Emma Stone Has Been Open About Her Personal Struggles Off-Camera

Emma Stone's life may seem glamorous on the surface, but the "Poor Things" star has struggled deeply in her personal life. While the actor's impressive career has secured starring roles and taken home prestigious awards, Stone has still wrestled with insecurity in the industry. "Even after you start getting bigger parts and more recognition, you never really feel secure," she told Psychologies in 2017. "You're always worried about landing the next role, or how your last film did. I think that acting is the kind of profession where you're always a bit worried about the future."

Before becoming one of Hollywood's most recognizable actors, Stone faced challenges on her path to stardom. In particular, she had a difficult time handling one big rejection. In 2011, she told Vanity Fair about her experience auditioning for the lead role of cheerleader Claire Bennet — eventually played by Hayden Panettiere — on the TV series "Heroes." After overhearing the casting team's effusive praise for her fellow contender, Stone broke down in her home.

But it's not just the professional rigors of showbusiness. Stone has also opened up about her struggles with mental health over the years.

Emma Stone is no stranger to dealing with anxiety. In a 2018 interview for the Child Mind Institute, the actor revealed she was an incoming second-grader when she experienced her first panic attack. "It was really, really terrifying and overwhelming," she shared. Stone went on to elaborate, "I was at a friend's house, and all of a sudden I was convinced the house was on fire and it was burning down. I was just sitting in her bedroom and obviously the house wasn't on fire, but there was nothing in me that didn't think we were going to die." 

As her panic attacks then became more frequent, Stone had a tough time at school. She constantly pretended to be sick so she could call her mom and leave school. The young Stone wasn't able to go to her friends' homes, as she endured separation anxiety from her mom.

Cognizant of her mental health struggles, Stone shared her belief that she's inherently prone to anxiety. Talking to Jennifer Lawrence for W Magazine, she said, "I think your wiring is just kind of what you are. My mom always says that I was born with my nerves outside of my body." However, the star found a silver lining, adding, "I'm lucky for the anxiety, because it also makes me high-energy."

While Emma Stone has faced anxiety since childhood, she's figured out how to best manage it. In a 2017 appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Stone revealed that therapy has helped her for years. The "La La Land" actor's passion has also been a major source of relief. "[Acting] helped me so much, improv helped me so much," she said. Stone additionally gave an update on her mental health, saying, "I mean, I still have anxiety to this day, not panic attacks — knock on wood."

In 2020, Stone shared anxiety coping strategies for the Child Mind Institute, a mental health organization for which she serves as a board member. She described how meditation has helped ease her angst. "Just sitting, 10, 20 minutes a day and repeating a mantra really works for me but you can just count your breaths," Stone explained. Dancing (like nobody's watching) has also been a go-to tool for Stone to release stress. 

In addition, the star broke down the "brain dump" strategy to mitigate anxiety. "I write down anything that I'm worried about — I just write and write and write. I don't think about it, I don't read it back, and I usually do this before bed so it [these worries or these anxieties] doesn't interfere with my sleep." Always candid about her struggles and ways of coping with anxiety, Stone's mental health advocacy is inspiring.