Reese Witherspoon's Daughter Ava Details 'Intense' Mental Health Struggle
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Ava Phillippe won't back down to anxiety–instead, she's using her battle with the condition as a means to host an important discussion online.
The 24-year-old influencer and eldest child of Hollywood stars Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe recently opened up about her mental health struggles in a candid Q&A originally shared via her Instagram Story on Saturday, Sept. 30.
"I've dealt with anxiety for as long as I can remember," she revealed, per E! News, "and it was especially intense for me as a kid & teenager."
When asked about how she manages her mental health, Ava explained that while "there is no one solution that works for everyone," she's happy to share the techniques that she's benefitted from.
"Don't invalidate your feelings," she suggested. "You have every right to feel however you do, even if it seems weird to others, & being hard on yourself won't help you feel better or find a solution."
When times are especially stressful, she recommended taking some deep breaths, "a few more than you think you need," and trying the 5-4-3-2-1 coping exercise that many mental health professionals advise patients with anxiety utilize to help ground themselves and remain present when feeling incredibly overwhelmed or panicked.
"Note 1-3 things you can smell, touch, hear, etc… in the moment," she wrote. "& remember: this feeling will pass, even if you have to ride it out for awhile."
While Ava admitted she's come a long way since the bouts of "intense" anxiety she faced as a kid, she said she still has some "bad habits" that she's working on overcoming, like picking at her skin. "It's just so tempting for some reason," she confessed, "but I think I've been better about not doing that as I've gotten older."
In addition to Ava, the Cruel Intentions co-stars share a 19-year-old son named Deacon Reese Phillippe. Witherspoon is also the mother of 11-year-old Tennessee Toth, whom she welcomed with ex Jim Toth.
Next: 'Vulnerable' Reese Witherspoon Opens Up About Divorce From Jim Toth
