It’s unlike the world’s most influential supermodels to be raw on social media. After all, us outsiders only see the glamorous homes, globe trotting expeditions and flawless campaigns plastered to Instagram. Overnight however Bella Hadid revealed her experiences with severe anxiety and burnout by posting a number of selfies from her lowest moments.
The Instagram post opened with a video of Willow Smith discussing how we’re taught to be insecure about our art. Smith says, “All humans are different, every single human has something so special and unique to offer. And people forget that everyone is basically feeling the same way: lost, confused, not really sure why they’re here. That anxiety, like, everyone is feeling that and trying to cover it up in some way.”
Hadid then went on to share a number of selfies from moments she was crying. According to the 25-year-old, “this is me everyday”.
“Social media is not real,” the model wrote in the caption. “For anyone struggling, please remember that. Sometimes all you’ve gotta hear is that you’re not alone. So from me to you, you’re not alone. I love you, I see you, and I hear you. Self help and mental illness/chemical imbalance is not linear and it is almost like a flowing rollercoaster of obstacles… it has its ups and downs and side to sides. But I want you to know, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, and the rollercoaster always comes to a complete stop at some point. (There is always room for it to start up again, but for me it’s always been nice to know that even if it’s a few days, weeks, or months, it does get better, to some extent, even for a moment).”
She continued, “It took me a long time to get that in my mind, but I’ve had enough breakdowns and burnouts to know this: if you work hard enough on yourself, spending time alone to understand your traumas, triggers, joys, and routine, you will always be able to understand or learn more about your own pain and how to handle it. Which is all that you can ask of yourself. Anyways. Not sure why but it feels harder and harder to not share my truth on here. Thank you for seeing me and thank you for listening. I love you.”
It is not the first time Hadid has spoken about her mental health struggles. In January the model fell silent on Instagram only to return by explaining she needed time away from social media to “learn about myself”.
Hadid’s sister Gigi and mother Yolanda were the subject of alleged domestic violence claim in October when Zayn Malik reportedly “struck” the women’s mother in a dispute. We can imagine that has taken a toll too.
