Bella Hadid on her mental health struggles: ‘You are allowed to ask for help’

Bella Hadid continues her birthday celebrations
Bella Hadid celebrated her 23rd birthday last week and took to Instagram with an important message. After thanking followers for their well-wishes, she told them that Mental Health Awareness Day was October 10 and shared that she has faced challenges to her mental health. Bella posted an image of a black-and-white drawing of a woman with flowers in her hair underneath a quotation from Hannah Blum: Even on those rainy days when it feels like the world is covered in grey, do not lose hope, because there has never been a storm that lasted forever. The sun is always present; it too has to find it’s [sic] way through the clouds.

In her lengthy comment, she wrote, in part:

I wanted to say thank you so much for all the birthday wishes. You have no idea how much it means to me reading each message.💛

Yesterday was mental health awareness day. A struggle that I know a majority of us have dealt with in the past or dealing with currently. And if not, you probably know someone who is.. something that I have been dealing with for a few years but finally at a point where it doesn’t consume me as much as before. still have bad days along with the good, but grateful and proud of myself to be in the place that I am today, going into my 23rd year of life. with that being said , I would like to add that everything you see online or through social media is not always what it seems..the happiness we create online while being sad in real life makes no sense, but sometimes it just seems easier to live within your sadness rather than talk about it. if it wasn’t for the people closest to me, I probably would have still been in that place, and for that, I am forever thankful to them…don’t feel pressured by things online…if you don’t want to get out of bed, don’t. If you want to cancel plans, cancel them. Being kind and protective to yourself and your energy is something I’ve learned to be helpful. When the world feels like it is collapsing around you, you are allowed to ask for help… you do not have to deal w/ your mental state alone. We need to spread love and allow love in. Be kind !

[From Bella Hadid’s Instagram]

She ended by telling her followers who might be struggling, “I see you!” and sent them a virtual hug and love.

I’m so glad that Bella is in a place where she feels that her mental health has improved and that she’s proud of herself and her journey as she celebrated her birthday. I’m also happy that she’s chosen to share her story with her followers and to remind them that everything they see online isn’t necessarily a reflection of reality. So many people I know and love are living with mental health issues right now, so Bella’s post is especially meaningful. I sincerely hope that any of her followers who needed to see her words take them to heart and do as she suggested: ask for help from trusted loved ones and/or medical professionals. I’ll also add my own hope that anybody reading this who is similarly struggling right now is also being extra gentle with themselves and is getting the help that they need. I hope that everyone is having a great week, and that self-care is part of it.

BGUS_1750187_001

BellaHadid_B7017_340439_003

Photos credit: Avalon.red and Backgrid

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

16 Responses to “Bella Hadid on her mental health struggles: ‘You are allowed to ask for help’”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Cindy says:

    She looks like a drag queen in the first picture.

    Anyway, I’m glad she shared this, as I’m convinced social media has pulled a number on plenty of people’s mental health. The way lots of people (especially teens) seek validation through social media is really sick, and then there’s people who seem more concerned about faking a perfect life online than they are about improving the mess their lives are irl. It’s like they think if they can succesfully lie to other people about their lives being good, they’ll start believing it as well.

    • Chelsey says:

      Or maybe it’s because random people on the internet say she looks like a drag queen?

      • Kate says:

        @chelsey – – – Zing!

      • tw says:

        @chelsey, Bella chose to do all of the plastic surgery, to create a “look” and monetize it. She is a public person who makes money based on her appearance and that opens her to criticism of her look. I agree that her plastic surgery, botox, fillers and contouring give her a dramatic look similar to a drag queen with stage makeup.

      • Husha T says:

        I agree with Chelsey. So many people are quick to tear someone down but then turn around and say they support mental health for all. Bella seems like a lovely girl with a pretty smile and as far as I know is kind to her fans and everyone. I like her message and wish her the best. She may have been dealing with self esteem issues in the past. I wish her the best on her journey because it’s not easy being brought up in today’s society. She appears to at least have a good attitude, unlike a lot of celebs in her industry.

      • Cindy says:

        If you don’t see the mindblowingly obvious difference between a random comment in a gossip blog and @’ing someone at Instagram then idk how to explain it to you.

        If Bella goes to gossip blogs and voluntarily reads the things people write about her then idk why I should be held accountable for her own self-destructive practices. There’s a reason I don’t visit alt-right subreddits. I know I won’t like the things they say about women like me.

    • Vanessa Futrell says:

      You should be ashamed of denigrating a person who is struggling with depression. I struggle with complex PTSD caused by years of emotional abuse from my ex-husband not social media. My ongoing symptoms are chronic depression, constant anxiety, and debilitating panic attacks.
      Social media may cause a teenager to feel less than but it is not a significant factor when it comes to depression. I respect the celebrities who are open up about their struggles with depression because it highlights the fact that even people who seem to have it all really don’t.

      • A Girl says:

        How do you presume to know what is or isn’t a significant factor in someone else’s depression?
        That’s a very odd statement to make.

  2. Jules says:

    and shall we talk about the connection between mental health and self esteem with hating and manipulating your face?

    • tw says:

      Now that would be brave.

    • Vanessa Futrell says:

      Yes, we should. This is not a new thing caused solely by social media. It began decades ago starting with the advent of beauty magazines. And it continues today, by the countless TV commercials that hawk creams, serums, and dyes that promise to erase wrinkles, sagging skin, and graying hair. All are directed towards women but never to men.

  3. Michael says:

    Bella Hadid may not be the perfect spokesperson for mental health but that does not diminish the importance of her message. I am always curious as to why people hate on her so much since she is a pretty harmless person with a reputation as a very nice woman. I personally like her very much and I do not care what she may or may not have done to her face. It earns her over $10 million bucks a year so it seems like money well spent

  4. Originaltessa says:

    If you squint just right, the top picture is a dead ringer for Julia Roberts, circa the early 2000’s.

  5. Val says:

    Maybe, yes “maybe”, if she’d eat a sensible diet, she’ll fell better (see the connection between the gut & the brain).
    OT : her face is F. Up.

  6. Naddie says:

    She expressed herself beautifully. The fight goes on.