"I know I need it. I'm happier on it": Kristen Bell thanks her medication for her "bubbly personality"
Kristen Bell is not afraid of opening up about her battle with depression and anxiety. The 'Good Place' actress spoke about drug addiction and taking medication in her recent interview with Times. “This bubbly personality you’re seeing, I take medication to manage," she said before adding “I know I need it. I’m happier on it, and I don’t give a f*** what people think…" Kristen has always been open about her fight with depression and has now vowed to change people's perspective on mental health. “There is a stigma surrounding depression that I will shatter before my life is over," she said. Just a couple of months back, in a video for Child Mind Institute, the actress took to Instagram to share some words she would like to share with her younger self when it comes to coping with anxiety and depression.
"What I would say to my younger self is don’t be fooled by this game of perfection that humans play,” she said. She advised people that everything on the television or books seems easy when it comes to battling depression but it is not the same when it comes to reality. "Because Instagram and magazines and TV shows, they strive for a certain aesthetic, everything looks so beautiful, and people seem like they don’t have problems, but everyone’s human," she said.
At the same time, Kristen suggested that everyone has their own battles but some people chose to hide it from the rest of the world. Amid this, she believes it is important that one learns the art of self-love. “You deserve to feel just as beautiful on the days you wear no makeup, and the days you don’t shower, and the days you feel like you’re depressed,” she said.
She added, "You have an obligation to take care of yourself from the inside out because that’s how you can truly feel beautiful.” Kristen further explained that even though people have different ways to solve their problems, it does not mean they should be ashamed of having any problem at all. “There are resources out there, if you’re feeling anxious, of people to talk to and doctors to interact with and there are tons of solutions out there for you,” she said.
“You are not alone. Never feel embarrassed or ashamed about who you are," she further explained. “Never feel embarrassed or ashamed about the uniqueness that is you, because there are people out there to help and we’re all just human, and you can do it.” In the past, Kristen has also thanked her mother for being supportive and walking along with her while she battled with depression and anxiety.
Kristen suggested that it was her mother who first told her that it is alright to ask for help and not feel ashamed about it. "When I was 18, my mom sat me down and said, “If there ever comes a time where you feel like a dark cloud is following you, you can get help. You can talk to me, talk to a therapist, talk to a doctor. I want you to know that there are options," she said in a 2016 interview with Times.