Millions of people suffer from depression and anxiety all over the world, and yet mental health issues area topic that most people don’t often speak openly about, for a variety of reasons.
That’s why when celebrities and those in the public eye bring their own struggles into the light, like actress Kristin Bell recently did, it reinforces the fact that an open dialogue is key to finding the help you might need.
1
In a recent interview with Off Camera, Bell opened up about living with anxiety and depression, and the importance ofseeking the help you might need without shame.
Shestarts by explaining that shes very co-dependent and desperately wants people to like her, and that while she’s a very bubbly person, her anxiety is often lurking beneath the surface.
2
She said she fears rejection and often changed her personal interests to match her friends so she would feel more accepted, even though she realized how unhealthy that was.
Then she gets even more real, sharing that her mom sather down when she was 18 and explained that there was a history of serotonin imbalance in their family.
3
That if she started to feel like she was twisting things around, or paralyzed with fear, that she could do something about it.
Props to her mom for that, as awareness and acceptance are key and the first steps in moving forward, which Bell did when she realized her problem.
4
She now does a lot of introspective work to help herself cope with her anxiety, exercises, and gives herself what she needs to work through it all.
That includes a prescription medication for anxiety and depression, which she’s been taking for years and has no problem talking about.
5
Her mom told her the world wants to shame you for taking medication to help herself.
But she saidit was important for her to remember that in the medical community, no one would deny a diabetic his insulin.
Mental health is no different, and just because you can’t take a test to be diagnosed, doesn’t make it any less important.
6
Watch the whole interview here:
We do need to have an open dialogue about these things, so it’s nice to see someone with a massive platform willing to share their story.
Via: BuzzFeed