Natalie Imbruglia reveals life-changing diagnoses: ‘It was a grieving process’

Aussie singer Natalie Imbruglia has opened up on receiving new mental health diagnoses while managing perimenopause in the second chapter of her life.

The Torn hitmaker, 51, revealed she was previously diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

“You name it, there’s a sprinkle of it. They’re just labels. It’s not a negative, it’s my superpower,” Imbruglia told The Sunday Times of her ADHD and OCD diagnoses.

OCD is a mental health condition defined by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours, while ADHD is characterised by inattention, hyperactivity or both.

What Imbruglia struggled with most about her neurodiversity is how nervous she becomes before a show.

The former Neighbours star added that “perimenopause made it worse”.

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Natalie Imbruglia shuts down ‘absolute rubbish’ rumour in tearful podcast confession

Perimenopause is the transitional phase just before menopause.

Often women suffer menopause-like symptoms including hot flashes, hormone levels and fertility levels start declining, and periods become irregular.

Imbruglia, who was once married to Silverchair rocker Daniel Johns, said she happily talks about her perimenopause and mental health in a bid to help other women who might be going through the same thing.

“Let’s just say it was a grieving process. I was really angry. I fell off a cliff,” she said.

“It felt like someone had taken some of my personality.”

Imbruglia is a single mother and welcomed son Max Valentine Imbruglia, six, solo via IVF and an anonymous sperm donor back in 2019.

She lives in the UK with her son.

When she announced his birth, she shared a picture on Instagram of herself holding his hand, writing in her post: “Welcome to the world..Max Valentine Imbruglia 💙My heart is bursting 🥰🥰🥰 #myboy.”

Imbruglia appeared on the How to Fail podcast recently and shut down claims that she chose solo motherhood “over being with a man”.

“That’s absolute rubbish,” she said.

“That was not the case. We just find ourselves in a situation where there’s a biological clock and you know a decision needs to be made.”

She sweetly added: “When you meet your child, and the divine timing for it to be that child and the rings of fire I had to jump through, I would do a thousand times over.”