Kathy Hilton Recalls Sleepless Nights Worrying About Paris Partying as a Teen: 'I Was Scared'

"It got very out of control and I was scared for her," Kathy Hilton said of her daughter Paris Hilton's teenage partying

Kathy Hilton is opening up about the stress of raising her children in the spotlight.

During an appearance on the SiriusXM podcast Lunch with Bruce Tuesday, Kathy discussed the difficulties of navigating daughters Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild's early fame, recalling how she became "worried" about Paris' well-being after she began partying as a teenager.

"I was actually worried about Paris for a good while. She was sneaking out and she'd go missing and I wouldn't be able to find her," the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 62, said. "Let's put it this way — it got very out of control and I was scared for her. And my husband was very scared for her. And, you know, those nightclubs go on all night."

"It was very scary. I mean, let's just put it this way — there was times I did not sleep. How about for two days not knowing where your daughter is, and once hearing blood-curdling screaming, and then the phone hangs up," Kathy continued. "I mean, there's a lot of stuff people don't know. And I did get some flack. Well, trust me. I did what I had to do."

Kathy said managing Paris' behavior was especially hard to do with paparazzi and the press following their every move.

Stefanie Keenan/Getty

"Everybody knew everything. Everybody knew where we were. I used to call the city desk at the New York Post. I would call the city desk and say at one in the morning, 'Excuse me, hi, it's Kathy Hilton. Uh, do you by any chance know Paris, where she is right now?'" she recalled. "Usually, they'd be able to track exactly. 'She was seen at 11:47 [p.m.] or 12:43 [a.m.] at O Bar or this [spot].'"

"I mean, this is the way I lived. My husband [Rick Hilton] had to get up and work in the morning. So eventually he'd go to sleep," she added. "But I was up waiting all night."

Raising her daughters in New York was also something that made Kathy "very nervous," she said.

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"We moved back there and this is not what I had in mind for my daughters at all. I really thought Paris would be a veterinarian. That's what she loved," Kathy said. "She went from being a tomboy, we moved to New York and I didn't realize what would happen. And all of a sudden, I think with two girls, attractive with a very famous last name, people just started to, [journalists like] Graydon Carter, [would write] 12 pages [on them]."

She continued, "And you know, that was all done behind my back. So I was very angry."

Paris, Kathy and Nicky Hilton. Stefanie Keenan/Getty

As a teen, Paris was enrolled in Provo Canyon School in Utah for 11 months in an attempt to help correct her behavior. She has since accused the institution of inflicting emotional, physical, and psychological abuse on her. She opened up about the toll her stay at the boarding school took on her in her YouTube Originals documentary This Is Paris, which premiered last year.

On Tuesday's podcast, Kathy said she believed Paris' boarding school was a top-tier institution that would provide her daughter with "the best" treatment from psychologists and psychiatrists.

Kathy previously addressed her reasoning for sending her eldest daughter to the institution, telling PEOPLE that she thought she was doing what was necessary in order to keep her daughter "safe."

"Just like so many young people, [Paris] was having a hard time figuring out who she was and what path to take," she previously told PEOPLE. "We hoped by having her in a structured environment, it would keep her safe and allow her the space necessary to figure those things out."

Asked about whether she had any regrets, Kathy told PEOPLE, "I think every parent has certain things they would change if they could go back in time."

"It was a difficult learning period for us to make decisions we thought would be best for her at the time," she added. "I absolutely wish we knew then what we know now. I believe every good and bad experience in life has been necessary to get to where we are now. I am thankful to be where we are today and that this experience has only strengthened our relationship."

Paris has since been advocating to shut down the Utah boarding school and other institutions that allegedly abuse minors. Earlier this year, she testified against Provo Canyon School in support of a bill calling for Utah's laws surrounding similar institutions to be reformed. The bill passed in April.

"I'm grateful that the State Legislature of Utah has recognized the injustice and mistreatment happening at these facilities, and I'm so glad that this bill being signed into law will ensure more regulation of these centers and protection for children," she told PEOPLE at the time. "We will continue pushing this issue to the federal level so that laws protecting teens and children are made in all 50 states."

When previously reached by PEOPLE for comment on the allegations, Provo Canyon School responded: "Originally opened in 1971, Provo Canyon School was sold by its previous ownership in August 2000. We therefore cannot comment on the operations or patient experience prior to this time."

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.