NEWSMadonna Admits to Having Panic Attacks
March 12 2008, Published 12:20 p.m. ET
She's a mega-watt music superstar and a newly honored member of the . And yet, despite still being able to command arenas with her irreverent charm and sexy dance beats, Madonna admits she suffers from terrible stage fright.
The iconic singer has opened up in the new issue of Dazed and Confused, admitting to having panic attacks during concert performances.
In the interview, Madonna says:
"I have moments where I feel incredibly invincible and know that I have the audience in my hand — I know that everything is absolutely perfect. And then I have panic attacks where I feel like everyone is breathing my air and I cannot live up to everybody's expectations and I just might die on stage.
"I normally try to turn my back to the audience, take a deep breath and remind myself that it's all temporary. I'm not worried about f**king up — I really have a panic attack that everyone else is breathing my air. It's hard to describe.
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Madonna continues, "When you have panic attacks you cannot rationalize them. Obviously there's enough oxygen for me but it never happens outdoors, it's normally in indoor sports arenas that I feel very close when suddenly I feel claustrophobic. It's not a fear of performing."
