Ariana Grande shares 'terrifying' brain scan on Instagram that appears to show PTSD

Ariana Grande is known for being very open with her fanbase about mental health, both with regards to the topic in general, and with her own individual experiences. Just a few days ago, she posted a message to Instagram encouraging her followers to look after themselves in this respect.

"I just wanted to say hi and remind you guys to protect your peace and your energy and to not forget to take care of yourselves and protect your space," the singer said. "I just want to make sure that you don't run yourself to the ground, exhaust yourself and remember to protect your energy and do things that are good for you."

Now, in an Instagram story posted on Thursday, she presented images of brain scans, comparing her own to one suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

One side-by-side showed a normal brain alongside a "PTSD brain," displaying with different areas highlighted. Underneath, she shared what appears to her brain, highlighting the similarities between her's and the one suffering from the disorder. She wrote that the scan was "hilarious and terrifying," but it was "not a joke."

Credit: Instagram / @arianagrande

The amygdala and the hippocampus are the areas of the brain that usually show up in scans of those with PTSD, with these regions heavily associated with fear and memory. The amygdala, for instance, is highly active when someone is experiencing anxiety and stress.

While PTSD is normally associated with those that have served in the military, it's possible to suffer the disorder from other situations too - and the pop singer has gone through some traumas over the last few years.

In 2017, a bomb was detonated at one of Grande's concerts in Manchester, killing 23 people on the scene. Following this, Grande was hounded by the press for her actions following the traumatic incident, and later created a 'One Love' concert to honour the lives lost, as well as visiting injured fans in hospital.

She's previously spoken about what it was like dealing with what happened in Manchester, explaining that it was impossible to imagine how many people had "suffered such loss and pain."

"The processing part is going to take forever," she told Time. "Music is supposed to be the safest thing in the world ... I think that's why it's still so heavy on my heart every single day."

In addition to this, she has spoken about her anxiety in every day life. "My anxiety has anxiety," she told British Vogue last June. "I've always had anxiety. I've never really spoken about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour it was the most severe I think it's ever been."

In addition to these events, she also lost her ex-boyfriend, artist Mac Miller, after he overdosed last year. The pair had been together for two years before she'd called off the relationship, which she revealed was "toxic". They remained close after the breakup, and she paid tribute to him in small ways, including playing his music before her performances.

Here is Grande posting a short video of Mac Miller after his death:

Hopefully, Ariana continues to treat her own mental issues, and inspires others to be open and seek help for theirs.