Elena Kong Reveals She’s Lived With Panic Disorder for 20 Years, Sharing How Certain Environments Can Feel Overwhelming and Hard to Endure

(Hong Kong, 9) TVB Best Actress winner Elena Kong has not released a new drama since Romeo and His Butterfly Lover (2022). Nearly a decade after divorcing Ng Kwan Cheung (brother of Sandra Ng), she has previously described her love life as “dry,” with no new relationship rumors in sight. In a recent media interview, the strong and tough image she projects on screen gave way to a more vulnerable truth: she revealed she has struggled with severe depression for years, which later developed into panic disorder—an ordeal that has lasted about two decades.

According to reports, Kong’s relationships often lasted more than ten years. Before dating Ng, she was in a long-term relationship with former ATV actor Cheung Wai, which ended in a painful breakup that left lasting emotional scars. She said no one teaches you how two people should get along; you learn through trial and error while real-life pressures shape your choices. Looking back, she felt she was never taught how to love and protect herself—by the time she recognized the damage, she was already deeply hurt.

Kong stressed that emotional illness should never be dismissed. It can be as real as a cold, just less visible from the outside. After developing panic disorder, she became extremely sensitive to noise. At her worst, she couldn’t even sit in the middle of a busy restaurant. She described being surrounded by loud sounds as “worse than death,” as if the noise was drilling into her head. To cope, she would choose quiet corners or private rooms; otherwise, noise could trigger symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and dizziness, followed by exhaustion.

She traced the onset of her condition to a traumatic experience linked to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Months after the disaster, she traveled with a production crew to Khao Lak, Thailand, to film a program and witnessed the devastation firsthand. The shock, she said, left a deep imprint—she still occasionally wakes up from nightmares of tsunami scenes.

In recent years, Kong has embraced Buddhism, which has helped her feel calmer and gradually manage her emotions. Through her faith, she also became friends with Isabella Leong: after seeing Kong’s meditation practice on the talk show One on One, Leong reached out on Instagram to learn Buddhism together. Kong initially suspected a scam and even called a friend to verify, but the connection eventually turned into a genuine friendship.

Kong also shared that she once maintained a strict vegetarian diet, but physical changes during menopause—combined with long-term vegetarianism—led to muscle and protein loss, sunken cheeks, and sudden weight drop, raising public concern. She ultimately returned to eating meat for health reasons. Now, she says she has learned to care for herself more and hopes simply to end each day feeling happy.