Jennifer Lopez Opens Up About Panic Attack That Left Her 'Feeling Physically Paralyzed'

Lopez described what her work schedule was like in those days, saying, “There was a time in my life where I used to sleep 3 to 5 hours a night. I'd be on set all day and in the studio all night and doing junkets and filming videos on the weekends. I was in my late 20s, and I thought I was invincible.”

Things came to a head one day when she started experiencing physical symptoms from all the stress.

The Love Don’t Cost a Thing singer then realized she wasn’t as invincible as she thought. She continued, “Until one day, I was sitting in a trailer, and all the work and the stress it brought with it, coupled with not enough sleep to recuperate mentally, caught up with me. I found myself feeling physically paralyzed. I couldn't see clearly and then the physical symptoms I was having started to scare me, and the fear compounded itself. Now I know it was a classic panic attack brought on by exhaustion, but I had never even heard the term at the time.”

How did Lopez address the panic attack? She said her security guard brought her to the doctor.

“By the time I got there, I could at least speak again and I was so terrified I thought I was losing my mind. I asked the doctor if I was going crazy. He said, 'No, you're not crazy. You need sleep ... get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, don't drink caffeine, and make sure you get your workouts in if you're going to do this much work.”

Because of that scary experience, the star learned to prioritize self-care, saying, “I realized how serious the consequences could be of ignoring what my body and mind needed to be healthy — and that's where my journey to wellness began.”