Kathy Griffin reportedly had an eight-hour anxiety attack following her ongoing battle with an "extreme case" of PTSD.
The 62-year-old comedian - who won Primetime Emmy Awards for her reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List in 2007 and 2008 - has had a rough few years, especially since her cancer diagnosis in late 2021.
Recently, she took to TikTok to explain that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that she had been diagnosed with an "extreme case" of the mental health condition. "Let's talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly," Griffin began in the video.
"You can laugh or whatever, but I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD, and it's called an extreme case."
She added: "If any of you know my story, you'll understand that this really started for me about five and a half years ago. Wink," seemingly referring to the backlash she received in 2017 when she posed for a photo with a bloodied replica of former President Donald Trump's head.
Griffin's career almost ran into the ground in the aftermath of her Trump skit, as she lost out on multiple work deals and hosting gigs. She was fired from her long-running gig cohosting CNN's New Year's Eve special, some of her theater shows were canceled, she was also investigated by the Secret Service, and she was also put on a 'No-Fly' list.
In a Newsweek op-ed in 2022, Griffin explained the effects of her "erasure", writing: "Now, we're in such a time, exacerbated by social media, where we really have this universal lack of forgiveness."
In a separate video posted to her TikTok account several days later, Griffin discussed her PTSD in a little more detail, saying: "Since I've been talking on here about PTSD, I had a freaking eight-hour attack yesterday. Eight hours of freaking writhing in pain in the bed."
"So today I felt like one might be coming on so I started to feel a little iffy, so I'm on my walk now," she added. "I'm outside and looking at the ocean, which is helpful, and I'm sort of almost mid-anxiety attack right now. It feels good to be walking my way through it. I just keep telling myself it won't last forever."
Griffin also posted the video to her Instagram account, writing a lengthy caption explaining how she deals with PTSD in her everyday life.
"I have been diagnosed with complex PTSD and for the last year and a half I have been plagued with terrifying panic attacks. Sometimes they last a few hours or more typically, they last at least a full day if not multiple days in a row. I feel silly even telling you this, because I always thought PTSD was just for veterans and stuff. During my attacks, I typically vomit quite a bit and often have to go to the ER just to get IV fluids," she wrote.
Many people took to the comments to share their own stories with PTSD, while others commended Griffin for speaking out on the matter.
