"Frozen" Star Kristen Bell talks Living with Anxiety and Depression
It's not often that we see celebrities speak openly and candidly about their experiences with mental health issues. That's why I was surprised to hear actress Kristen Bell recently talk about living with anxiety and depression.In a recent interview with "Off Camera" show host Sam Jones, Bell talked about her family's history of anxiety and depression. She made note of a conversation her mother had with her about the family's struggle with mental health issues:
"[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 start to 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."
What I found so remarkable about this part of the interview is that Bell's mother talked about their family's history with mental health issues which ultimately helped Bell seek out support when she needed it. I think that's a particularly powerful example and message to all of us, especially as May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I think it gives us all pause to have these kind of discussions in our families to reduce the stigma related to mental health issues. This greatly increases the likelihood of seeking out treatment support when we need it.
It was also interesting to hear Bell speak about how she struggles with perfectionism, a desire she has to fight against, to make herself likable and sunny to everyone. It's something I have seen both in my clients and at times, with my own self. Striving to be seen as perfect can create a never-ending cycle of anxiety as well as set a precedence of ignoring one's own needs and values.For those who also struggle with persistent social anxiety, the combination of trying to be perfect and ignoring one's own needs can be debilitating. It's incredibly powerful for a popular actress like Kristen Bell to talk so openly about these feelings because it helps reduce the stigma around mental health issues, social anxiety and the pressure to be perfect with which many people struggle. We certainly need more public figures to talk openly about mental and emotional health. The acknowledgement that we all struggle from time to time is an important message that we all need to hear.