5. Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell is among the celebrities that opened up about a family history of serotonin imbalance, which makes her susceptible to depression and anxiety.
The actress spoke her mind in an interview on Off Camera with Sam Jones in 2016, where she talked about dealing with anxiety and depression.
Because depression was present in her family history, her mother made sure she was informed about mental health conditions at a young age. Bell said her mom explained to her everything she needed to know about mental health conditions, explaining that low levels of serotonin (which is a mood stabilizer) can be genetic.
The serotonin imbalance has caused both her mother and her grandmother to struggle with depression, which made Bell know what mental health symptoms to look out for in herself.
“I’m so thankful for her openness on this predominantly silent subject because later when I was in college, that time did come. 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.”
She was very young when the doctor prescribed her a type of antidepressant called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. SSRIs increase serotonin levels by preventing it from being reabsorbed before it can take effect. Bell’s mother also warned her that there will be people who might wrongly judge her for taking a mental health drug.
“You would never deny a diabetic his insulin — ever,” Bell said in the interview. “But for some reason when someone needs a SSRI, they’re immediately crazy or something. It’s a very interesting double standard.”
“I didn’t speak publicly about my struggles with mental health for the first 15 years of my career. But now I’m at a point where I don’t believe anything should be taboo,” Bell added.
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