Jordan Strauss/Invision/APLo Bosworth is coming clean about her struggles with mental health.
The Hills alumna surprised fans Friday when she shared a personal battle very few people knew about. As it turns out, the former reality star spent much of 2016 battling anxiety and depression.
"2016 wasn't only just the worst year ever, it was also the year I turned 30, founded my own feminine wellness company, and brought an amazing puppy home. So not all bad," she shared on her personal blog titled The Lo Down. "Light does find a way of shining through the darkness. And what is the darkness I'm referring to? Crippling anxiety and depression at the hands of a severe vitamin deficiency that went undiscovered for 16 months."
Lo explained to followers that she started feeling "very off" in the fall of 2015 and experienced insomnia, impulsive behavior and a "racing mind."
"On top of all of this, imagine that you have no idea why your body is turning itself inside out, your brain feels like it's on Pluto, and your sweet boyfriend is wondering what the f--k is going on," she wrote. "The unknown is certainly a terrifying place."
Once 2016 began, Lo began therapy and taking medication. Ultimately, it took several months to clearly see any positive differences.
"I feel okay for moments of time, and then plunge back into the darkness again and again. The anti-depressant cycle is a vicious one – especially if you don't actually require one, but that moment of enlightenment won't arrive for another 9 months," she explained. "Up and down, up and down. Tears, moments of extreme highs, confusion about why you don't feel completely back on your feet after the standard 4-6 weeks of allowing the meds to ‘kick in'. Making changes and adjustments to medications more than 4 times."
While exercise along with a supportive family helped, Lo admitted that she wouldn't wish her 2016 on her worst enemy.
After several doctor visits and complex blood tests, Lo was told she had severe deficiencies of Vitamins B12 and Vitamin D that contributed to the cause of her mental health. The diagnosis would allow her to "handle this problem."
"During my struggle I could barely process my emotions, let alone work a full 9-5 on YouTube videos, Love Wellness, or TheLoDown. I've lost so much, and gained so much on the other side too. I've grown as a human in ways I didn't think possible. I dealt with all the ickiness inside of me that could at times make me behave badly, treat others poorly, and not take great emotional care of myself (therapy, man)," Lo shared with honesty. "Depression and anxiety can be both emotional and physical, and having lived through it, all I can say is that the struggle is worth it. I resent it, I hate it, it's f--ked up my world—but I also see it for what it is, and that's quite beautiful."
She added, "Life happens, and if it happens to you—how will you handle it? I'm living proof that you should fight, you should explore, you should take your health into your own hands and be your own advocate, and that you CAN come out the other side with some serious scars, but feeling like a brand new human being."
Read Lo's complete story in her blog post titled "2016: The Year of My Great Depression" online now.