As the conversation around mental health gradually opens up, it’s not uncommon for celebrities to talk about their own struggles. Sometimes this is really helpful - Stephen Fry, Carrie Fisher, David Harewood and even Prince Harry have all helped to change the perception of mental illness. But a big platform comes with serious responsibility, and celebrities don’t always use it carefully.
Last week supermodel Gisele was the latest celebrity to offer a dodgy opinion on medication. Speaking to The Observer about her experience with panic attacks, Bundchen said: 'The problem with today’s society, people want instant gratification where it’s you know: "I want to do something and [when] I wake up I want to look like this." I’m like, "Er, well, you know for me to cure my panic attacks, it took months. I could have taken a pill, but I decided no. I’m going to wake up every morning and I’m going to meditate and do breath work." It took months.'
Where to start? There’s the superior tone here, the idea that Gisele worked harder than anyone else to get better. Then there’s the unacknowledged privilege. Gisele is a multi-millionaire, with access to the best healthcare and support system in the world and yet she thinks that her determination alone improved her mental health. Lastly, there’s the dodgy advice, which will be read by vulnerable people who might just think that they should swear off meds and try breath work (whatever that is).
Do you know what is not proven to help with anxiety? Willpower. Do you know what is? Antidepressants. Four million people in the UK are thought to be on them long term, and many others take them for shorter periods as and when needed. And yet the stigma that surrounds them is still huge. People might feel increasingly able to talk about their mental health issues, but very few openly discuss taking medication.
I’ve taken antidepressants to help with OCD, anxiety and depression off and on for over a decade but I rarely told people.
There are many ways to treat mental illnesses. Some people are treated in hospital. Some take medication. Some people have therapy, which can be transformative. But with some patients waiting for up to two years for therapy in the UK, meds are often the only option. And drugs like antidepressants often help people feel well enough to give other coping tools like meditation and exercise a go too.
That’s what they were for me. From total despair, they got me to a place where I started running - which has made me happier and calmer than ever before. But you can’t go for a run when you’re having panic attacks the moment you go outside. Sometimes more is needed.
Without thinking, Gisele has propagated the myth that mental illness affects the weak, that those of us who struggle to shake off deep sadness and worry are somehow just not working hard enough at it. That we shovel medication into our mouths for a quick fix instead of fixing the root issue. But many people have tried her way, pushing on for years without drugs precisely because they have internalised the stereotype that people who take medication are somehow failing. I hear from those people every day.
I’ve taken antidepressants to help with OCD, anxiety and depression off and on for over a decade but I rarely told people. I was embarrassed that I needed them and, like so many others, felt like I’d copped out somehow. It’s taken years for me to see how necessary they were. Without them, I don’t know if I could have coped. A decade of medication and therapy – that’s no quick fix by any means.
Gisele should spend a few hours talking to people who have taken medication for years. She’d hear from those who’d say taking drugs has helped them do their jobs, look after their children, and allowed them to find a happier life than the one they were living. She’d hear from people who said that medication has saved their lives. I’d be one of them.
As long as it’s not harmful, there should be no judgement when it comes to treatment. Everyone affected by mental illness is just trying their best to get by while carrying a heavy load. When it comes to issues of the mind, there’s no quick fix and there’s no ‘perfect’ way to get better.
I’m glad breath work has helped Gisele. It’s sad that her subsequent contentment doesn’t come with a side of compassion for those still trying to find their own.
READ MORE: Why I’ll Never Stop Taking Anti-Depressants
READ MORE: Antidepressants Are A daily Miracle – And I'm Eternally Grateful For Them