Kristen Bell seems to have first opened up about her battle with social anxiety and depression during an interview with The Off Camera Show which we covered a few weeks ago. She admitted that she’s experienced depression since college and that she’s been on medication for it ever since. Bell explained that she felt empowered to get help because her mother spoke to her about the fact that depression runs in their family. It was surprising to hear from someone as successful in show business as Bell, but she said that she’s had to work hard to overcome her insecurity and that her personality is a kind of coping mechanism.
In a new first person essay for Time Magazine’s Motto, Bell reiterates the fact that she has experienced depression and explains how debilitating it was for her. She also writes that she wants to help eliminate the stigma around seeking help.
Here’s the thing: For me, depression is not sadness. It’s not having a bad day and needing a hug. It gave me a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness. Its debilitation was all-consuming, and it shut down my mental circuit board. I felt worthless, like I had nothing to offer, like I was a failure. Now, after seeking help, I can see that those thoughts, of course, couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realize that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer. We all do.
There is such an extreme stigma about mental health issues, and I can’t make heads or tails of why it exists. Anxiety and depression are impervious to accolades or achievements. Anyone can be affected, despite their level of success or their place on the food chain. In fact, there is a good chance you know someone who is struggling with it since nearly 20% of American adults face some form of mental illness in their lifetime. So why aren’t we talking about it?
Mental health check-ins should be as routine as going to the doctor or the dentist. After all, I’ll see the doctor if I have the sniffles. If you tell a friend that you are sick, his first response is likely, “You should get that checked out by a doctor.” Yet if you tell a friend you’re feeling depressed, he will be scared or reluctant to give you that same advice. You know what? I’m over it.
I really like how she put that, and I admire the fact that she’s being open about her struggle and is trying to change the way depression is perceived. It must not be easy to admit. Bell is personally affected by this issue and obviously cares deeply about it. I wonder if she can partner with a nonprofit group to help lend her celebrity to the cause. When we see that popular celebrities also have depression and anxiety, it does help us feel like we’re not alone. It may also make us quicker to recognize when a friend or loved one needs our help.
photos credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet
I’ve always loved Kristen. But I love her even more since she’s been talking about her struggle.
I can identify so much with what she’s said in these interviews, and it IS nice to hear someone you see as really successful and full of live has had the same feelings you have.
I struggle with depression and Kristen’s words practically bring me to tears because she articulates how it feels so well. I agree it is so comforting and uplifting to hear someone else open up about things you feel too, that no one talks about.
She writes about mental health in such a clear and honest way. That will help someone who reads about her experience and will encourage them to get help too.
She made many great points. She’s a great advocate for mental health issues in the way she relates her own personal struggle.
On a side note, I love Kristen and Dax Shepard as a couple. They’ve been together since 2007. You can feel the love between them, but the love of a cute, long-term relationship that finds the humor in their relationship and the delight in each other.
I love those Samsung commercials they do together.
I love them too. I think they are a Hollywood couple that will be together as long as they live. Oah they are so cute and funny.
I’m so glad she spoke out about this. Mental illness is still very misunderstood and a lot of health insurance companies don’t cover doctor visits. I was finally diagnosed as bi-polar a few years ago. It’s an ongoing battle, but finding answers and support have been crucial to my well being. I hope this discussion continues to generate more acceptance from the masses who don’t ‘get it’.
Wow! Brilliant woman. ♡
She describes it perfectly. I wish someone in my family had told me about our family history of depression and suicide sooner, maybe I wouldn’t have had to slide all the way to rock bottom before asking for help. Would have saved me several years of misery. I’m glad she’s talking about it so publicly.
I battled depression and panic syndrome for many years, lost friends who didn’t understood, lost jobs and suffered a lot and it’s so hard to admit this struggle cause it’s not seen as a disease, but was a flaw on your character, like you are to blame for being sick.
I still have this deep sense of loneliness that I believe all people with mental health issues suffer.
I think so many people shy away from talking with their doctor about this because of the stigma, and not really understanding the disease. I thought I was just tired all the time and was being lazy and unmotivated in response, when it actually turned out to be depression. Finding the right medication has changed how I maneuver through life. It’s been a blessing.
KBs candor is refreshing, and I hope it will encourage others to find the right doctor and to be treated. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Veronica Mars is my favorite show of all time, but I’ve never been able to stand Kristen Bell. However, I love what she said here.
I want to say that I really enjoyed the discussion that happened on the previous thread from a few weeks ago. I have a friend who has depression issues which I knew about, but had never personally experienced them. Hers can slide into a manic depressive state which really threw me off. But after everyone’s comments I was able to peak inside that world for a moment and understand some of her actions.
‘There is such an extreme stigma about mental health issues, and I can’t make heads or tails of why it exists.’
Neither can I.
Since this site is relatively anonymous…
Mental health issues run rampant in my family. Although I never really had any issues myself, I’ve witnessed first hand how people can judge those who do.
I remember a particularly bad experience when I was seeking help for my daughter, age 12. She was suffering from depression and anxiety and had started cutting. I didn’t know where to turn for help so I took her to our family physician for a mental health referral. She had made a number of superficial cuts across her stomach and I asked her to lift her shirt to show the doctor, a female. The look of horror and disgust on her face! She practically yelled at my child to stop and left the room never to return.
My heart broke for my little girl. If you can’t turn to a doctor where can you turn?
We eventually got counseling through her school and she’s been doing much better.
That’s just awful – she calls herself a doctor?
I hope you reported her to someone for her unprofessional and cruel behavior.
I’m sorry for what you and your daughter experienced and glad she is now doing better.
Best wishes!
I’m so sorry about your daughter’s experience with that doctor. I know how frustrating, infuriating and devastating it can feel to deal with the effects of crossing paths with a physician who possesses the dangerous combination of insensitivity, stupidity and arrogance. I can’t imagine having to watch someone dismiss your daughter in that manner.
I am very glad your daughter is doing better. Best to your family.
It is extremely hard to expose oneself like this. I hide because I feel and AM vulnerable to others. Some of the most hurtful comments have come from people I need to be able to trust, including my parents. It’s been a very lonely journey. Reading about it from others really does help.
There are so many factors involved in depression and anxiety–genetic, endocrine, situational, other medical disorders. I’ve worked with clients who suffer debilitating depression who have eventually been diagnosed with Lyme, Lupus, Hypoglycemia etc, and receiving treatment for the underlying cause makes a tremendous difference emotionally as well as physically. Family history plays a large part in many types of mental illness, for both genetic and behavioral reasons. Understanding the constellation of factors is important, and different, for each individual. Understanding helps you find the path out!
I like that she acknowledges that it’s an ongoing struggle, and she continues to take medication. Sarah Silverman said the same. Typically if a celebrity talks about this issue, they talk about it as being in the past, and they no longer need medication.
Her article is completely on point. I literally agree with everything she says here. I will never understand the stigma around mental health, which prevents many people from seeking treatment. She is totally right about the check ins for it just like being sick, that would help so many people.
I’m so grateful she’s willing to share her experiences, since mental health does have such a stigma surrounding it. I’ve had depression for 25 years now, and I still struggle daily with feeling like a failure and like I’m contributing nothing to the world and don’t fit, so I really appreciate KB’s admission of feeling the same. When it’s just me, it feels like it’s true, but when there are others (and actual others, not just anonymous aggregates in medical studies), then it’s easier to realize those thoughts are just symptoms and not Truth.
Unlike Demi Lovato, Bell seems as though she’s revealing her mental health issues so she can help others. It’s not self serving. I’m happy she has opened up.