Bella Hadid opens up about taking a break from social media and the 'domino effect' of therapy
Model Bella Hadid has been relatively honest with her fans about her mental health as of late, sharing a heartfelt message on social media about her anxiety "struggles" and revealing that she's been sober for the past six months. More recently, she took a deep-dive into how she's been improving her mental health, opening up about taking a break from social media and the "clarity" she's found through going to therapy.
"I lost joy completely," she said in an episode of the VS Voices podcast. "It's a bizarre place to be in because... there's nothing wrong in my life." But, she went on, "I always wanted to make everyone proud, work as hard as I could, be kind, do these things — and I did check those things off of the list. [But] I realised there was a whole other list I wasn't looking at."
After struggling with this, Bella says she turned to therapy to help her work through her feelings, but admits seeking out support like this was a new concept to her and those around her. "I grew up in a very Arab and European family [where] therapy was not a thing, and I was the first one in my family to go to therapy," she revealed.
"That was a big step forward that progressed kind of my whole family's chance of healing because everyone followed, which was really enlightening for me," Bella noted, adding that she thinks her decision to go to therapy sparked a "domino effect" for her relatives.
As well as going to therapy, the 25-year-old says she took some well-needed time off social media which allowed her space to recover. "It sounds very cliché but to not have the energy of everyone else and their projections being projected back onto you is one of the most powerful things of all time," the model went on.
"This is the first year I took time away and I had never done that before, so it was a big experience for me to be able to make the time for myself and kind of experience life without the material and the cameras and the lifestyle that I had been living for so many years that didn't feel true to me."
Bella continued: "Once I was able to be at a place and take the time for myself and see myself through others' eyes that wasn't just the world's vision of what I was supposed to be, it was really interesting. And it was really a lot of clarity for me to really see myself again."
If you're struggling with your mental health and need some support, find more information at Mind. Alternatively, call the Samaritans helpline 24/7 for free, on 116 123.
You Might Also Like
