Bella Hadid just shared a series of photos on Instagram of herself crying, while opening up about her mental health. She started her post with a video of Willow Smith talking about dealing with insecurities. "People forget that everyone is basically feeling the same way: lost, confused, not really sure why they're here," Smith said in the clip. "That anxiety, like, everyone is feeling that and trying to cover it up in some way."
"This is pretty much my everyday, every night for a few years now," Hadid wrote in the caption, referencing Smith's words. "Social media is not real. For anyone struggling, please remember that. Sometimes all you've gotta hear is that you're not alone. So from me to you, you're not alone. I love you, I see you, and I hear you."
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Hadid went on to write that "self help and mental illness/chemical imbalance is not linear," noting that it's "almost like a flowing rollercoaster of obstacles… it has its ups and downs, and side to sides. But I want you to know, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, and the rollercoaster always comes to a complete stop at some point."
The 25-year-old supermodel said that "it took me a long time to get that in my mind, but I've had enough breakdowns and burnouts to know this: If you work hard enough on yourself, spending time alone to understand your traumas, triggers, joys, and routine, you will always be able to understand or learn more about your own pain and how to handle it." She ended with this: "Not sure why, but it feels harder and harder to not share my truth on here."
People shared messages of support in the comments and stressed that Hadid is not alone. "Thank you for sharing this, Bella," one wrote. "The world is a strange place right now, and we're all feeling the effects of it on our mental health. It's something universal, and definitely not something to be ashamed of. Everyone wants to seem perfect and happy on social media, but that's never the reality. Even for rich, famous and beautiful people like you."
"These are very important words, especially now. Thank you so much!" another said.
Hadid didn't put a name to what she's currently experiencing, but she mentioned anxiety, and like many people in the comments suggested, she's not alone in dealing with it. Average anxiety severity scores increased 13% from August to December 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data shared by the National Institute of Mental Health found that an estimated 19% of adults in the US had an anxiety disorder in the past year, and an estimated 31% of adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
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Hadid has previously opened up about the difficulties of living with "a few chronic autoimmune disorders," even sharing an Instagram post in February of herself seemingly prepping for a photo shoot with an IV in her arm.
In an interview for Vogue that was shared earlier this year, Hadid talked about struggling with mental health during the start of her modeling career. "I was still nervous about cameras, and nervous about having a lot of makeup on, and nervous about this slit," she said, talking about a red dress with a high slit she wore at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. "I think that maybe there was one little slip that happened. But I kind of get embarrassed of this moment still even though the dress is gorgeous. It just, again, doesn't feel so much like me."
Hadid also noted that "People used to make fun of me and say that I never smiled. It was just because I was in a really bad place, physically and mentally." She later said, "I feel blessed that I made it out alive of that mental state that I was in for so many years. It feels good."
Hadid hasn't publicly commented on the outpouring of support from her Instagram post, but she has since shared a few quotes on her Instagram Stories, including one that reads, "The truth is like a lion; you don't have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself."
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