The only way to normalize the conversation around mental health is to unabashedly talk about it — which is exactly what Chrissy Teigen is doing.
Chrissy has never been one to shy away from talking about literally anything. She keeps it real with motherhood, hasn’t met a chicken wing she doesn’t want to eat, and fought back after she and her husband were trolled on Twitter by the President of the United States (it’s absurd that I am even writing that last part, but that’s a topic for another day).
Now, she’s sharing even more details of her life, specifically, her mental health.
In an interview with Glamour UK, Chrissy said,
“There will be days when I get in a group text with my friends and say, ‘Is anyone else finding it hard to take a shower lately?’ And they’re all like, ‘Take your pills, Chrissy!'”
While Chrissy’s friends may make light of her question, it’s one that is very real for people struggling with mental illness. Chrissy says she’s been dealing with anxiety since she was a kid, and just kept brushing it off as a symptom of whatever stage of life she was in. But, eventually, it caught up to her.
She said,
“I realized when I was finally comfortable and knew where I was going in life and had every reason to be happy, that clearly something was going on.”
The biggest wakeup call was her postpartum depression (PPD) after having her daughter, Luna. It was especially confusing for her because Luna was conceived using IVF, which means Chrissy and John had to work hard to bring that (adorable!) little girl into the world.
Chrissy said,
“You think, ‘I tried so hard for this and my mind is fighting me’ … I became very introverted; I had a paralyzing anxiety of going out. And I lost my baby weight and more within a month.”
While, she might be on the other side of PPD, that doesn’t mean she’s back to ignoring her mental health. She knows it’s an ever-present thing in her life that she has to manage. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
She said,
“I think anyone with anxiety knows it’s physically painful to think about doing things. Sometimes reaching for your medication is like picking up a 60kg dumbbell that I don’t feel like picking up and I don’t know why… I haven’t been good to myself. I wasn’t managing my pills. I was just taking them when I remembered. My chemistry got thrown off.”
Her interview with Glamour is full of truth bombs, authenticity, and nuggets of wisdom. One thing that sticks out the most, though, is her philosophy on therapy. For her, traditional therapy doesn’t work. Instead, she finds that release through self-care, specifically in cooking.
Chrissy explained,
“Being in the kitchen and on my feet, getting to move around is a way to make me feel part of life again. It brings you back down to earth. Cooking doesn’t care who you are, you burn shit just the same.”
Similarly, mental illness doesn’t care who you are, either.
Chrissy Teigen’s honesty in all parts of life has always been reassuring to us regular people just trying to get through the day, but her candidness about mental health brings her up to a whole new level.
