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Carrie Ann Inaba got emotional talking about almost a lifelong battle with anxiety, saying that she had vomited just minutes before going live for Dancing With the Stars, adding that dance was the best form of therapy. In an emotional post, she told her story about Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles’ very vulnerable display of anxiety on the show. These few words from Carrie Ann Inaba are a window into the psychological toll an artist goes through while still having to perform live and offer some hope to others who have found themselves in the same mesh.
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Carries things with Carrie Ann Inaba for the price of perfection. The ‘Dancing With the Stars’ judge, who stayed serene on camera for so long, went stark naked in a painfully revealing post about the intense anxiety she had suffered through the first ten years of the televised dance competition. This was said as she commended Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles for an equally powerful dance that ages the same subject.
“This show gives me anxiety,” Inaba bluntly stated. “I didn’t have anxiety before I became a judge on DWTS.” She described a pattern so intense it became physically debilitating. “For the first 10 or so seasons of DWTS, I would have such bad anxiety I would throw up right before we walked to stage to start the live show.”
Inaba related her current understanding of the journey of anxiety to crossing by Jordan Chiles, which she describes as “smooth and fierce” through a video commentary. She made a solemn statement on dance as a healing art form; dance is “art, sport and therapy” all in one, she said. Movement had saved her life until she had to give it up due to injuries.
“When I stopped dancing everyday due to injury and health issues, I found I had so much more anxiety,” Inaba revealed. “Without being able to release it in dance class, it got stored up in my body, mind and spirit. It became heavy and once you have one major anxiety attack, you get anxiety waiting for the next one… and so it goes and so it grows.”
Inaba’s story with her condition did not end there: “After years of therapy, acupuncture, energy work, reiki, chiropractic care and educating myself and giving myself the tools I needed to not let the anxiety win the battles, I no longer go through that before each show.” She then took a chance to thank her supporting cast for assisting her to get to this point.
She then took a moment to speak directly to others in the same boat. “If you have anxiety, please seek help. There are doctors and therapists out there that can help you. There are things you can do to help ease the incredibly frightening and uncomfortable feelings that come with anxiety, so that you can live your life to the fullest.”
The post instigated an immediate reaction, with several users giving testimonials of their experiences. One user said that Inaba has: “Handled the chaos of judging on live television (booing, criticism) with so much grace and elegance” and called her “a brilliant and inspiring woman.” Clearly, for years she has kept her own inner turmoil at bay.
Inaba herself got engaged with her audience when she asked, “Anyone else deal with anxiety?” This question garnered plenty of responses from followers who shared their own experiences, sparking a mini-discussion. One wrote, “dealing with anxiety for nine years,” and another said, “good days and bad days but I’m getting through it.”
One other heartfelt comment came from a follower: “Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing YOUR experience with us, I have dealt with anxiety as long as I can remember, and it just gets worse as I’ve gotten older.. Sending you much love.” Exchanges such as these illustrate how Inaba’s stardom has opened up necessary dialogues about mental health that otherwise would have remained firmly closed behind private doors.
Very telling was the comment from a Former Opera singer tying anxiety especially to arts professions: “I think that people in the arts are especially prone to anxiety. I ended my career in opera because it was affecting my mental health so profoundly,” expressing gratitude to both Inaba and Jordan Chiles for “daring to speak about it.” It suggests that, just behind the glitz, performance careers carry huge psychological burdens discussed very little in public.”
Another follower replied to show how much Inaba’s statement affected them: “Thank you so much for this. I deal with anxiety so crippling it even keeps me from doing things I enjoy. I’m working on getting better.” This response showed how the message had been received by the population at different stages in their mental health journeys, from those just commencing to seek help to those already working on managing.
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What makes Inaba’s admission particularly angst-ridden is her standing as a TV stalwart who has passed critical judgment on thousands of performances under copious pressure. When such a person, who appears so at ease within the live TV atmosphere, confesses she used to cry herself to sleep when she had to stand up and speak in front of people, one can imagine how much she has come. The show also featured performances by Alix Earle, while Maggie Sajak was spotted enjoying a night out at the show. Scott Hoying received birthday wishes from the cast, and Jenna Johnson Chmerkovskiy shared a tribute to her eliminated partner.
