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Kim Basinger Had To 'Relearn To Drive' Amid Debilitating Agoraphobia Battle That Left Her Homebound For Years

Kim Basinger Had To ‘Relearn To Drive’ Amid Debilitating Agoraphobia Battle That Left Her Homebound For Years

This week’s Red Table Talk is set to tackle some tough issues that have been affecting Kim Basinger and her daughter Ireland Baldwin for years now.

In an exclusive first look shared with People on Tuesday, the 68-year-old model opens up about living with agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder that can make people fear and avoid certain places and/or situations that might cause them to panic or feel trapped, helpless, or embarrassed, according to the Mayo Clinic, who explain on their website:

“You fear an actual or anticipated situation, such as using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line, or being in a crowd.”

Wow. It sounds really intense!

Related: Ireland Baldwin Calls Amber Heard A ‘Terrible Person’ Amid Johnny Depp Trial

And it was for Kim, who suffered from the condition long before doctors realized what was happening. In the candid interview, she recalled feeling “really horrible” while battling the condition “as fiercely as [she] did during those years” while not knowing “what it was,” adding:

“I wouldn’t leave the house. I would no longer go to dinner.”

The L.A. Confidential alum described her experience with agoraphobia, saying:

“[It’s] like something just completely shuts down within you and you have to relearn everything.”

This meant that she had to relearn how to drive — that is when she finally felt comfortable enough to get behind the wheel! The actress continued:

“I had to relearn to drive, and for many years I would not go through the tunnels at Malibu. Everything used to make me nervous, like the glass [sliding] to open the door, or, ‘Where do I step to open the door?’ Everything became a big job to figure out how to do it.”

Because of all this stress, she was also constantly “exhausted,” she revealed:

“You live with a dry mouth all the time, you’re very shaky, you’re just so exhausted all the time.”

Oh, man. What a tough condition to battle for so long. Kim isn’t the only one to suffer from anxiety in her family. Last month, her daughter opened up about how coffee can cause her to have severe anxiety attacks. We imagine that shared understanding has been helpful while grappling with Kim’s condition.

Ireland Baldwin also shared her own health journey with hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield-Norris. During a sneak peek of the episode, the 26-year-old recalled “self-medicating with Xanax” and “drinking” a lot at one point in her life. As a refresher, back in 2015, Ireland revealed that she checked herself into rehab to get “intensive therapy” following reports that she was partying too much. She’s also openly struggled with mental health issues and eating disorders over the years.

Related: Rust Body Cam Footage Shows Alec Baldwin Moments After Fatal Shooting

Going into more details about how the height of her addiction took a toll on her family life, she revealed that she “didn’t talk to” her mom or dad, Alec Baldwin, “for, like, a year” once, noting:

“I saw them here and there but I was so ashamed of what I had become and how I was living.”

Oof. That’s so tough. On how her additions affected her, she expressed:

“I just became this different person. I was emaciated in every way; I was lifeless.”

These two have already been so vulnerable and these are just the teasers! We cannot imagine what the full episode, airing on Wednesday, will have to reveal. Until then, check out the episode’s trailer (below).

Thoughts, Perezcious readers?

[Image via Extra/YouTube & Ireland Baldwin/Instagram]

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Apr 26, 2022 15:50pm PDT