webadminFrom being a multiple Grammy award winner to topping the charts for half a decade, Billie Eilish, at the age of 18, has tasted huge success. But what makes her different from others is her courage to accept and speak about her mental health struggles, which created quite a furor in the music world.
Eilish is intrepid and honest about narrating her story of battling with body dysmorphia, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and Tourette Syndrome. This has undoubtedly inspired millions of people struggling with mental health issues to come out and talk openly about mental health disorders as a real problem. Her music videos have served as a candid youth platform to express mental health concerns and stress.
Body insecurities led to depression in adolescent years
In her recent interview with American Vogue, Eilish opened up about her depression and body insecurity, which overwhelmed her during her early adolescence.
Eilish has stated in her interview that she developed body insecurities at the tender age of 9. She said, “I developed breast at the age of nine, had my menstrual cycle at the age of 11. Perhaps my body was growing faster than my mind”. At the age of 12, when she joined dance classes, she experienced body dysmorphia. She started becoming uncomfortable with skimpy clothes, could not look at the mirror, and was unable to accept her body or the way she looked. Further, she added, “I just hated my body. I wanted to be a model but I was chubby and short.”
Soon Billie’s dance career also ended due to a hip injury and consequently she was engulfed by depression, anxiety, and a tendency for self-harm.
She has narrated her anxieties during her tours, which felt like an endless limbo to her. But with therapy things began to improve, she said.
She was the peak of her career at the age of 17, but money and fame could not provide her immunity against depression and self-harm. “I felt my success is pointless, it didn’t made me happy, it was insane…I was diagnosed with clinical depression.”
Happiness seemed crazy
Eilish was trolled for hyping her mental health issues and was accused of faking it out, on which she said, “It really hurts to read those comments.” She also said that at the age of 16 she was the most unstable, while she was at the peak of career. But with constant therapies her mental health has improved remarkably. She calls happiness the craziest feeling in the world.
In her interview with American Vogue, she elaborately talked about her grappling thoughts of suicide and self-harm. She was not sure if she could survive until now. But, her patience to strive through her mental health is the only key to her survival. She now advises her fans to be patient and treat mental health as a real problem.
Mental health problems don’t differentiate between wealthy, a destitute, living in glitz and glamour, or languishing in absolute penury. Being wealthy or famous adds the advantage of find appropriate resources for mental health treatment. However, in reality, millions of people do not have proper access to treatment. Social stigma, fear of isolation and being considered as a weakling, has created a social barrier for people preventing them form seeking treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 264 million people suffer from depression. Of these, 76 to 85 percent people do not receive any treatment. For millions of people, depression remains undiagnosed for life, which exacerbates the symptoms and ruin lives.
The road to recovery
Mental health treatment can help anyone battling anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts. Evidence-based therapeutic interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) work wonders in managing the mental disorder. Just like constant therapy helped Eilish improve her mental health, it can help you to.
If you or someone you love is battling a mental disorder, get in touch with the Mind Health Network, a leading name in the mental health treatment landscape. We can provide you with credible information about personalized mental health treatment plans offered at our partner treatment centers. To know more about how our network of treatment centers can help you, call our 24/7 helpline 866 548 0190. You can also chat online with our representative for further guidance.
