Goldie Hawn, 73, reveals she suffered from childhood anxiety: 'I thought the Russians were going to bomb us, I thought I could die'

Goldie Hawn is an iconic comedic actress and a Hollywood legend, but the 73-year-old got seriously personal Wednesday night.

Hawn was honored at the 2019 Change Maker Awards at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday in New York City.

While accepting the Activist Award from Child Mind Institute for her work in mental health awareness for children, PEOPLE reports that funny girl Goldie shared her childhood struggle with anxiety. 

You're not alone: Goldie Hawn opened up about her struggles with anxiety at the Child Mind Institute 2019 Change Maker Awards at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday in New York City on Wednesday, May 1

You're not alone: Goldie Hawn opened up about her struggles with anxiety at the Child Mind Institute 2019 Change Maker Awards at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday in New York City on Wednesday, May 1

'I lived with anxiety as a little girl,' Hawn said. 'I thought the Russians were going to bomb us. I thought I could die without ever kissing a boy. I suffered anxiety every time I heard a siren.'

She continued on, telling the audience that when she began her acting career by working on NBC comedy Rowan & Martin's Laugh In, her anxiety issues got dramatically worse.

'The next thing I know I'm doing a TV show and I was having nonspecific anxiety attacks,' she explained. 'I didn't know why I was feeling anxious or what was wrong with me, when I would go into public and feeling like I could vomit.'

Goldie continued to suffer through the symptoms for an entire year before going to see a doctor. 

Funny girl, serious problem: 'I thought I could die without ever kissing a boy. I suffered anxiety every time I heard a siren.'

Funny girl, serious problem: 'I thought I could die without ever kissing a boy. I suffered anxiety every time I heard a siren.'

Namaste: Goldie found happiness within herself through meditation

Namaste: Goldie found happiness within herself through meditation

It was then that the actress and singer says she knew she had to seek help.

'I was 21 and I realized that I had a mind, that I was going to fix that mind and I was going to make sure I knew and understood everything that was happening and why it was happening,' she said.

Goldie said meditation was something she used in addition to seeing her doctor to help herself find happiness.  

'I went for meditation because it was the thing to do, and when I did, it was like I can't ever explain to you—it was the most joyful experience I've ever had,' she said. 'It just hit this seed of joy that I always had as a young girl. Because all I ever wanted was to be was happy.'  

Teamwork: Goldie was honored with the Activist Award for her work in mental health awareness for children

Teamwork: Goldie was honored with the Activist Award for her work in mental health awareness for children

In fact, the actress believes in the power of meditation so much that her foundation has a program to teach it to kids.

The Goldie Hawn Foundation, founded in 2003, has a program called Mind Up which helps teaches teachers how to introduce meditation to their students.  

A-list event: Attendees at the awards dinner included journalists Katie Couric and Elizabeth Vargas and Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love

 A-list event: Attendees at the awards dinner included journalists Katie Couric and Elizabeth Vargas and Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love

Change makers: The Change Maker Awards were created to 'celebrate people and organizations that are creating real, meaningful change for children who struggle with mental health and learning disorders'

 Change makers: The Change Maker Awards were created to 'celebrate people and organizations that are creating real, meaningful change for children who struggle with mental health and learning disorders'

On their website, The Child Mind Institute said the Change Maker Awards were created to 'celebrate people and organizations that are creating real, meaningful change for children who struggle with mental health and learning disorders.' 

The institute says that 'of the 74.5 million children the in the United States, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a psychiatric disorder — more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined.'

Child Mind Institute also has a #MyYoungerSelf campaign on social media, where actors like Kristen Bell, Rachel Bloom and Emma Stone get personal about their mental health, sharing a piece of advice they'd give to their younger selves.

 

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Goldie Hawn gets personal and shares her childhood anxiety story during award acceptance speech

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