Kristen Bell has made a candid confession about her decades-long battle with depression and anxiety, admitting that she often finds it tough to “get out of bed”.
Kristen Bell has recalled times where she has struggled to get out of bed at the height of her battle with depression, admitting the place was “hard to get out of”.
The actress, 45, who first opened up about her mental health struggles in 2016, has previously struggled with anxiety and depression. Looking back at her decision to talk publicly about the struggles, Kristen said: “I realised I’d spent so many years presenting this optimistic, joyful person, when I know I have this heaviness that comes on. Once I was honest about that, the feedback I received from people was astounding, so I kept talking about it.
“Because there are times, due to zero circumstances changing in my life, that my brain will say, ‘Today, you are awful, and no one likes you. Don’t get out of bed.’”
Talking to Red Magazine for their December issue, Kristen continued that it is “hard to pull myself out of that [depression].”
Back in 2016, Kristen detailed how her mental health battles had become “debilitating” in a candid admission. “Here’s the thing: for me, depression is not sadness. It’s not having a bad day and needing a hug. Its debilitation was all-consuming, and it shut down my mental circuit board,” admitted Kristen, who says that her struggles began back in university.
“I’m normally such a bubbly, positive person, and all of a sudden I stopped feeling like myself. There was no logical reason for me to feel this way. I was at New York University, I was paying my bills on time, I had friends and ambition – but for some reason, there was something intangible dragging me down,” she wrote on Motto website.
Now, Kristen – who is married to Dax Shepherd – talks openly about her mental health and strives to support others going through similar struggles. And when it comes to work, she can also lean on Nobody Wants This co-star Adam Brody, who she has struck up a strong friendship with since they filmed the Netflix hit.
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The show has returned to Netflix for a second season this week, but Kristen says it wasn’t easy getting Adam to take part at all. “I tried to convince Adam to do it for months, but he wasn’t interested in playing a romantic lead. I’m still shocked he said yes,” she admitted to Red.
“He’s kind of cookie cutter, yet he’s not, and he sort of defies all of the things you think he is – he’ll pop up in weird projects here and there, and only does work he feels is meaningful. But he’s so appealing to watch – because of Seth from The OC, people already feel he’s a good guy. Even when he’s playing a pessimistic character, he’s endlessly charming, which is very hard to do.”
The December issue of Red is on sale from 23 October
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or visit their site to find your local branch