Whitney Way Thore is reflecting on her mental health struggles.
In honor of World Mental Health Day, the My Big Fat Fabulous Life star, 36, reflected on the “profound personal loss” she experienced this year, which included splitting from fiancé Chase Severino after learning he was expecting a child with another woman.
“Hey y’all. It’s #worldmentalhealthday and I just want to remind you that if you’re struggling, you’re not alone,” she wrote at the start of the candid post. “I was diagnosed with depression at 18 and have been dealing with it for more than 20 years. I’ve also been diagnosed with atypical anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and generalized anxiety disorder.”
“2020 has been chaotic, terrifying, divisive, and disheartening. Even the most positive people with no history of mental health issues have probably felt hopeless, helpless, and like things are bleak,” she continued. “If you feel like this, again, you are NOT ALONE. If you’ve been comparing your life to people on social media, wondering why you can’t get it the f– together, let me remind you: social media IS NOT REAL.”
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The TLC star noted that although she tries to be “as authentic as possible” on social media, it's not always possible to fully convey what she is going through.
“There would be no way for me [to] share the profound personal loss I’ve experienced this year, as well as the stress, isolation, and daily ups and downs I’ve experienced going through this year like all the rest of you,” she wrote. “I have spent so many days dealing with depression and anxiety. This has been the hardest period of my life in terms of my mental health that I can remember.
Thore then went on to share some things that help her when she’s struggling with her mental health.
“I struggle with taking my medication when I need it most, so I make it a priority to sort out my meds, get prescriptions refilled on time, and not let one missed day turn into a week,” she wrote, noting that getting back into weekly therapy has also "helped tremendously."
Reaching out to loved ones for support has been another important tool.
“I struggle with self-isolating in a non-pandemic world, so this coupled with forced isolation has been a disaster for me,” Thore wrote.
“I try to pick up my phone and call home as much as possible,” she continued, giving her friends a shoutout for “checking on me and not getting mad when I suck at returning texts.”
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Thore previously told PEOPLE that although announcing her split from Severino was difficult, she felt it was necessary to go public with the news to stop the “rumors” about their relationship.
"It wasn’t something I’d been sitting with for months and months, but once I saw rumors about our relationship — after I finally deleted our photos on Instagram, for example — I knew I just wanted to get it over with and announce it so I could fully start to move on,” she wrote.
“It’s a difficult thing to navigate — honestly, I would have rather not said it, just to avoid the inevitable backlash and gossip, but at the same time, people in their lives already knew of course and a baby isn’t something that can remain private in the future,” she added. “I’m hurting and all of that just compounds it. I’m looking forward to a more positive future.”
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