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Kristen Bell revealed she has suffered from anxiety and depression from a young age while speaking with Sam Jones for Off Camera.
“I’m extremely co-dependent,” said Bell. “I shatter a little bit when I think people don’t like me. That’s part of why I lead with kindness and I compensate by being very bubbly all the time, because I don’t know, it really hurts my feelings when I know I’m not liked. And I know that’s not very healthy and I fight it all the time.”
The actress said a serotonin imbalance runs in her family and said her mother sat her down to talk to her about it when she was about 18.
“She’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,” Bell said, remembering her mother’s words. “I’ve always had a really open and honest dialogue about that.”
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Her mother also warned her about the stigmas that can be associated with mental health, saying “If you do decide to go on a prescription to help yourself, understand that the world wants to shame you for that, but in the medical community, you would never deny a diabetic his insulin. Ever,” recounted Bell.
The actress added, “But for some reason, when someone needs a serotonin inhibitor, they’re immediately crazy or something.” Bell said that she did get on a prescription when she was “really young” to help with her anxiety and depression and she still takes it today.
“I have no shame in that,” said Bell. She said that while she presents as a “very cheery, bubbly person,” she also does a lot of work with exercising and checking in on herself to make sure she’s healthy.
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