‘General Hospital’ (GH): Maurice Benard’s most recent state of mind podcast with actress Alicia Coppola was one of his most compelling ones yet.
Maurice and Alicia get candid about their mental health issues and how they handle it.
Both of them are two naturally high-strung individuals, capable of jumping into traffic at any point in time.
It’s like Alicia says, the two of them being together would be like setting off a bomb, but each of them has the perfect mate who can talk them down off the ledge.
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Maurice Benard’s Most Recent State of Mind
Alicia and Maurice are both actors whose big break was with the soaps. Maurice got his start on All My Children, and Alicia became a force to reckon with on Another World.
Alicia played Lorna Devon on the now-defunct soap, Another World, from 1991 to 1994. She won accolades for her powerful performance.
The Young and the Restless fans may remember she also had a recurring role on the soap in 2016. She played Dr. Meridith Gates, the prison physician who was caring for Victor Newman (Eric Braeden).
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Alicia’s State of Mind
The two of them talked about their stress and anxiety and what it is like to suffer from debilitating symptoms.
Alicia had terrible panic attacks, which started in college. A student at NYU, she became agoraphobic and she would not leave her apartment.
She also had a rule that she would only go to “safe” places, be around “safe” people and eat “safe” foods. Everything she did had to be “safe.”
She would count her steps to get to class and had a paralyzing fear of needles and diseases.
Alicia said she wasn’t dealing with her Dad dying of cancer, and that is why she had many of these irrational behaviors.
Maurice related it to a movie he saw with Jack Nicholson and how anxious someone can become if they do not seek help.
Both Maurice and Alicia said they needed acting as a creative outlet to be able to function. It helps them with their mental health.
Alicia opened up about the postpartum depression she experienced after her daughter was born. The two of them had a frank talk about parenthood.
Maurice shared that sometimes he feels so bad that he has difficulty coping. They shared their struggles with each other and the audience.
They also talked about their beliefs and their faith and how even if you are not a deeply religious person, it helps to believe in something.
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Real Talk
A cool tidbit about Alicia’s husband, Anthony, is that he was on a ‘General Hospital’ episode that earned Maurice a Daytime Emmy. Anthony is a great actor in his own right.
They got on the subject of people who are labeled as different, whether they are a different race, gender, or gay.
One of the many things that Maurice said that was noteworthy was that he doesn’t look at anybody as a stereotype. He only cares about who has a good heart.
This State of Mind was incredibly enlightening. Maurice usually has interesting guests come on his show that he chats with. This one had a different vibe going for it.
Alicia is unique and a tells it like it is person, and the two of them talking with each other was fascinating to listen to.
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