Bella Hadid Admits Carrying 'the Weight of Anxiety and Depression' for Many Years Felt 'All-Consuming and Paralyzing' in Candid Confession

Bella Hadid is getting real about her mental health struggles.

On Sunday, October 12, the supermodel opened up on Instagram with a heartfelt poem reflecting on the “weight of anxiety and depression” she’s “carried for many years.”

“It can sometimes feel all-consuming, paralyzing and invisible to the outside world, leaving you in tears before starting your day, wondering why your mind feels so heavy when life around you seems so bright,” she wrote. “There is often a deep sense of shame that comes with mental health struggles. I sometimes wonder how life has blessed me and how my body and mind are filled with the weight of sadness, depression and debilitating anxiety on a regular basis.”

Despite her ongoing challenges, Hadid said she’s learning to see beauty in her vulnerability.

“Over the years, I’ve learned that this is not a weakness — it’s a part of me. My sensitivity, my awareness, my empathy. In many ways, it can be a superpower. It’s what makes us human, and these parts of me have helped me understand myself and others more deeply,” she shared. “Whoever deals with this daily too; I want you to remember that you are not alone. And I love you so much.”

Hadid also took a moment to thank her “support system” for being there through it all, adding that she feels deeply connected to “the children and families I’ve met through my work with @UNICEF.”

“So many of whom have faced unimaginable trauma, war and displacement, yet still manage to smile, hope, and dream. Beneath those smiles, though, they hold the same invisible battles with anxiety, PTSD and fear, but without access to the care and safety we so often take for granted,” she continued.

Her post comes shortly after her mom, Yolanda Hadid, shared that Bella had recently been hospitalized amid her ongoing battle with Lyme disease.

“🩷 As you will understand watching my Bella struggle in silence has cut the deepest core of hopelessness inside me,” Yolanda wrote alongside photos of Bella in a hospital bed, as well as a shot from inside a church and a table covered with medications.

Yolanda went on to express how painful it’s been to watch her daughter suffer through her illness.

“The invisible disability of chronic neurological Lyme disease is hard to explain or understand for anyone. I try to lead by example on our Lyme journey but my own pain cannot compare to watching my baby suffer,” she explained.

“There simply aren’t words big enough for the darkness, the pain, and the unknown h--- you’ve lived through since your diagnosis in 2013. You didn’t really live, you learned how to exist inside the jail of your own paralyzed brain,” she continued.

Ending her emotional post with words of encouragement, Yolanda added, “To my beautiful Bellita: You are relentless and courageous. No child is suppose to suffer in their body with an incurable chronic disease. I admire your bravery and your willingness to keep fighting for health despite the failing protocols and countless setbacks you have faced.”