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The Daily Dish The Real Housewives of Orange County

Max Dubrow Opens Up on Her Struggles with Anxiety and Being Away from Home for College

In an interview with The Daily Dish, Heather Dubrow’s daughter Max Dubrow reflected on the “difficult” times she had her freshman year. 

By Allison Crist

Heather Dubrow shared how difficult it was for her and Dr. Terry Dubrow to send their two eldest children, twin siblings Max and Nick, to college at the beginning of The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 17, and on the latest episode, she offered a somber update on how Max has been handling the transition. 

Heather Dubrow’s Update on Max’s Life at College

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Speaking to her castmates on July 19’s RHOC Episode 7, Heather revealed that she was making a last-minute trip to visit Max, who moved across the country to attend school at Tufts University.

“I’m taking a red-eye tonight to go see Max in Boston. She’s having a little bit of a tough time, so I brought a card if you guys wouldn’t mind,” Heather said, before presenting the card for the OC ladies to sign. “She doesn’t know all of you, but she knows most of you, and it would just mean a lot to give her a little ‘You got this’ kinda thing.”

Heather elaborated in a confessional interview, explaining, “Max and Nicky are off to college, and Max, historically, has had issues with anxiety. And she’s going really far from home, and it’s a lot.”

Heather Dubrow , Max Dubrow, and Terry Dubrow pose for a photo together.

Max Dubrow’s Reflections on Her Freshman Year

Max’s Move to Boston for College

Max shared a similar sentiment in a recent interview with The Daily Dish. “I think for any student going into college or moving away from the house and the family that they’ve known their whole life, it’s difficult,” she began. “But I think, you know, I moved across the country, and that was out of anyone’s comfort zone.”

That, combined with Max’s anxiety, made the transition especially tough. As she explained, “I’ve dealt with this anxiety my whole life and stuff like that, and honestly, I was like, ‘This is so far away [but] I can do this,’ you know? And then once it came to it, I was like, ‘Oh sh-t, I have to move across the country right now.’ Like, I didn’t actually think about this.”

When Max “Freaked” After Starting College

Believe it or not, though, Max’s struggles didn’t really begin until her freshman year was well underway.

“I think at first it was a lot of adrenaline, you know? You’re moving to a new place — I moved into a dorm — meet a bunch of new people, and I think it was fine at first,” she told The Daily Dish. “And then as soon as it kind of settles — like, ‘I’m here for the next however many months without my family, and [with] people I don’t know in a strange place’ — that’s kind of when I freaked.”

How Max Overcame Her Struggles at College

Thankfully, with time, Max was able to not only adjust to her surroundings but also start to thrive. As she shared, “Like, at certain times, I would even be excited to go back to school rather than be at home ’cause I had my own dorm.” 

Reflecting on her freshman year overall, Max concluded, “It was definitely very, very difficult and scary as hell, but I think it’s the best thing I could’ve done for myself, especially having anxiety.”

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