Gisele Bundchen says she once considered suicide

Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Gisele Bundchen says she considered suicide during her early career.

The 38-year-old Brazilian model said in her memoir, Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life, that she contemplated killing herself after experiencing severe panic attacks in the 2000s.

"Inevitably when I think back to a time in my early twenties, I remember that I felt so helpless that I questioned whether I wanted to live," she wrote, according to Radar Online.

Bundchen had her first panic attack during in a turbulent plane ride in 2003 and developed a fear of enclosed spaces. Her anxiety seeped into her everyday life, making her feel "powerless."

"I actually had the feeling of, 'If I just jump off my balcony, this is going to end, and I never have to worry about this feeling of my world closing in,'" she said, according to People.

The former Victoria's Secret model told People she wrote about the experience in her book to share her vulnerabilities with fans.

"Things can be looking perfect on the outside, but you have no idea what's really going on," she said. "I felt like maybe it was time to share some of my vulnerabilities, and it made me realize, everything I've lived through, I would never change."

Bundchen is married to NFL star Tom Brady and is parent to two children, 8-year-old son Benjamin and 5-year-old daughter Vivian, with the New England Patriots quarterback. She said in an Instagram post in July that writing her memoir was a "transformative and intense" process.

"Uncovering stories deep inside of me made me feel vulnerable and emotional, but through facing my shadows and insecurities I learned how to accept and love myself in a deeper way," the star wrote.

"My intention in writing this book is to share how I overcame certain challenges in my life in hopes that it could help other who may be going thru similar experiences," she added.