Kate Beckinsale reveals how struggling with PTSD is 'actually like hell' after death of her mother
Kate Beckinsale has opened up on her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the death of her mother in July 2025.
PTSD is a 'mental health condition caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events', according to the NHS.
Symptoms of the condition include sleeping difficulties, not being able to fully remember the traumatic event, as well as avoiding people or places you associate with the event.
Beckinsale has previously spoken about her mother, Judy Loe, dying in her arms last year after she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.
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The actor took to Instagram at the time and admitted it had been her 'greatest fear' ever since she found her father, Richard Beckinsale, dead when she was just five-years-old.
Richard died when he was just 31 in 1979 after suffering a heart attack.
So, you can understand why Beckinsale has suffered from PTSD over the years, and the 53-year-old has now taken to Instagram to discuss how the condition is not fully understand.
In a video posted to social media, Beckinsale said: "There are men and women and children who have seen such absolute horror or experienced such absolute horror that their nervous system is permanently altered as a result. And a lot of those people become incredibly good at masking it.
"And it’s sad because they become so good that they get no grace whatsoever."
She continued: "They get up, they go to work, they look after their kids, they provide for their family, they have a laugh, they’re the fun person, but they don’t sleep for more than an hour because when they do, it’s full of nightmares. Anything — smells, sounds, thoughts, feelings — can trigger them into a place that is actually like hell."
Beckinsale then spoke about PTSD being an 'invisible' condition, so encouraged people to be kind.
"It really is true that when you haven’t walked a mile in someone’s shoes — however fancy you think the shoes are — you have absolutely no idea what they might be carrying, masking, dealing with day and night," she added.
"Someone with PTSD is on their own with it, by definition … so those are the loneliest people. They’re alone with a level of horror that’s incompatible with life and yet, a lot of times those people continue to try and put one foot in front of the other."
Beckinsale marked National Grief Awareness Day on August 30 by posting a follow-up video, where she offered advice to folks who are looking to help those dealing with grief.
She said: "Try to become a person who can provide that safety. You could be the difference for someone."
Topics: Celebrity
Callum Jones