Millie Mackintosh Reflects on Sobriety and ADHD Struggles

has said she 'self medicated' with while undiagnosed with as she also opened up about her panic attacks in a new interview.

The reality star-turned influencer, 36, is celebrating four years sober this summer, having quit booze in 2022.

She was undiagnosed with ADHD during her time in school, which she said made her years in education 'really difficult' as a result, going through five different schools.

The former star was also in her early teens when she discovered alcohol, admitting she used it 'as a mask' for a persona she thought people would like and find acceptable. 

Millie explained: 'That [alcohol] was the most accessible medicine I could find it was also socially acceptable and you're encouraged to drink and have, you know, a couple of drinks.

'I'd reached that point where my brain just slowed down like there wasn't suddenly all this noise and I had that relief and then I just wanted to keep that feeling and then, you know, I just wanted to keep drinking, keep drinking, didn't really have an off switch.'

Millie said once she stopped drinking, she needed to 'take the mask off'. 

She continued to the Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast: 'When you're learning to socialise and you're using alcohol to feel comfortable about yourself and who you are and you're actually masking who you actually are and you're not, you don't even really know who you are yet, but you're becoming somebody that's not very authentic.'

Two years after giving up alcohol, Millie admitted her ADHD diagnosis to fans. 

Speaking to Claire Sanderson and  for Women's Health UK earlier this year, Millie insisted she had to 'completely abstrain' from booze because she couldn't handle having just one drink. 

Asked if she would describe herself as an alcoholic, she replied: 'I think it depends what your definition is.

'I wasn't a drinker who depended on drinking alcohol everyday of the week but whenever I drank I wanted to drink to black out and drink, and drink, and drink.

'I recognise that urge is very unhealthy for me and it is better for me to completely abstain than to have the option of having one.' 

Meanwhile, the mother-of-two also opened up on her scary panic attacks, revealing she can experience three different debilitating symptoms.

Explaining them and the techniques she uses to cope, Millie said: 'I , I've got about 3 different types.

'So like I'm gonna pass out, yeah, so vision goes blurry, feel really faint, feel dizzy. Feel like I'm gonna have to go and lie down. I feel like my blood pressure is dropping.

'That's when I get one where I feel very sick, like nauseous, nauseous. I used to have this more when I was younger. It would feel like I was gonna throw up and I would have to like immediately kind of like bolt out of wherever I was and just go and lock myself in a bathroom.

'And then that the kind of scariest one is that I'm gonna die and that's normally either a feeling I get this like throat constriction or I was gonna get chest pains and a little feeling like a feeling of pressure on my chest.

'So like almost like a heart attack like where I can't feel like I can't breathe, my throat's constricting, my throat goes really dry and like tight, it feels like I can't swallow or breathe, and then I can start hyperventilating and feel like I'm in a blackout.'

She continued:  'I have like grounding techniques, so I try and just get come into my body and out of my head, so like whatever's available to me in the space that I'm in.

'I'll try and always carry an essential oil, so like smelling something that's quite a good way to get quickly out of your head, changing your temperature, so suddenly having a really cold shower or like running your wrists under really cold water, putting your hands in a bowl of ice water or your face, that switches on the vagus nerve, you can also put, I like to put something cold on the back of my neck, that normally really helps as well.'

as she opened up about her diet which has 'helped with her ADHD'.

She explained how she 'cut out refined sugar' and focuses on consuming 'whole foods'  

Millie revealed she starts her day with 'bone broth' before protein filled meals while she approaches with an 80/20 mindset.

Sharing a series of Instagram photos, Millie wrote: 'What I eat in a day. I cut out refined sugar about a year ago, which I’ve spoken a little bit about before, but not in that much detail.

'I felt so good after doing a 10 day sugar detox that I’ve followed it fairly closely ever since, focusing on a more wholefood way of eating.

'I try not to be too rigid with it, it’s very much an 80/20 approach, but it’s honestly really helped with my ADHD and just feeling more balanced day to day.'

She continued: 'Eating this way has also really changed how I think about food. Focusing on whole foods means prioritising ingredients in their most natural form, foods that support blood sugar balance, reduce inflammation and provide the nutrients our brains and bodies actually need.

'It’s something @drmarkhyman talks about a lot: when you remove ultra-processed foods and excess sugar, you’re giving your body the chance to regulate energy, mood and focus more effectively.

'For me, it’s less about restriction and more about nourishment and thinking of food as medicine.'

Going through her day to day eating patterns, Millie said she enjoys a protein shake and soup for lunch before later tucking into curry or stew for dinner.