'I’m a people pleaser to a fault:' Liza Soberano talks about mental health issues in the first episode of her podcast
Liza Soberano has released the first episode of her podcast An Open Mind With Liza Soberano.
The podcast, which aims to feature “honest unfiltered conversations about mental health," sees the actress being candid about her wellbeing with fellow celebrity guests.
In the hour-long maiden episode, Liza hosted Yassi Pressman, where the two opened up about grief, imposter syndrome, and the perks and pressure of being a young celebrity.
The two young actresses started by talking about their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality type test, and how their results resonated with them.
"When I was taking the test I felt kind of weird about answering each question," Liza shared. "I felt like I was being untrue with myself, for some reason. I feel like I'm so used to other people telling me who I am and how I should act that it kind of conditioned me to think that way."
Dealing with anxiety and panic attacks
Yassi then opened up about losing her father in 2021.
"It's funny because I also invested in Mind You around March. Probably because it was one of the hardest times of my life and I didn't know who to talk to," the actress shared.
Mind You is a mental health platform to end the stigma on mental health and offer affordable mental health services to Filipinos. Actresses Pressman, Soberano, and Nadine Lustre invested in the platform back in 2021. The podcast is also aired in partnership with Mind You.
"I read more about how to handle panic and anxiety attacks. Like how to breathe and how to tap parts of your body. It would get really bad sometimes to the point of where it's normal for your muscles to be tense."
She also shared the worst anxiety attack she experienced.
"I felt like I was gonna have a stroke. I couldn’t move my fingers, then it was my arms because I was so tired from shouting and letting everything out crying. My lungs were tired, my legs couldn't move and my stomach was so tight."
“I was scared, I was really scared [but] now that I know that that happens I can handle my breathing better and I can not panic anymore and be like 'it's normal, and it will pass'."
Soberano added that when she experiences anxiety attacks, she also trembles and shakes.
“I’m a people pleaser to a fault,” Liza lamented. “I feel like if I say no to somebody, they're gonna hate me and that I'm worthless. It's a battle that constantly goes on in my mind."
"I feel like we're conditioned to think that way."
I feel like if I say no to somebody, they're gonna hate me and that I'm worthless. It's a battle that constantly goes on in my mind.
Imposter syndrome and burnout
After landing the role of Alyana in the hit ABS-CBN crime drama Ang Probinsyano, Pressman said that she felt a bout of imposter syndrome: "Nagulat lang ako. Why me, of all people to be given this huge opportunity? To the point na hindi ako makapaniwala."
"Kaya ko ba? Will I disappoint people? Will I be enough? Malulunod ka rin sa laki ng project eh."
Pressman also mentioned the circumstances when she left the show in 2021 after being a part of it since 2016.
“Being burnt out and tired, I feel like a lot of us felt that even before the pandemic. It was very hard doing an action-drama series that I loved so much,” she said. “That was another big factor as to why I kept pushing it, but even in the pandemic, it was hard. You can’t go home."
She shared that the turning point came when she lost her father, and it was the time she needed to spend time with her sister, Issa Pressman: “I felt that maybe it was time na rin.”
Yassi also called her role in the series as the “biggest milestone” of her life so far.
The podcast will release a new episode every Sunday.
In a teaser video for the podcast, Liza's future guests include fellow celebrities Christine Reyes, Gab Valenciano, and Enrique Gil, among others.