In honour of World Mental Health Day, here are 11 celebrities who have candidly, and courageously opened up about their struggles with mental health. From Carrie Fisher to Kendall Jenner, here are their stories...

1. Adele

"I can slip in and out of [depression] quite easily," the singer told Vanity Fair. "I had really bad postpartum depression after I had my son, and it frightened me," she said. "I didn't talk to anyone about it. I was very reluctant...Four of my friends felt the same way I did, and everyone was too embarrassed to talk about it."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BSFpsJhFzUy/?hl=en&taken-by=adele]]

2. Ryan Reynolds 

Speaking to Variety about the anxiety he experienced while filming Deadpool, Reynolds said "I never, ever slept. Or I was sleeping at a perfect right angle — just sitting straight, constantly working at the same time. By the time we were in post [production], we’d been to Comic-Con, and people went crazy for it. The expectations were eating me alive."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BliLq_eDaNz/?hl=en&taken-by=vancityreynolds]]

3. Kendall Jenner 

"I have such debilitating anxiety because of everything going on that I literally wake up in the middle of the night with full-on panic attacks," the model told Cara Delevingne in an interview. "Where do I even start? Everything is so horrible, it’s hard to name one thing. I just think that the world needs so much love. I wish I had the power to send Cupid around the planet, as cheesy as that sounds. You go online and you see everyone saying the worst things to each other, and it’s hard to stay positive. It’s hard not to get eaten alive by all the negativity."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn37LpDjbXG/?hl=en&taken-by=kendalljenner]]

4. Chrissy Teigen 

In an essay she wrote for Glamour, Chrissy said: "I also just didn’t think it could happen to me. I have a great life. I have all the help I could need: John, my mother (who lives with us), a nanny. But postpartum does not discriminate. I couldn’t control it. And that’s part of the reason it took me so long to speak up: I felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that I’m struggling. Sometimes I still do."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BnXXR1cnZsq/?hl=en&taken-by=chrissyteigen]]

Carrie Fisher 

"I have a chemical imbalance that, in its most extreme state, will lead me to a mental hospital," Fisher told Diane Sawyer. "I used to think I was a drug addict, pure and simple — just someone who could not stop taking drugs willfully. And I was that. But it turns out that I am severely manic depressive. You can't stop. It's very painful. It's raw. You know, it's rough... your bones burn... when you're not busy talking and trying to drown it out."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BovQh2iFwIr/?hl=en&tagged=carriefisher]]

5. Beyoncé

"It was beginning to get fuzzy―I couldn't even tell which day or which city I was at. I would sit there at ceremonies and they would give me an award and I was just thinking about the next performance," the pop-star told The Sun back in 2011. "My mother was very persistent and she kept saying that I had to take care of my mental health."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BoQck4lFHou/?hl=en&taken-by=beyonce]]

6. Miley Cyrus 

In an interview, Cyrus said "[Depression is] more of an issue than people really want to talk about. Because people don't know how to talk about being depressed—that it's totally okay to feel sad. I went through a time where I was really depressed. Like, I locked myself in my room and my dad had to break my door down. It was a lot to do with, like, I had really bad skin, and I felt really bullied because of that. But I never was depressed because of the way someone else made me feel, I just was depressed."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BowJibDn6M8/?hl=en&tagged=mileycyrusfan]]

7. Lena Dunham 

"Promised myself I would not let exercise be the first thing to go by the wayside when I got busy with Girls Season 5 and here is why: it has helped me with my anxiety in ways I’ve never dreamed possible," Dunham wrote on Instagram. "To those struggling with anxiety, OCD, depression: I know it’s mad annoying when people tell you to exercise, and it took me about 16 medicated years to listen. I’m glad I did. It ain’t about the ass, it’s about the brain."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BnxbMWnlZVH/?hl=en&taken-by=lenadunham]]

8. Dakota Johnson 

Speaking about her anxiety, the actress said "Sometimes I panic to the point where I don't know what I'm thinking or doing. I have a full anxiety attack….I have them all the time anyway, but with auditioning it's bad. I'm so terrified of it."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BowMPNnAVT7/?hl=en&tagged=dakotajohnson]]

9. Demi Lovato 

"I think it's important that people no longer look at mental illness as something taboo to talk about," Lovato said at the National Council for Behavioural Health in Washington DC. "It's something that's extremely common, one in five adults has a mental illness, so basically everyone is essentially connected to this problem and this epidemic. The problem with mental illness is people don't look at it as a physical illness. When you think about it, the brain is actually the most complex organ in your body. We need to treat it like a physical illness and take it seriously."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Bll0V5oFNbT/?hl=en&taken-by=ddlovato]]

