‘It’s hell:’ Kate Beckinsale shares emotional video about navigating PTSD
Actress Kate Beckinsale has shared an emotional video highlighting the difficulties of navigating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Beckinsale, 53, said that while there’s plenty of research around military PTSD, people with civilian PTSD are not always given the same level of understanding.
Actress Kate Beckinsale has admitted to being in a “lonely place” in two lengthy videos opening up about the difficulties of navigating PTSD. Instagram/@katebeckinsale
“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,” she said.
“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.
“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.”
The Click actress urged people to “be kind” to others because you never know what someone might be going through.
“Given the fact that it’s invisible, and you can’t know, maybe err on the side of being gentler with people, being kinder,” she continued.
“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.
“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.”
Kate Beckinsale lost her mother after a battle to cancer in 2025. Instagram/@Katebeckinsale
In a second video, the actress reminded people that August 30 is National Grief Awareness Day in the US.
“People who have PTSD have seen the worst of mortality and tried to keep going,” she explained.
“Maybe don’t always tell a person how strong they are. Maybe that person is just crushed under the weight of having been strong for years … and their strength has been misinterpreted as not needing gentleness.
“There are people who are silently caregiving, watching their loved ones deteriorate in horrifying and frightening ways that they’re not medically qualified to deal with. And they do it on their own. And it can break them, especially when everyone else relies on the trope of saying, ‘Wow you’re so strong.’ The person needs, ‘I’ll be here if you need to fall apart’.
Beckinsale previously admitted her grief has made it hard to eat. Getty
“But most people aren’t capable of providing that safety. So, try to become a person who can provide that safety. You could be the difference for someone.”
The actress has been open about her struggles with grief following the passing of her mother Judy Loe in July 2025, who died after a battle with stage 4 cancer.
At the time of her mother’s passing, Beckinsale revealed she “died in [her] arms” and admitted she was struggling to cope with the “shock and trauma” of the loss in a series of Instagram posts.
Beckinsale also lost her stepfather Roy Battersby after he suffered a massive stroke.
She also lost her father, Richard Beckinsale when she was five years old after he suffered from a heart attack.
If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time, please know that support is available Lifeline (Australia): Call 13 11 14 (Available 24/7) or text 0477 13 11 14.
