emily ratajkowski
Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Emily Ratajkowski Opens Up About Her Battle With Depression to Help People “Feel Less Alone” Right Now

"I wanted to share a little piece of my story in case they might make any of you feel less alone in the anxiety or confusion or fear you could be experiencing right now."

Model Emily Ratajkowski has taken to Instagram overnight to share a very personal post in which she revealed that she battled depression last year.

Alongside a black and white selfie, the model wrote, “This pic was taken toward the end of last year. 2019 was one of the hardest years of my life. My mom was really sick, I was battling a serious depression and everything felt very uncertain.” She added that in amongst everything happening in the world right now that “2020 is definitely giving last year a run for its money” however she added that she’s “learned how to take better care of myself.”

Ratajkowski acknowledged that it’s out of character for her to share something so personal, writing, “I don’t generally like to get too personal on here and I’m far from having sh*t figured out but these were some of the notes I scribbled down on New Year’s Eve,” pointing to the last two photos in her image carousel. The images show two pages of handwritten notes titled “Things I Learned in 2019” and the I Feel Pretty actress wrote that she “wanted to share them and a little piece of my story in case they might make any of you feel less alone in the anxiety or confusion or fear you could be experiencing right now.”

Among the nuggets of wisdom she shared were several poignant statements that are as relevant today as ever. “Patience is a beautiful meditation,” she wrote on one line, followed by “The people in your life who love you are a wonderful gift, treat them as such.” She also wrote that “the world is completely unfair, but that is no excuse.”

At a time when so many of us are mindful of our own mental health as we consume the seemingly endless coronavirus news cycle and practice social distancing, Ratajkowski’s post is a refreshing reminder to make sure we take care of our ourselves. Check out our round-up of affordable mental health therapy and counselling locations across Canada here.

If you or someone you know is in crisis reach out to one of the following 24/7 emergency resources or call 911.
Canada Suicide Prevention Service (CSPS): 1-833-456-4566
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868

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