Photo by Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock
Kristen Bell is one of the most bubbly and humorous actresses right now, yet behind all of her characters, she has dealt with very serious issues including anxiety and depression in her personal life.
In a new interview on Off Camera with Sam Jones, the 35-year-old actress really opened up about the battle, explaining that she has suffered from both anxiety and depression from a young age. “I’m extremely co-dependent,” Bell, 35, told Jones. “I shatter a little bit when I think people don’t like me. That’s part of why I lead with kindness and I compensate by being very bubbly all the time because it really hurts my feelings when I know I’m not liked. And I know that’s not very healthy and I fight it all the time.”
Bell went on to admit that both mental illnesses run in her family, and as such her mother, who is a nurse, told her early about the fact Bell was very susceptible to “serotonin imbalance” and had seen Bell’s grandmother go through severe binge drinking episodes because of it. “[My mom’s] a nurse and she had the wherewithal to recognize that in herself when she was feeling it and when I was 18 said, ‘If you start to feel like you are twisting things around you, and you feel like there is no sunlight around you, and you are paralyzed with fear, this is what it is and here’s how you can help yourself,'” Bell added.
She also went on to state that, despite stigmas still largely associated with mental illness, no one should fear asking for help or medication if that is what is needed, and that she herself takes medication to control both her anxiety and depression. “If you do decide to go on a prescription to help yourself, understand that the world wants to shame you for that, but in the medical community, you would never deny a diabetic his insulin. Ever,” she added. “But for some reason, when someone needs a serotonin inhibitor, they’re immediately crazy or something.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYUQ_nlZgWE
Telisa Carter
Telisa enjoys learning and writing about all things entertainment in the world of Hollywood. When she isn't catching up on her favorite TV shows, she likes to read, and obsess over all things football.
