Madison Beer, 21, says stuffed animals ‘supply me with comfort’ during anxiety attacks
Madison Beer said she was “massively depressed.”
The 21-year-old opened up about her mental health struggles on The Kelly Clarkson Show Thursday, sharing how lonely she felt during those dark moments.
“When I was really in the thick of being massively depressed and not even have the motivation to get out of bed in the morning I felt so isolated and so alone because especially in the day and age of social media — and we’re all guilty of it — everyone’s life seems so perfect and everyone seems so abundantly happy that when you’re miserable you feel so horrible about yourself.”
The singer, who has a new single called “Baby,” explained that when she was unhappy, the curated perfection shared on social media made her feel “horrible.” Because of that experience, Beer’s consciously attempting to be more real on Instagram and other platforms. “On the days when I feel like I see something that might be a quote that could inspire or something that might help somebody else I post because I hope someone sees this, who’s not as happy as I am today maybe,” she said.
A post shared by Madison Beer (@madisonbeer) on
Beer also opened up about a coping mechanism that has helped with her anxiety: stuffed animals.
“For my whole life I’ve had a unicorn and a rabbit little stuffed animals on my bed forever and I always tell my friends, if my house is burning down…don’t care about anything else, get the stuffed animals...They’re the loves of my life,” she explained of her unicorn and rabbit plush toys
A post shared by Madison Beer (@madisonbeer) on
“This is also another thing I believe is a healthy coping mechanism that I’ve come up with…it goes into the mental health conversation because these are things when I’m having an anxiety attack, they supply me with comfort and make me feel better. Whatever that placebo might be, it does make me feel better,” she admitted.
Beer went viral in 2012 after Justin Beiber posted a video of her singing the Etta James classic “At Last” when she was just 13. She is now set to release her first studio album, which she noted was inspired by her mental health struggles. In August, she took to Instagram Stories to reveal that she was one year clean from self-harm.
“I never thought i'd be able to say this & i am so proud of myself," she wrote. "it has been an uphill battle, so whether you might b one day, one week, one month, or one year clean — i'm so proud of you."
The influencer also encouraged her followers not to ignore the signs of someone struggling with self-harm.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255.
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