Kristen Bell Penned a Heartfelt Essay About Her Battle With Depression

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Every so often, a celebrity opens up about their struggles with mental health and depression. The latest to do so is Princess Anna of Arendelle, a.k.a. Kristen Bell.

In a new essay for Time’s Motto, Bell shares her experience with depression, which began when she was in college:

I felt plagued with a negative attitude and a sense that I was permanently in the shade. I’m normally such a bubbly, positive person, and all of a sudden I stopped feeling like myself. There was no logical reason for me to feel this way. I was at New York University, I was paying my bills on time, I had friends and ambition—but for some reason, there was something intangible dragging me down.

Bell further describes her depression as “not sadness” but instead “a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness.” She added that her mother has been a support system who has always encouraged her to take care of her mental health — advice that Bell believes everyone should hear.

Mental health check-ins should be as routine as going to the doctor or the dentist. After all, I’ll see the doctor if I have the sniffles. If you tell a friend that you are sick, his first response is likely, “You should get that checked out by a doctor.” Yet if you tell a friend you’re feeling depressed, he will be scared or reluctant to give you that same advice. You know what? I’m over it.

Bell has shared her thoughts on depression in the past. Earlier this month, she talked about her decision to seek treatment for her depression in a web interview with Off Camera. “You have to be able to cope with it,” she told host Sam Jones at the time.

Given that mental illness is said to affect one in five American adults per year, Bell’s story will likely resonate with quite a large audience. Read the whole thing over at Motto.