SZA Opens Up About Anxiety From Attending the 2021 Billboard Music Awards

Though we're starting to (slowly, safely) reenter society as vaccinations become more widely available, that doesn't mean that everyone is exactly ready to get back to "normal," or at least, a post-pandemic approximation of it. For many people with anxiety, perhaps this stress over socializing is nothing new, even if it may be magnified right now; while there are plenty of facets of life that we're all eager to return to, after a year of collective trauma, it makes sense if you're not quite ready to throw all your masks away (please, don't throw your masks away). 

And while being a celebrity may make some things in life easier, it doesn't preclude a person from dealing with mental health issues, or, say, having a hard time attending a huge event during the tail-end of a pandemic — including SZA, who posted about her anxiety ahead of attending the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.

The singer, who has been open about her anxiety on social media before, posted a photo set on Instagram with the caption, "I hate being outside more than I can explain . I really have debilitating anxiety and I’m only posting these cause Y’all woulda found em anyway . Thank you to my team n my mama . Least I’m alive