Key Points<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Camila Mendes struggled with panic attacks and an eating disorder while starring on Riverdale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n\n
The actress said she used lorazepam to \u201cnumb\u201d herself and get through work days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n\n
Despite her struggles, Mendes said she still looks back on Riverdale very \u201cfondly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Camila Mendes<\/a> is getting candid about why her mental health hit \u201crock bottom\u201d while filming Riverdale<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe actress, who spent seven seasons scheming, saving her friends and starting random businesses as Veronica Lodge, has mixed emotions about her days on the CW show. During a visit to the On Purpose with Jay Shetty<\/a> podcast, Mendes detailed how her mental health struggles made for a tumultuous experience.<\/p>\n\u201cMy perfectionism came up a lot,\u201d Mendes said of her tenure on the series. \u201cI needed to be on all the time and at my best and looking my best.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mendes noted that while filming the first seasons of the teen soap opera, much of her turmoil was fueled by the fact that she was also grappling with an eating disorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt a lack of control because I\u2019m wearing a costume for a character that dresses differently than I would want to dress in my daily life,\u201d she explained. \u201cShe\u2019s wearing tight dresses and mini skirts and heels and showing my stomach, my little midriff or whatever. And if I felt bloated or if I didn\u2019t feel good about myself that day, I had to wear something that made me feel worse and made me feel super insecure.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n![\"Camila](\"https:\/\/hermes.media.static.aol.com\/media\/2026\/07\/27\/f1ab399d-eb9f-3974-8be4-d92de43c71d4\/23e95e6c-a3f2-43f5-839c-d992953cbaa9.jpg\"\/)
<\/div>\nCamila Mendes as Veronica Lodge on \u2018Riverdale\u2019Credit: Dean Buscher\/The CW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Mendes said she would find herself suffering with \u201cpanic attacks\u201d over the dissonance \u2014 leading only to further anxiety as she worried about derailing production on the show, which typically spanned 20 episodes a season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d have someone knocking on my door and being like, \u2018They\u2019re ready for you on set!\u2019 And I\u2019m crying because of the situation that I\u2019m dealing with,\u2019\u201d she told Shetty. \u201cAnd now my makeup\u2019s ruined, and that\u2019s another 30 minutes in the makeup chair for them to fix me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She continued, \u201cEveryone\u2019s on set waiting, and now I feel the pressure that I\u2019m the reason why we\u2019re behind. Oh my God, it was like a pressure cooker environment \u2014 constantly. Because there is no time to deal with things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking time off also didn\u2019t feel like an option, as Mendes knew it cost production \u201cthousands of dollars\u201d to reshoot a day if she called out sick.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Lili](\"https:\/\/hermes.media.static.aol.com\/media\/2026\/07\/27\/f1ab399d-eb9f-3974-8be4-d92de43c71d4\/e394b3c7-143f-4f49-83fc-8162bdb97285.jpg\"\/)
<\/div>\nLili Reinhart as Betty, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Camila Mendes as Veronica and KJ Apa as Archie on \u2018Riverdale\u2019Credit: Katie Yu\/The CW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The actress said she was eventually prescribed anxiety medication, lorazepam, which she used to \u201cnumb\u201d herself before work to show up without worrying about \u201ccrying and hyperventilating.\u201d\u00a0 She noted that while she didn\u2019t necessarily want to numb herself that way, she didn\u2019t see another way through.<\/p>\n
When Shetty asked how Mendes got to the other side of that feeling, she quipped, \u201cThe show ended.\u201d<\/p>\n
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with\u00a0our\u00a0<\/strong>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\nShe then clarified that her time with Riverdale wasn\u2019t always that difficult.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot every day was like that,\u201d she insisted. \u201cI did love my experience on the show, don\u2019t get me wrong. I look back on that time very fondly. It was just being young and not having control over your schedule in your life. That was really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mendes ultimately stuck with Riverdale for all seven seasons, playing Veronica throughout the show\u2019s entire run from 2017 to 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org<\/a> 24\/7.<\/p>\n
Camila Mendes struggled with panic attacks and an eating disorder while starring on Riverdale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The actress said she used lorazepam to \u201cnumb\u201d herself and get through work days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Despite her struggles, Mendes said she still looks back on Riverdale very \u201cfondly.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Camila Mendes<\/a> is getting candid about why her mental health hit \u201crock bottom\u201d while filming Riverdale<\/a>.<\/p>\n The actress, who spent seven seasons scheming, saving her friends and starting random businesses as Veronica Lodge, has mixed emotions about her days on the CW show. During a visit to the On Purpose with Jay Shetty<\/a> podcast, Mendes detailed how her mental health struggles made for a tumultuous experience.<\/p>\n \u201cMy perfectionism came up a lot,\u201d Mendes said of her tenure on the series. \u201cI needed to be on all the time and at my best and looking my best.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Mendes noted that while filming the first seasons of the teen soap opera, much of her turmoil was fueled by the fact that she was also grappling with an eating disorder.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt a lack of control because I\u2019m wearing a costume for a character that dresses differently than I would want to dress in my daily life,\u201d she explained. \u201cShe\u2019s wearing tight dresses and mini skirts and heels and showing my stomach, my little midriff or whatever. And if I felt bloated or if I didn\u2019t feel good about myself that day, I had to wear something that made me feel worse and made me feel super insecure.\u201d<\/p>\n Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge on \u2018Riverdale\u2019Credit: Dean Buscher\/The CW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Mendes said she would find herself suffering with \u201cpanic attacks\u201d over the dissonance \u2014 leading only to further anxiety as she worried about derailing production on the show, which typically spanned 20 episodes a season.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d have someone knocking on my door and being like, \u2018They\u2019re ready for you on set!\u2019 And I\u2019m crying because of the situation that I\u2019m dealing with,\u2019\u201d she told Shetty. \u201cAnd now my makeup\u2019s ruined, and that\u2019s another 30 minutes in the makeup chair for them to fix me.\u201d<\/p>\n She continued, \u201cEveryone\u2019s on set waiting, and now I feel the pressure that I\u2019m the reason why we\u2019re behind. Oh my God, it was like a pressure cooker environment \u2014 constantly. Because there is no time to deal with things.\u201d<\/p>\n Taking time off also didn\u2019t feel like an option, as Mendes knew it cost production \u201cthousands of dollars\u201d to reshoot a day if she called out sick.<\/p>\n Lili Reinhart as Betty, Cole Sprouse as Jughead, Camila Mendes as Veronica and KJ Apa as Archie on \u2018Riverdale\u2019Credit: Katie Yu\/The CW<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The actress said she was eventually prescribed anxiety medication, lorazepam, which she used to \u201cnumb\u201d herself before work to show up without worrying about \u201ccrying and hyperventilating.\u201d\u00a0 She noted that while she didn\u2019t necessarily want to numb herself that way, she didn\u2019t see another way through.<\/p>\n When Shetty asked how Mendes got to the other side of that feeling, she quipped, \u201cThe show ended.\u201d<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with\u00a0our\u00a0<\/strong>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n She then clarified that her time with Riverdale wasn\u2019t always that difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cNot every day was like that,\u201d she insisted. \u201cI did love my experience on the show, don\u2019t get me wrong. I look back on that time very fondly. It was just being young and not having control over your schedule in your life. That was really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Mendes ultimately stuck with Riverdale for all seven seasons, playing Veronica throughout the show\u2019s entire run from 2017 to 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org<\/a> 24\/7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n