I’m A Celebrity winner Sam Thompson opens up about anxiety and ADHD: "I used to think I was dying"

From heart palpitations to trouble sleeping, life with ADHD and anxiety has been difficult for Sam Thompson.

The 2023 I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! winner revealed last year he’d been diagnosed with the condition, going on to film a documentary for Channel 4. ADHD can affect people’s behaviour and tends to cause difficulty with things like concentration, time management and impulse control; meanwhile, anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe.

Thompson, who formerly starred in Made In Chelsea, said: "I think it was just not really knowing what you were going through [that was so hard before]. If you had anxiety, you’d be sat there going, ‘Why do I feel like this? Why do I have heart palpitations? Why can’t I sleep?

"I used to think I was dying. I always used to feel really anxious, and then talk about it and feel better. I think as I got older, I started realising what’s what a little bit more, I get this now."

After struggling with anxiety in his youth, he believes openness is what’s helped him understand his own mental health better.

Over the years, he has become more aware of the things in his life that benefit his wellbeing, he reveals, and since turning 30 now pays extra attention to them.

Thompson added: "It’s always a kid, or a mum or a dad with a kid, which I think is so awesome, and they’ll say, ‘My kid looks up to you – they love the fact they’ve got ADHD or they’re neurodiverse, thank you so much’, and it’s so cool. I think ADHD is a superpower, I really, really do.

"So, I really hope and want people to view it that way and not be ashamed. I’m glad I’ve got it.

"As cliché as it sounds, I go to the gym, I love a gym workout, I love a run. It’s nice to work towards something that’s trying to be healthy, or to be the best version of yourself, and I’ve only just started really doing that at the age of 30."