10. Ellen DeGeneres 

"When I walked out of the studio after five years of working so hard, knowing I had been treated so disrespectfully for no other reason than I was gay, I just went into this deep, deep depression. It's so corny but it's true. You have no idea where the darkest times of your life might end, so you have to just keep going."
[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BovobL8gVoN/?hl=en&tagged=ellendegeneres]]

 11. Jared Padalecki

"I, for a long time, have been passionate about people dealing with mental illness and struggling with depression, or addiction, or having suicidal thoughts and, strangely enough, it's almost like the life I live, as well," the actor told Variety. "I was 25 years old. I had my own TV show. I had dogs that I loved and tons of friends and I was getting adoration from fans and I was happy with my work, but I couldn't figure out what it was; it doesn't always make sense is my point. It's not just people who can't find a job, or can't fit in in society that struggle with depression sometimes."

[[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BhFDLhIgIyq/?hl=en&taken-by=jaredpadalecki]]

  If in the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email [email protected]. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.

Society's understanding of mental health has improved astronomically. Now, people are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that mental illness is no different from physical illness and should be treated accordingly - with everyone being encouraged to take note of the signs that someone is struggling. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people aged between 15 and 24.

This increased awareness can, in part, be credited to celebrities who have used their platform to speak out about their own mental health struggles in the hope that it will encourage others to do the same. After the tragic death of Robin Williams in 2014, seemingly one of the happiest people on the planet, celebrities began to speak out like never before. And one of the biggest mental health advocates is Lady Gaga, as shown by her Grammys acceptance speech last night.

Check out the incredible speech and, even more importantly, her inspiring message below:

[[jwplayerwidget||https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/vhRU3XO6-Q0L14jDU.mp4||vhRU3XO6]]

This reference to mental health issues was no coincidence, either. Mother Monster's starring role in A Star is Born draws attention to various mental health issues, including addiction. She said that the movie's popularity should be used as an opportunity for celebrities and Average Joes alike to check in with anyone who is hurting.

"If I don't get another chance to say this, I just want to say I'm so proud to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health issues. They're so important," she said, struggling to catch her breath. "A lot of artists deal with that. And we gotta take care of each other. So if you see somebody that's hurting, don't look away. And if you're hurting, even though it might be hard, try to find that bravery within yourself to dive deep and go tell somebody and take them up in your head with you."

And the speech was certainly appreciated by many viewers, with some people calling it "the best acceptance speech ever":

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/AudWhee32/status/1094768584071495681]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/ella_nyc/status/1094768802062000128]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/WillaChawn/status/1094768956584353792]]

[[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/awalley1979/status/1094836919127736320]]

Gaga made this speech as she accepted the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her and Bradley Cooper's performance of 'Shallow' in A Star is Born - the 32-year-old's third Grammy win of the night.

Understandably, Gaga also credited her co-star's role in her Grammy win for 'Shallow', saying, "I wish Bradley was here with me right now. I know he wants to be here. Bradley, I loved singing this song with you."

In addition to these impressive three wins, Gaga also won a BAFTA for Best Original Music in A Star is Born.

The 32-year-old's other two Grammy wins were for Best Song Written For Visual Media for 'Shallow' and Best Pop Solo Performance for 'Joanne (Where Do You Think You're Goin'?)'.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Warner Bros.]]

This follows on from the singer's statement about mental health in November of last year.

At the Patron of the Artists Award, she said, "When I speak about mental health, especially when I'm speaking about mine, it is often met with quietness. Or maybe, a somber line of fans, waiting outside to whisper to me in the shadows about their darkest secrets. We need to bring mental health into the light."

It's a well-known fact that one in four people will suffer from a mental health condition at some point - even if you're not be affected personally, it's a guarantee that someone you love will be. And none of us would want any of our loved ones, or even ourselves, to suffer in silence, in the shadows, when we can get the help we need in the light.

Hear, hear, Mother Monster!

Bella Hadid has been praised for bravely opening up about her mental-health struggles in a candid Instagram post, sharing a series of close-up photos of herself in tears.

The 25-year-old supermodel said she was inspired to publicly share her experience with anxiety and depression after watching a video of her friend Willow Smith speaking candidly about her own insecurities.

"I Love you and your words. It made me feel a little less alone and that's why I'd like to post this," she wrote in the caption, addressing Smith directly.

She then transcribed Smith's words in the video, writing: "That feeling of thinking that you're good enough or being insecure about your art- is natural- but at the same time, I feel like it's taught. All humans are different, every single human has something so special and unique to offer."

Per BBC, she went on: "People forget that everyone is basically feeling the same way: lost, confused, not really sure why they're here. That anxiety, like, everyone is feeling that - and trying to cover it up in some way.

"We're gonna come together in our flaws. In our insecurities, in our joy, in our happiness, and accept it all as beautiful and natural. "

Hadid then shared her own personal story alongside several photos of herself crying.

