Paulina Porizkova, 55, shares feelings on female anger and rage: 'Ridiculed and shamed'
Paulina Porizkova is no stranger to being vulnerable and unfiltered with her fans on social media, especially as it relates to her mental health.
On Monday, the 55-year-old supermodel posted a kaleidoscope selfie on Instagram talking about the power of anger and why it’s OK to embrace it.
In the caption, she writes about growing up and witnessing rage in her family, starting with her grandfather, and how it impacted her as an adult. “I was brought up to fear anger. My grandpa (whom I lived with as a child) was prone to giant fits of anger: I witnessed a few rages of flowerpots being tossed through closed windows — as grandma tried to catch them in the yard — and the time he chased her through the house with an ax is family legend,” the model shared. And the anger didn’t stop there.
“My mom inherited his rage — and I learned to be very very careful. And that anger was an unpredictable, searing force that destroyed souls. Later, I also learned that nothing is as societally compromising as female anger. An angry woman seldom gets her way. Instead she’s ridiculed and shamed,” she wrote.
But not anymore, because Porizkova is done hiding those emotions. “Even with a lover, a partner, a husband, a man who loves her- her anger can be laughed at and diminished. Now I come to find a dash of anger is strangely energizing. I’m MOVING ON, dammit.”
Based on the comments, it seems as though Porizkova isn’t alone in feeling this way. One user commented, “Let that anger out of your soul!! Pent up anger is a huge contributor to illness and disease! If I’ve learned anything as an adult male, an angry woman is usually right about whatever made her angry.” Another one wrote, “I read somewhere anger is pain’s bodyguard. In some ways I think that’s true. I like to think of it as a broom, sweeping away all the bullshit I won’t allow myself to put up with ever again.”
This isn’t the first time that the model has been open about her mental health. Just a few weeks ago she posted a gorgeous, gray-haired selfie, updating her fans on new supplements she is taking to help with her depression.
It was first back in October when the star began to be more transparent on the platform in order to fight the stigma associated with anxiety and depression. “I had my first panic attack at the age of ten. I didn’t know what it was, I thought I was dying. I told no one and I just expected to die, which of course made the anxiety worse,” she said accompanying an unfiltered selfie.
Her openness and honesty are inspiring to many, as people commented on the post sharing how it impacted their lives. “You are so beautiful & strong & a beacon of hope. Thank you for sharing. I suffer situational claustrophobia. Panic attacks are so scary.”
No matter who you are, you shouldn’t have to suffer alone. And thanks to Porizkova, no one has to.
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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