Kristen Bell’s New Essay Talks About Her Experience With Depression

Kristen Bell has opened up about her struggle with depression and how she managed to do away with the mental disorder.

The "Frozen" actress discussed about her experience living with depression for almost 15 years in a candid new essay for Time's Motto.

"I didn't speak publicly about my struggles with mental health for the first 15 years of my career," Bell wrote, reported Entertainment Weekly. "But now I'm at a point where I don't believe anything should be taboo. So here I am, talking to you about what I've experienced."

The 35-year-old actress said she was plagued with a negative attitude and sense of failure while she was a student at New York University.

"I'm normally such a bubbly, positive person," Bell added, "and all of a sudden I stopped feeling like myself."

The actress said she felt a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness when she was in the state of depression. In fact, Bell said despite having friends and work in hand, she felt she was worthless and had failed in life. The actress said she was very thankful to her mother who encouraged her to seek help if she ever needed it.

Bell went on to state that mental health issues like anxiety and depression persist despite external factors. The actress claimed that despite the fact that 20 percent of American adults face some form of mental illness in their lifetime, it is the "extreme stigma" surrounding mental health which makes it difficult for people to seek help.

"It's a knee-jerk reaction to judge people when they're vulnerable. But there's nothing weak about struggling with mental illness. You're just having a harder time living in your brain than other people. And I don't want you to feel alone," Bell added, according to People Magazine.

In the essay, the "Frozen" actress has urged people to go for routine check-ups with doctors regarding issues of depression and mental illness.

"Depression is a problem that actually has so many solutions. Let's work together to find those solutions for each other and cast some light on a dark situation," Bell said.