"This is pretty much my every day, every night For a few years now," the model told her 47 million Instagram followers.

"Social media is not real. For anyone struggling, please remember that. Sometimes all you've gotta hear is that you're not alone. So from me to you, you're not alone. I love you, I see you, and I hear you.

"Self-help and mental illness/chemical imbalance is not linear and it is almost like a flowing rollercoaster of obstacles… it has its ups and downs, and side to sides," she wrote.

Credit: Abaca Press / Alamy

Hadid went on to say that "there is always light at the end of the tunnel," although it's been challenging for her to remember that "it does get better."

"I've had enough breakdowns and burnouts to know this: if you work hard enough on yourself, spending time alone to understand your traumas, triggers, joys, and routine, you will always be able to understand or learn more about your own pain and how to handle it. Which is all that you can ask of yourself. Anyways," she wrote.

She finished by saying that it feels "harder and harder to not share my truth" on her account. "Thank you for seeing me and thank you for listening. I love you."

Featured image credit: dpa picture alliance / Alamy

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression, and nearly 7% of the USA have at least one depressive episode over the course of one year. The illness is aggressive, debilitating, and affects everybody in different ways - sometimes making it hard to spot, and even harder to treat. For some sufferers, depression and other mental health problems can cause an urge to self-harm. Sometimes these desires can be controlled with medication or other coping mechanisms, but often they become strong compulsions, and those who are afflicted with such urges end up with severe scarring. Aoife Lovett, a 19-year-old from Ireland, had multiple scars across her forearm as a result of mental health problems she had struggled with earlier in her teenage years. Despite the wounds having healed over, they still showed quite prominently - and Aoife hated seeing them. "It’s very hard when you’re a couple of years clean from doing it and every day you're constantly reminded of what you did," Aoife said in an interview with the Independent. "It brings back memories of how you felt then. There's a lot of shame that comes with it and guilt, especially when you’re around your family." In an effort to start afresh, Aoife searched around for a tattoo artist who would work on her damaged skin - but nobody wanted to do it. Due to the difficulty involved, many artists will refuse to work on a client who has raised or keloid scars, as the ink does not take well and can be painful for the person receiving the tattoo. However, after months of searching, Aoife's mother found an artist named Ryan Kelly who specialised in covering up self-harm tattoos. His project, Scars Behind Beauty, provides free tattoos in order help people like Aoife, and deter them from lapsing back into old habits. Ryan started the initiative back in February after meeting a client who had sustained a lot of self-inflicted damage to her arm. The tattoo artist explained that it was one particular client who inspired the project, and it all snowballed from there: "A girl just randomly came in looking for a tattoo to cover up some scars and I got talking to her and she started telling me her story. At the end of that it didn’t really feel right to charge her. It kind of felt like it meant more to her than that. "From then I just started to do one a week. I started getting people in once every Saturday and I covered them up. Once I posted it on social media it kind of blew up. I've just been doing it every week since then and I now have close to 300 people on the waiting list now." Despite the huge wait time, Aoife was lucky enough to get herself a spot with Ryan - and now her arm is transformed into a beautiful work of art.

Cara Delevingne claims that she didn't realize that she held homophobic views until she came to terms with her sexuality.

In a recent interview on Iron Man actress Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop podcast, the 28-year-old model spoke about coming out as pansexual, and how it changed her outlook and perspective on LGBTQ+ issues.

Delevingne stated that she was raised in an "old-fashioned" household, where gender and sexuality were not talked about openly.

The model spoke about her relationship with Ashley Benson in the following interview: 

Delevingne said:

"I didn't know anyone who was gay. I didn't know that was a thing and, actually, I think growing up [...] I wasn't knowledgeable of the fact I was homophobic.

"The idea of [wanting] same-sex [partners]. I was disgusted by that, in myself. I was like: 'Oh my God, I would never, that's disgusting, ugh.'"

She added: "I do correlate the massive depression and the suicidal moments of my life [to that] because I was so ashamed of ever being that. But actually, that was the part of me that I love so much and accept."

Credit: Alamy

She continued: "There is still a part of me where I'm like, 'Oh, I wish I could just be straight'. There is still that side to it. It is really complicated.

"I was so unhappy and I wasn't following my truth, especially in terms of being a model. That whole thing of having to fit into the box - I'm an androgynous person.

"I love being a woman and dressing up and doing all that, but I also love being a rough and tumble 'man.'

"I feel so much more comfortable in the fluidity of what it is to be just a human and to be an animal, almost, because that's what we are. To trust in your own instincts."

Credit: Pexels

Delevingne first revealed to her fans that she identified as sexually fluid back in 2018, and went on to date fellow model Ashley Benson the former star of Pretty Little Liars, although the couple broke up after two years in April of 2020.