Selma Blair Opens Up About Managing Depression, Anxiety, and Alcoholism

It’s so easy to look at celebrities, marvel at their shiny, perfect lives, and feel like a total mess in comparison. (“Here she is at a fabulous party on a Tuesday night while I’m sitting at home on my couch in food-stained sweatpants wondering how long I can get away without washing my hair and trying to think of ways to get out of an event this weekend because that would mean interacting with other humans.”)

Occasionally, though, we get glimpses behind the curtain to see what life is really like for those who seem to “have it all”—and usually, it’s not the ideal world we’ve imagined. Yesterday, Selma Blair did exactly that, opening up on Instagram about her struggles in Hollywood and living with depression and anxiety.

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“I came to Los Angeles over twenty years ago. I lived in this cute studio apt in Brentwood. I met my best friend next door. I met a cute guy and I am still pals with his sister. I had all the hope in the world,” she wrote underneath a photo of her with blond hair from her early days in Hollywood. “Auditions came. Work came. I kissed a girl. Hi @sarahmgellar! made friends. I lost many and miss some. I battled alcoholism and depression and anxiety. I am now winning that battle. Hi a much better life! I worked with some of the best directors.”

Source: Instagram

The Cruel Intentions and Legally Blonde actor detailed some of her early career successes followed by her experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her son.

“I had a son. Hi Arthur! I lived with #postpartumdepression for 4 long years. Crippling anxiety. I fell apart. The last moment being very public. I was sorry. I was humbled. I stayed humble,” Blair wrote.

And although she has overcome some major hurdles, she acknowledges that she still has tough days: “I cry quietly so as not to wake my child. I am a good mother.”

Blair ended the post by saying that she has “always been an actress,” but hasn’t always had hope that she would work again, but wants to remain optimistic.

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“I want to have hope again. I want to thank you all for believing in me,” she wrote. “I want to find the right work for me. And for me as a mom and as a woman who has come so far in personal ways. I want to make us all proud.”

Well, you are making us proud, Selma! Talking about living with mental illness and normalizing the conversation is hugely important, and we are thankful that she has chosen to speak up and wish her continued success in the rest of her career and with mental health.

 

Originally posted on SheKnows.