From the outside looking in, the modelling industry is applauded by many for its glitz and glam, statuesque models, high-end fashion designers, and endless international catwalks that have introduced some of our generation’s most iconic supermodels. This multibillion-dollar industry is what many aspiring young models around the globe struggle to break into, but there is always an ugly side that can only be seen by those who have lived the life from the inside looking out.
In a recent interview with WSJ Magazine, supermodel Bella Hadid discussed her own mental health, as well as the reasoning behind an Instagram post she shared in November, in which she posted a series of selfies of herself crying.
In her Instagram post, she quoted Willow, who said that every human being is unique and special, and that everyone forgets that everyone is feeling, “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.” The model then shared her own story, telling fans, “Social media is not real. 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.”
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal Magazine, the supermodel opened up about her “excruciating and debilitating” mental health battles in recent years.
Hadid admitted that she hadn’t used a stylist in “a long time, maybe two years now,” due in part to “the anxiety of paparazzi” waiting outside her home, and that she had grown particularly concerned about her outfits and appearance.
She also talked about her unusual Instagram interaction with her followers in November, when she posted several sobbing selfies to raise awareness about the mental health issues plaguing society one step at a time.
“I would just be in excruciating and debilitating mental and physical pain, and I didn’t know why,” she said of the inspiration behind the photos. “[When I posted them] it was to make sure that anybody that was feeling that way knew it was OK to feel that way.”
Hadid went on to say that she would “have really depressive episodes and my mom or my doctor would ask how I was and instead of having to respond in text, I would just send them a photo,” which inspired her to use Instagram as a mental health tool rather than a perfectly curated portfolio.
Bella also reflected on the struggles of social media, where one must be their most beautiful and happy self. She continued, “Even though things appear to be so beautiful on Instagram, at the end of the day, we are all cut from the same cloth. I felt like it was just good for me to be able to speak my truth, and I eventually stopped being able to post nice pretty pictures. I was done with it.”
Hadid concluded by saying that things are getting better in 2022, and that she has learned a great deal about herself as a result of her trials and tribulations.
“I do have good days. Today is a good day,” she told WSJ Magazine. “My brain fog is feeling better, I don’t feel depressed. I don’t have as much anxiety as I usually do.”
“But tomorrow I could wake up and [be] the complete opposite,” she added. “That’s why I get so overwhelmed.”
