Sara Bareilles is opening up about taking medication in battling anxiety and depression.
The “Love Song” hitmaker shared a lengthy message on Instagram describing her struggles with mental health and how taking prescribed meds helped her regain control of her life.
Getting Candid
Bareilles shared a picture of her hand holding half of her pill.
“This is my medicine,” the singer wrote, while also acknowledging her “not pictured medicines” in the form of “friends/family, therapy, exercise, sleep and meditation.”
She continued, “I wanted to write a little bit about the fact that after 20 years of feeling very strongly that it was not the path I needed to take…I have tried medication for the first time.”
Bareilles also noted, “For the first time in months I can feel myself again- my joy, my optimism and my laughter are among some of the precious parts of myself I have rediscovered. They sit at my soul’s table, along with my sweet sadness and my tender anxiety…who, by the way, aren’t the only ones talking anymore,” adding that the whole thing felt like “a profound, holy relief.”
A Difficult Time
She included a message “for those who don’t understand it or have never dealt with it, from the inside of depression and anxiety sometimes you can’t see the possibility of a way out, much less the path itself.”
The “Girls5eva” star also shared the overwhelming emotions she experienced in the past year.
“I felt desperate and overwhelmed almost all the time. The amount of energy it took to ‘manage’ my emotions (I use that term loosely because that makes me seem like I had a handle on anything) would exhaust me so much that my whole sense of myself got distorted. I didn’t feel like me anymore,” Bareilles wrote.
Grateful For Her Meds & Loved Ones
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She added, “Depression is not rational. It does not respond to ‘I have so much to be grateful for’, or ‘just concentrate on the good things’. I have moved through depression and anxiety many times in my life , but this time I needed extra help. I had SO MANY FEELINGS about it. ‘What am I trying to suppress?’ ‘Am I taking a short cut instead of doing the work?’ ‘I’m afraid I won’t recognize myself anymore.'”
Bareilles continued, “For me, the truth was that this medicine helped me see myself again, without the cloak of depression and anxiety. I remember myself.”
The singer told readers she’s “lucky to be surrounded by an INCREDIBLE partner (I love you @joetipps) and angelic friends who have listened, lifted up, comforted and encouraged me to do what needs to be done to feel better. It ultimately came down to me though. This was more than I could hold on my own,” adding, “I was blessed with a breaking point. So let it all break open…so it can be reassembled to be stronger than before. Keep going. Begin Again.”
Fans Show Their Appreciation
The update racked up almost 100,000 likes and more than 3,700 comments. Some followers showed their support and appreciation to Bareilles for sharing her story.
“I love all of your precious self and am so happy you have found the support you need!!!! You feeling good and feeling yourself is a gift to the world!!!” singer Jennifer Nettles commented.
“You are helping so many people feel seen and heard by sharing your honest truth & heart,” actress Erika Henningsen wrote.
“I love you sis. The way you share your truth makes us all a little more truthful. More understanding and more hopeful. God you have a good ❤️” added country singer Lori McKenna.
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Earlier this year, Bareilles also got candid about her mental health while sharing pics of her winter adventure in Europe.
“It has been a very low year for me with regard to my mental health, and I am also grateful that part of the reason I can touch my joy again is I finally got the help of some medication,” she captioned the share. “It’s been a journey to try and pull up, and I found this year I needed more help. It is helping. I am relieved and feel more like myself- and I will find my way again and now it feels possible. If you’re struggling- I see you, and I hope you remember you’re not stuck as long as you’re willing to change the view. Begin Again.”
