Tom Odell thought he was "having a stroke" when a break-up caused him to have a panic attack.
Tom Odell
The 29-year-old suffered a "severe panic attack" following his split from model Sydney Lima last year, and has said he wasn't aware of how "terrifying" anxiety could be until he "collapsed in the shower".
He said: "I wasn't aware omnipresent anxiety had a name, I thought that was just me until it exploded last year.
"I went through a very painful break-up with someone who I still love very much, I was increasingly worried about how I felt.
"One day I collapsed in the shower in Munich. I felt like I couldn't breathe and I was having a stroke. I ended up in an ambulance and in hospital. It was absolutely terrifying."
And the 'Another Love' singer believes he could have lessened the severity of the panic attack if he had "been more aware of mental illness".
He added: "It was a horrendous month. A slammed door could send me into a mess of nerves. It was a severe panic attack. Had I been more aware of mental illness the attack wouldn't have been so bad."
Since suffering with anxiety, Tom has turned to meditation to help clear his head, and is also giving up smoking.
Speaking to Fearne Cotton on her 'Happy Place' podcast, he said: "I'm trying to give up smoking and I enjoy being alive.
"I feel a lot calmer and there is this buzz.
"It's as much about getting a good night's sleep and not drinking too much."
Tom previously spoke about his mental health in December last year, when he categorised anxiety as his "worst characteristic".
When asked to list his worst trait, he said: "I have quite bad anxiety and stuff like that. I wish I could relax. I feel a constant low hum of anxiety."
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