Roxanne Pallett reveals she was suffering from PTSD when she accused Ryan Thomas of punching her in Celebrity Big brother
The 36-year-old also slammed people for jumping on the bandwagon and called her 'toxic' and 'evil'
ROXANNE Pallett has revealed she was suffering from PTSD when she accused Ryan Thomas of punching her.
The 36-year-old, who came under fire in Celebrity Big Brother last year when she exaggerated a playful punch from Ryan Thomas, attempted to explain her actions during a talk yesterday.
Speaking at a £6-a-head mental health event, which is her first job since CBB, Roxanne said Ryan was “collateral damage” as she self-destructed and lashed out after failing to deal with deep rooted mental health issues.
She said: “Last year I unravelled, I broke down. I lashed out.
“And only now since being diagnosed with PTSD and Panic Disorder do I see that it was a result of years of untreated and ignored mental health issues that were lingering and building up and waiting to bubble over like an unwatched pot on a stove.
“I fell apart over a matter of weeks and I did so in front of millions on not just one occasion but three TV shows.
“All of which were edited and shown as entertainment. I was the punchline to the very unfortunate joke. I was then ridiculed, judged and villainised, but only some actually recognised the reason behind my reactions - PTSD.
“It was pouring out of me. I’ve since been inundated with letters from people including soldiers, nurses and counsellors that watched and see that my mental health was crumbling but unfortunately many mistake this symptoms for character traits and they condemn you.
“Tears, mood swings, erratic behaviour, accusations, doubts, despair. Such awful traits, especially for those around me at the time, those who were inflicted and became collateral damage as a result of just being next to me when I self-destructed.”
Roxanne, who also quit Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls after five days, went on to slam those who jumped to Ryan’s defence and branded her “toxic” and “dangerous”.
She continued: “Last year the most difficult part wasn’t the avalanche of hate or the opportunists who jumped on the bandwagon, it wasn’t even the ignorant names I was called, weird, toxic, dangerous, dramatic, evil, mental, crazy, attention seeker.
“It was the silence of those I considered friends that hurt the most.”
The actress said she was now undergoing counselling.
She said her problems linked back to a fire at her home and losing a parent to cancer when she was 16, being in an abusive relationship at 20 and six years later losing her best friend to suicide.
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She added her problems have taken their toll on her personal life and she often can't cope in shops and restaurants.
Roxanne added: “I’ve lost friends who have deemed me too deep, too high maintenance, too sensitive, too much.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve abandoned my trolley and raced out of a shop to get back in my car.
“The times I’ve cancelled plans with friends with an excuse the day before. The times I’ve silently freaked out when sat in a restaurant leaving the waiter unsure of what the hell has happened.”
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