Bella Hadid is sending an important message about mental health.
In a post shared to Instagram on Nov. 9, the 25-year-old model reminded anyone who is struggling that they are not alone.
While fans are used to seeing Hadid pose for photo shoots and walk runways, she told her followers life isn't always as picture-perfect as it seems. She then shared a video of Willow Smith that resonated with her.
"That feeling of not thinking that you're good enough or being insecure about your art is natural, but at the same time, I feel like it's taught," the 21-year-old artist said in the clip. "All humans are different, and every single human has something so unique and special 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 sort of way. We're gonna come together in our flaws, in our insecurities, in our joy, in our happiness, and accept it all as beautiful and as natural. That's what's gonna break down those walls and make everyone be like, 'Nah, I understand you and your pain and your joy. We're gonna be okay.'"
Hadid noted that Smith's words made her "feel a little less alone" and went on to share a series of selfies. The pictures showed the runway star crying, and one of the pics showed Hadid, who battles with Lyme disease, with an IV in her arm. Hadid explained "this is pretty much my everyday, every night for a few years now" and that things aren't always as they appear on Instagram.
"Social media is not real," she continued. "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."
She then added, "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)."
Hadid acknowledged she didn't learn these lessons right away. "It took me a long time to get that in my mind," she shared, "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."
At the end of her post, Hadid wrote, "it feels harder and harder to not share my truth on here" and thanked her followers for listening.
Afterward, many stars applauded Hadid for her post. "Your honesty and tenderness heals so many," Smith wrote. Added Hadid's sister Gigi Hadid, "I love you!"
Hadid has spoken about her battles with anxiety and depression before and has been a mental health advocate for years.
"Dealing with mental illness for most of my life, bringing awareness to the education of mental health through my platform is something that I will continue to do until our mental is just as respected as our physical," she wrote in part of her October post for Mental Illness Awareness Week. "I want everyone who struggles daily to know that you are not alone."