Cara Delevingne Reveals She Was "Completely Suicidal" Prior to the Start of Her Modeling Career

Model attributes writing and yoga to her recovery from depression

The rise to the top has not been easy for Cara Delevingne. 

During the recent Women in The World conference in London, the supermodel got candid about her struggles with depression, confessing that she was "completely suicidal" as a teen. 

"I was completely suicidal, didn't want to live anymore. I thought that I was completely alone," she explained, adding that even a supportive family couldn't keep her from wanting, "the world to swallow [her] up." It took therapy and anti-depressants for the now 23-year-old to get back on her feet, but not without even more painful hiccups at the start of her modeling career. 

Cara, who first found success in the industry with Burberry back in 2011, also revealed she suffered from a crippling bout of psoriasis that left her feeling "more disconnected" from herself than ever before. 

It took advice from fellow supermodel Kate Moss, who Delevingne says "kind of picked me up off the floor," for the young starlet to finally take a break and fully recover. The Paper Towns actress credits writing and acting for "saving her life" and now finds relief in the comfort of close friends. 

"It's about finding people around you have your best interests at heart. I had a lot of people around me who were just after what I gave them…not looking after [me]," she said.

Now Cara hopes to use her celeb status to help young girls like herself realize "mental illness and depression is not something to be ashamed of." And with more than 20 million Instagram followers and counting, Delevingne has quite the audience to do so.

"My message has always been to accept yourself no matter what, to love yourself, to embrace your flaws," Delevingne shared. "I think flaws are the things that make us special."

If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).