I didn't really learn how to navigate fan attention: Dove Cameron

The actress rose to prominence for her dual role of the eponymous characters in Disney Channel's comedy series 'Liv and Maddie' and her leading role in the 'Descendants' film franchise (2015-2021).

She talked about the "overnight fandom" she experienced as a young actress on 'Liv and Maddie', she said, "I couldn't have prepared," reported People.

Cameron, who played both titular characters in the comedy series from 2013 to 2017, added, "I also think I surprised myself by being more introverted than I anticipated. You truly don't know until you're put into that situation. And then you're like, 'Oh, I'm very introverted.' "

"I didn't really learn how to navigate fan attention or public attention for many years. I used to have full panic attacks," she shared.

"There was so much going on in my personal life," said Cameron, whose father died by suicide just before she began working on the series, "That's going to affect any kid. When you're 15 and that happens, it changes the course of your life," reported People.

Cameron shared how challenging it was for her to understand her father's death during that time, "There was no way for me to wrap my head around it. Understand it, conceptualise it. We were at his funeral and then, like, on Bainbridge Island. And then a couple months later, I was at The Grove with people asking me to sign glossies. I didn't know how to really reconcile with that," as per the outlet.

She continued, "It was almost like at the beginning of my career, I was so shrouded by this heavy cloud that it didn't hit me that I was a famous person until years later."

The actress shared that how she went on a journey of self-reflection to get to where she is now.

"I think I was under the impression that because I have always been someone who was very in touch with what was going on with me, that it almost acted as a hindrance as I got older, I had convinced myself that I knew how to manage my mental health well," she said.

"I tricked myself into thinking that I never needed to stop and take breaks. It was like, 'I know what this is. I know how to deal with myself. I know how to help myself so I can continue doing whatever I want to do professionally at the rate that I want to do it, and I never need to stop,'" she added.

Cameron continued, "When I finally did get the cue from my body and my brain, it was like there's no other way around this other than to stop and sort of take action around what's going on inside my brain and my body," as per the outlet.

The singer added, "So while, yes, I felt a little self-conscious taking time for my mental health when nobody really knew what was going on with me, it's the best thing that I've done for myself, and it will continue to be the only reason why I am so good and relatively functional now because I took that time," reported People.