Lindsay Lohan is bravely sharing how early fame affected her deeply. At age 39, she says being chased by paparazzi caused serious trauma and lasting stress.

Lohan recently spoke with The Times of London. She said, "I don't ever want my family to experience being chased by the paparazzi the way I was. They were terrifying moments... I have PTSD to the extreme from those things."

She got her start in the late '90s and didn't take long to make a name for herself in the spotlight. But behind that success were "really scary" and "the most invasive situations," she added.

According to US Magazine, Lohan explained that press attention became overwhelming. "I pray stuff like that never comes back. It's not safe. It's not fair."

These experiences drove her to step back from acting and focus on finding a more normal life. "I wanted to take a minute... figure out how to have a more private life, a real life," she said.

Today, Lohan lives in Dubai with her husband, Bader Shammas, and their two-year-old son, Luai. She described the city as a refuge, "a safe place where we can just have a normal life, outside of what I call 'the noise.'"

She's made it clear more than once: these days, her focus is on keeping her family safe—not seeking the spotlight.

Lindsay Lohan Opens Up About Fame's Impact on Her Personal Life

One major decision the couple made is not to show their son's face online. "It's something my husband and I discuss all the time. 'Do we want to show our son?' We will know when the time might be right, but it's also a protection," Lohan said, speaking quietly but firmly.

Lohan also reflected on how fame changed the way people treated her.

She shared how uncomfortable it feels to constantly have phones pointed at her, explaining that she'd much rather be asked for a photo than be recorded without warning.

The constant attention has made her more cautious about everything she does in public.

Lohan's experiences deeply shaped her choices. That includes her return to acting in "Freakier Friday," inspired in part by motherhood, InStyle said.

She said, "Yes, this is a first. ... Time is working on my side." Her role reversal in the new film, now as a mother, reflects how her life has changed.

At one point, she shared: "I feel like some of [my work] got overshadowed by paparazzi... when I was younger, and that's kind of annoying. I wish that part didn't happen." That feeling pushed her to disappear from public view until she could make a comeback on her terms.

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Lindsay Lohan