Talking about mental health [1] is not an easy conversation to have. It takes courage and bravery to use your voice and speak on topics that are so rarely touched — especially if you're someone in the public eye. For celebrities, constant criticism and high-stress scenarios are just another side effect of the job, but for many, so are mental-health issues [2] like anxiety and depression. Ahead, see the young celebrities who are working on destigmatizing mental health [3] and owning their struggles by speaking up. The results are unbelievably empowering and worthy of being shared. Take a look and be inspired.
Selena Gomez
"As many of you know, around a year ago I revealed that I have lupus, an illness that can affect people in different ways. I've discovered that anxiety, panic attacks and depression [4] can be side effects of lupus, which can present their own challenges," Selena told People. "I want to be proactive and focus on maintaining my health and happiness and have decided that the best way forward is to take some time off."
Kendall Jenner
"I have such debilitating anxiety [5] because of everything going on that I literally wake up in the middle of the night with full-on panic attacks. Where do I even start? Everything is so horrible, it's hard to name one thing. I just think that the world needs so much love," Kendall told Cara Delevingne in an interview with Harper's Bazaar. "It's hard not to get eaten alive by all the negativity."
Camila Mendes
"I just started seeing a therapist [6], and I'm super stoked about it," Camila told Byrdie. "It's something I've been wanting to do for a long time, and considering how much my life has changed this year, I thought it was about time I check in with myself."
Cara Delevingne
"I was so ashamed of how I felt because I had such a privileged upbringing. I'm very lucky. But I had depression [7]," Cara told This Morning. "I had moments where I didn't want to carry on living. But then the guilt of feeling that way and not being able to tell anyone because I shouldn't feel that way just left me feeling blame and guilt."
Miley Cyrus
"I would have anxiety attacks [8]. I'd get hot flashes, feel like I was about to pass [out] or throw up. It would happen a lot before shows, and I'd have to cancel. Then the anxiety started coming from anxiety. I would be with my friends, thinking, I should be having so much fun. You get in this hole that seems like you're never going to be able to get out of," Miley told Marie Claire.
Ellie Goulding
"I started having panic attacks, and the scariest part was it could be triggered by anything. I used to cover my face with a pillow whenever I had to walk outside from the car to the studio," Ellie wrote on Well and Good. "My new life as a pop star certainly wasn't as glamorous as all my friends from home thought. Secretly, I was really struggling physically and emotionally [9]."
Zayn Malik
"The thing is, I love performing. I love the buzz. I don't want to do any other job. That's why my anxiety is so upsetting and difficult to explain [10]. It's this thing that swells up and blocks out your rational thought processes. Even when you know you want to do something, know that it will be good for you, that you'll enjoy it when you're doing it, the anxiety is telling you a different story. It's a constant battle within yourself," Zayn wrote in his book, featured on Time.
Demi Lovato
"When I was 18, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder," Demi told Extra. "I think the biggest misconception when it comes to bipolar disorder [11] in particular is that you're fine one minute and then you're not fine the next minute. In reality that's not how it works . . . There's a lot of negative stigma when it comes to discussing mental illness in America."
Keke Palmer
"If you grow up in the industry, it forces you to be agreeable at all times. When it came to saying, 'I'm tired and I want to figure out how to balance my life better,' 'I feel lonely, 'I'm afraid of my stardom' — those things I could not say [12]," Keke told Cosmopolitan.
Shawn Mendes
"The big thing for me [was] every time I felt overwhelmed and didn't tell [my manager] Andrew, I got deeper into this hole. So, now every time I have even a small amount of that overwhelming [feeling,] [13] I tell him immediately," Shawn told Entertainment Tonight.
Hailey Bieber
"I admire people coming forward and talking about [anxiety]. We all struggle with it [14]. I think there's been this stigma around it for so long," Hailey said to Glamour. "People look at celebrities who are famous or successful and think they have it all together. Like, they have such an insane career, or they make so much money, that they should be happy. But it's really kind of the opposite."
Lili Reinhart
"I wouldn't be able to be here without therapy and without my medication that helps me. It takes the edge off and makes me not feel anxiety for no reason," said Lili to Glamour. "I don't know why people have a stigma against medication [15]."