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Cousins!

In a recent episode of The Red Table Talk, mother-daughter duo Jada Pinkett and Willow Smith opened up about how anxiety once affected their relationship!

Within the episode Willow revealed a point in her life where she had to forgive her mother for overlooking her issues with anxiety. 

Jada also shared how difficult it was for

her to help Willow when she was struggling with the symptoms because she didn’t really understand,  reports People. 

“It took me a long time to understand Willow. I mean, just her anxiety,” Jada said. “I had a really difficult time relating, because, two things — her lifestyle and how she was brought up very different than mine — I don’t know what it’s like to be a child under hot lights.

”And then just, really not knowing how to comfort her, not knowing what help she needed, not understanding the behavior.”

Jada explained that  learning more about Willow’s anxiety, it caused her to confront her own behaviors.

“I used to chew my fingernails down to the cuticles. But they didn’t say that that was anxiety. I was a nail-biter, that’s it,” she said.

Jada says, “In having to deal with and learn about her anxiety, I’ve had to look at some of my own behavior and behaviors of my mother and go, ‘Well, of course I probably would have some anxiety in regards to how I grew up. It was very difficult, even to this day, in just being there for her in the way that she needs.”

Forgiveness came from Willow once she realized her mother was also struggling with anxiety.

“She had no idea. So, I kinda had to forgive her a little bit.”

“I feel like when I was growing up, she didn’t understand my anxiety because she, growing up, had seen her friends die. She had been through so much stuff that my issues to her kinda felt [smaller],” Willow said. “And that was very frustrating for me as a child, because I was like, ‘How can you not see my internal, emotional struggle?’”

Willow’s grandmother and Jada’s mother,  Adrienne Banfield-Norris also known as Gams, added  that she probably had anxiety but could not recognize it.

“I think in our world, I almost saw it as a weakness. We just couldn’t afford to be anxious.”

Adrienne  added, “I escaped through my drug abuse. Which I think numbed me to whatever was going on with you. I just didn’t want to face it, deal with anything in my life.” 

Cousins, how do you cope or deal with anxiety? Drop some advice for your fellow Cousins, below 👇🏿

( 📸: Getty Images )