Photo: Jerritt Clark/Getty
Erika Girarditook the necessary measures to cope with her mental health struggles amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
On Wednesday’s season 11 premiere ofThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, the ladies took a moment duringDorit Kemsley’s cookout to discuss the highs and lows they all experienced while at home amid the pandemic. Erika, for her part, admitted that she had a hard time adjusting.
“Mine was, like, you know … very dark,” Erika, 49, told the group. “Like, all of us, I’m busy all the time. When I came home from New York, it was really silent. And then, when I didn’t have anything to do, I was walking down the halls of the house and I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t shake it, this feeling of incredible dread. Who am I if I’m not working?”
Erika then revealed she sought professional help: “Every day I woke up, I dreaded waking up. So, I called a psychiatrist and I went on Lexapro.”
Amy Sussman/Getty
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Later in a confessional, Erika explained how she never wanted to see a psychiatrist because she “felt that it was a sign of defeat.”
She then told herRHOBHcostars that her “problems are still there” but that her “attitude toward them is different” after seeking help.
In that same discussion,Sutton Strackesaid she “stayed in the bed” the first eight weeks of lockdown while Garcelle, 54, shared that she was “so lonely” during the times when her children weren’t home.Kyle Richardssaid she had “anxiety” at first but loved having more time with her kids.
AsLisa Rinnatold the women that she was no longer able to “run” from who she was amid lockdown, Erika noted that she “was running too.”
Erika has faced a rocky last several months due to her public split from husbandTom Girardi, to whom she was married for 21 years. In the months sinceErika filed for divorcefrom Tom in November, the 81-year-old attorneyhas faced multiple lawsuits. Tom was alsodiagnosed with dementia and late-onset Alzheimer’s diseasein March.
Last month, theRHOBHseason 11 trailer teasedhow Erika and Tom’s divorce will be addressedin the series. The singer said that she “did not see it ending this way” between her and Tom, adding: “I was going to hold that man’s hand until he died.”
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsairs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Bravo.
If you or someone you know need mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
source: people.com
