Reality star Lauren Goodger is battling to restore her mental health following a severe anxiety episode whilst on holiday. The original TOWIE star, who was enjoying a sunny getaway with her four year old daughter, Larose, was compelled to cut short her trip after experiencing what she described as a series of “terrifying” episodes. Posting on Instagram, she apologised for her social media silence, stating: “Sorry I’ve been MIA. My holiday was cut short due to severe anxiety – it was overwhelming.”
Lauren, who celebrates her 39th birthday this week, is now reportedly doing absolutely everything possible to regain her footing – particularly for little Larose. “Hiding it all from my daughter was draining,” Lauren confessed, upon returning to British shores, reports the Mirror.
“But I’m proud I pushed through, even when it got tough. Now that I’m home, I’ve got a lot of work to do on myself. Those two days of anxiety attacks were terrifying.”
The celebrity revealed she is now concentrating on “self-care and healing”. An insider close to Lauren revealed: “Lauren has been struggling with anxiety for years and it’s a real battle for her. She doesn’t like to talk about it too often because she doesn’t like people worrying about her.
“She would hate for her daughter to see her upset so unfortunately she finds herself hiding, which she knows isn’t good for either of them.”
They shared, “Lauren really wants to focus on self-care and how to manage her anxiety, she doesn’t want to feel like this any more. She’s had a really tough few years and is a kind, sensitive soul – everything hits her and sometimes she just can’t cope. Now is the time for her to really focus on herself and get out of this rut. She’s hoping it’s going to be the start of feeling good.”
Despite her excitement at rejoining TOWIE last year, Lauren has been through an incredibly difficult period. In July 2024, she opened up about her ongoing struggle with PTSD following the devastating loss of her daughter Lorena two years prior.
Tragically, the newborn passed away shortly after birth when her umbilical cord became wrapped around her neck – an event Lauren has referred to as “the most traumatic experience of my life”.
Discussing the long-lasting impact Lorena’s death has had on her mental health, the star confessed, “I’ve 100% got PTSD bad and it will be with me for a long time. I’ve never suffered with depression, but I have therapy for health anxiety. I worry the worst is going to happen because I’ve already experienced a loss.”
Her heartbreak was made worse after Lorena and Larose’s father, Charles Drury, was arrested following reports he attacked her on the day of Lorena’s funeral. However, the charges were dropped in February 2024 after Lauren withdrew her support for the case.
Throughout the past 12 months, Lauren is understood to have grown closer to her former partner, who recently disclosed he has relocated to Essex to be nearer their daughter.
“I recently relocated from living three hours away from my daughter (I still saw her a lot) to now living 10 minutes away,” he shared last month. “As much as I miss my family I did what was right for not just my little girl but me too.”
The announcement came just weeks after he joined Lauren and Larose on another holiday – interpreted as a signal that the couple have reignited their relationship. Following her recent vacation drama, Lauren seemed to be prioritising herself, indulging in some essential self-care as she focused on improving her mental wellbeing.
“Blow-dry always helps the soul,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself looking glamorous at Loughton’s Elem hair salon. She subsequently treated Larose to a wash, cut and blow-dry at children’s hairdressers Little Fidgets.
Lauren initially appeared on TOWIE in 2010, whilst engaged to television and radio presenter Mark Wright. She returned as a regular cast member in 2024 and earlier this year revealed that she would be travelling to Portugal with her co-stars, noting that it would be her first overseas trip in five years.
She described the trip as “a huge deal”, adding, “I’ve not been away on holiday abroad in five years, due to my severe trauma and anxiety. However, the TOWIE bosses are who I feel most comfortable with to be going abroad to help with this.”
Here’s hoping that Lauren’s future is filled with peace, happiness and tranquillity – and a bit more of prioritising herself….