Good Morning Britain presenter Ranvir Singh has candidly revealed a deeply personal and frightening health experience during a recent episode of the ITV morning programme. The broadcaster opened up about suffering from unexpected physical symptoms of anxiety, which left her struggling to breathe and confused about what was happening to her body.
Ranvir's Startling Physical Experience
During a discussion about health anxiety on Friday's programme alongside co-host Kate Garraway, Ranvir shared that she had previously believed anxiety was purely a mental condition. "I always thought that anxiety was in the brain, that it's a thought process, that you're thinking things that are making you feel a bit worried," she explained to viewers.
The presenter then described her shocking physical experience: "I experienced one bout of it, I'm not someone who has experienced anxiety so I didn't know that it was physical, I had no idea. I was feeling numb in my fingertips, tightness of the chest, I couldn't breathe properly, I was sweating."
The Event That Triggered Symptoms
Ranvir revealed that these distressing symptoms occurred while she was attending an event, leaving her completely bewildered. "I was at an event and I just thought, 'What's wrong with me?' And it wasn't for a long time afterwards that I realised it was anxiety, I just had no idea it was physical," she confessed.
The broadcaster emphasised the reality of these physical manifestations, stating clearly: "The symptoms are real." Her revelation highlights how anxiety can manifest in tangible physical ways that many people might not recognise immediately.
Guest Vicky's Health Anxiety Journey
The discussion featured guest Vicky, who shared her own extensive battle with health anxiety that became debilitating at its peak. She described being trapped in what she called a "vicious cycle" of health anxiety that proved extremely difficult to escape.
"When you're stuck in this vicious cycle of health anxiety, it's really hard to get yourself out of it, even when, I'm a very rational person in my real life, but when I was at my worst, I just couldn't rationalise with myself," Vicky explained to the presenters.
Extreme Monitoring and Medical Visits
Vicky detailed the extreme measures her anxiety drove her to take, including constant body scanning and frequent medical consultations. "It was a lot of heart palpitations, noticing things on my body, I was scanning my body all the time, at my very worst I was looking up and checking myself every half an hour, going to see my doctor three or four times a week with a different ailment," she revealed.
Ranvir described how Vicky had "lost a few years of her life" to what she called this "horrible" condition, with Vicky herself acknowledging that period felt like "a blur."
Path to Recovery and Treatment
Vicky recalled that doctors were initially "sympathetic" and tried to identify what might be wrong before realising she required specific treatment for health anxiety. Her journey toward recovery involved cognitive behavioural therapy, which she described as making her hyperfixate on things and sit in her discomfort as a method to overcome her anxiety.
Message to Others Suffering
Speaking to others who might be experiencing similar struggles, Vicky offered encouraging advice: "Don't be ashamed about it, it still feels like quite a shameful anxiety to have but don't feel ashamed, go and see your doctor. I want to say, stop searching things online but that is so much easier said than done."
She concluded with hopeful news about her current state, saying: "It was a really dark, hard time but out the other side. I now feel much better."
The frank discussion on Good Morning Britain highlights the often misunderstood physical dimensions of anxiety disorders and provides valuable insight into both the challenges and potential pathways to recovery. The programme continues to air weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX, bringing important conversations about mental and physical health to morning television audiences across the country.
