemic, so the fear you’re feeling is so normal,’ the former legal assistant said
‘You’ve got to know your limits with your mental health,’ she said. ‘There’s only so much meditating and natural medicine you can do before you actually may need to try pharmaceuticals.’
Ines’ tumultuous upbringing was documented throughout last year’s season of MAFS, with the reality star fleeing war-torn Bosnia when she was just a child.
After her sister was born in an Austrian refugee camp, a four-year-old Ines and her family were granted refugee status to live in Australia.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in February last year, Ines said that her family couldn’t speak English when they arrived Down Under and had just $7 to their name.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Ines’ tumultuous upbringing was documented throughout last year’s season of MAFS, with the reality star fleeing war-torn Bosnia when she was just a child
‘The hardship I have endured, a lot of it has been painful and traumatic,’ she said. ‘I have seen a lot and been through a lot.’
Ines added: ‘Growing up with parents who were suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder, we as children had to look after ourselves.’
Going on to reference her fan’s experience with anxiety in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, Ines said on her Instagram Story: ‘What you are experiencing is so normal. This is a global pandemic, so the fear you’re feeling is so normal.’
Backstory: After her sister was born in an Austrian refugee camp, a four-year-old Ines and her family were granted refugee status to live in Australia
Hardships: Speaking to The Daily Telegraph in February last year, Ines said that her family couldn’t speak English when they arrived Down Under and had just $7 to their name. Pictured as a child
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness accompanied by fever, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath and fatigue. It can produce pneumonia.
The spread of the disease, which began in Wuhan, China, has seen over 245,900 cases worldwide and more than 10,000 fatalities.
As of the evening of March 20, the total number of people diagnosed with the virus in Australia is 877, including seven deaths.
If you are struggling with anxiety or other mental health issues, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
Statistics: As of the evening of March 20, the total number of people diagnosed with the virus in Australia is 877, including seven deaths