Susan Boyle has spoken of how suffering from Asperger syndrome sometimes leaves her feeling “a sense of panic”.

The 53 year-old singer, who was diagnosed with the syndrome just two years ago, says she is learning to cope with the condition which makes it difficult for sufferers to communicate.

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But she’s told the Daily Mail magazine it doesn’t affect her while performing on stage.

“Off stage, well, it happens lots. It always has. But I’m getting better at dealing with it because I know what it is. If I feel I’m going to take a mood swing, I get up and leave,” she said.

“I’ve learned that it’s the only way. And other people have learned that they have to just ignore me. That way I have no one to rant and rave at.

“I feel a sense of panic, not wanting to be there. I get depressed. I just go away, be myself. Then I come back to you. I always come back.”

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, which is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people.

Boyle was bullied at school in Scotland and was a difficult child but now she has a more optimistic outlook on life.

“It’s a very difficult subject to talk about because you always feel that eyes are on you, and people view you as different.

“I like to see myself as someone with a problem, but one I can solve. It is definitely getting better. “