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Ashley Tisdale says she 'didn't know' she was suffering from anxiety and depression

Ashley Tisdale, who welcomed her first child Jupiter last year, opened up about suffering from anxiety and depression. (Photo: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)
Ashley Tisdale, who welcomed her first child Jupiter last year, opened up about suffering from anxiety and depression. (Photo: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

It took time for Ashley Tisdale to embark on her mental health journey.

The High School Musical alum, who is the founder of the wellness-focused blog Frenshe, opened up to The New York Post about navigating her mental health.

“I grew up acting and singing and doing musicals, but I didn’t know that I suffered with anxiety and sometimes depression,” she explained.

The Young and Hungry producer has since managed her well-being with self-care rituals, and by practicing a non-toxic lifestyle.

“It’s about being good to yourself and starting with self love,” she explained. “It took me a long time to get there and to really appreciate myself. To have compassion for myself. To talk to myself in a loving manner, and I think that [others] can get there too. That’s the most important thing in living a non-toxic life.”

She also shared that her daughter Jupiter, who she welcomed with husband Christopher French last year, has brought her a lot of joy.

“There are so many ways she’s changed my life,” Tisdale gushed. “She’s just so much fun and gives me purpose.”

Video: How Ashley Tisdale eases her anxiety through skin care

Tisdale has opened up about her mental health issues before. In a December 2021 interview with Yahoo, she explained, “A couple of years ago, I was facing my anxiety and depression and recorded an album based on my issues [Symptoms]. I felt like no one was talking about [depression] at the time, but I’d lost someone to depression and I felt like it was super-important to start [the conversation]. People speak openly about anxiety, but there’s a stigma around that word [depression]; I think they go hand in hand. ... It’s been my mission to be open about my struggle and what helped me. Growing up in the public eye, I was always setting boundaries but I really do like to [speak up on] my mental health journey.”

Tisdale also shared about how challenging it can be to take the initial steps in one’s mental health journey. In a post for Frenshe, she wrote that “anxiety and depression can truly feel like a trap.”

“There’s a misconception that you can’t help people who don’t want to be helped, and I don’t like that approach at all,” she continued. “What if someone is so lost they don’t even know how to start? Or what if they simply don’t have the energy to embark on this journey of self-help? It’s not fair to think that people don’t want to get better, especially when we’re not able to understand everyone’s situation and struggles. Yes, it requires work, but sometimes you need a clearer path on how to get started on even doing the work. Getting rid of these deteriorating feelings and claiming your power back isn’t something that happens overnight. Trust me, if you ask for a helping hand you can find yourself thinking, why didn’t I do this sooner?”

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