Nadine Lustre tried to hold back tears as she credited her boyfriend and onscreen partner James Reid for changing her for the better, and for her “healing.”

The “Ulan” star opened up about her three-year relationship with Reid in the episode of “Tonight with Boy Abunda” that aired on Monday.

“I can say that I changed a lot in the relationship for the better,” said Lustre, whose tandem with Reid translated into a real-life romance that’s since evolved significantly from their initial teenybopper image.

Aside from the visible changes, as well as their shared growth as music artists, Lustre said she has made progress in terms of handling her anxiety.

“Before, ‘yung mga small things, sobrang nagwo-worry ako palagi, kasi I’m an overthinker. Madalas ako nagkakaroon ng anxiety, even until now.

“But now kasi, I learned how to handle it properly. I’ve learned to let the bad stuff go. I don’t hold grudges anymore. I’m always positive. If something bad happens, hindi na ako ‘yung, ‘Oh my God, ano’ng gagawin ko?’ I think logically, tapos I strategize kung paano ko lalagpasan. I’m very calm now. I learned how to communicate and open up,” she explained.

When asked how they manage to stay faithful to each other, despite being in the fickle world of show business, Lustre had a simple answer: they love each other.

“‘Yung naging transition ko from who I was before, to the person I am now is so beautiful na kahit hindi na kami ni James, he will always have a special place in my heart. Kasi talaine life without Reid as her partner. “Parang no. Iiyak ako! I’m really, really thankful that he came into my life. It was so different before,” she said.

Lustre responded in the affirmative to whether she sees Reid as the person she will spend the rest of her life with. “I hope so,” she said. “Even if he’s not, I’m always going to be thankful for him.”

“I think he was the biggest instrument for my healing, and for just discovering myself and finding myself,” Lustre said.

As a parting question, host Boy Abunda then asked Lustre to describe her boyfriend in one word. Her response: “Everything.”