Gabourey Sidibe
In her memoir, This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare actress Gabourey Sidibe recounts her struggles with bulimia and depression in college.
After having suicidal thoughts, Sidibe sought the assistance of a mental health professional.
“Here’s the thing about therapy and why it’s so important. I love my mom, but there’s so much I couldn’t talk to her about during my Hoe Phase. I couldn’t tell her that I couldn’t stop crying and that I hated everything about myself. Whenever I did try to open up, my mom seemed unconcerned. When I was sad about something, she told me to ‘get a thicker skin.’ When I was upset, she told me to ‘stop nitpicking.’ My mom has always had faith that things would be okay, but saying ‘tomorrow will be a better day’ wasn’t enough for me,” Sidibe said.
“I just accepted depression as something that’s part of my anatomy; it’s part of my chemistry, it’s part of my biology, Sidibe further explains. “When it’s too big for me to just turn around on my own, I see a therapist. I see a therapist anyway. We all should see a therapist. If only for the hour a week that you can talk about yourself and not worry about monopolizing the conversation? F—ing do it, it’s worth it!”