Bella Hadid Gets Candid About Living With a Chronic Illness, Talks ‘Severe Isolation and Depression’

Bella Hadid is getting vulnerable about the struggles she’s encountered from her years of battling Lyme disease.

On Thursday, June 25, the model, 29, posted multiple Instagram Stories about the challenges of living with a chronic illness.

“I wish it wasn’t so intimidating and difficult to explain the pain / exhaustion / fatigue / anxiety / brain fog / insecurities that come with chronic illness / co-infections / mental health trauma, etc.,” she wrote in one snap, according to Page Six. “Leading to severe isolation and depression, especially over long periods of time..especially when you try anything you can.”

“You think you’ve found the right protocol, the right routine, the right treatment … and then a flare up comes back and all of a sudden nothing feels certain again,” Hadid continued. “Back to cancelling plans, back to the inability to make decisions because you never know what you are going to feel like from day to day. You wake up with anxiety already living in your body.”

In subsequent story posts, the Orabella founder gave more context to her message, explaining she hasn’t “been able to shake off this flare up.”

“Slept 11 hours. Again…. Nap everyday. Took every protocol from any and every doctor I’ve seen. Still nothing helping,” she explained in a selfie, seemingly taken through tears. “I took a shower without fainting tho … so again, if you know you know …. that felt like a really big accomplishment for me today.”

In another post, Hadid apologized to her followers if she “startled anyone.”

“This truly is an every day, ebb and Flo, for me for the past 15 years. I just had an overwhelming amount of emotion over, not being able to do the things my mind is capable of setting, but my body is not capable of doing,” she confessed. “Every day is a new day and tomorrow I’m hoping for, God willing, a better one. I love you guys so much thank you for all of your support. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m truly grateful. I love you guys so much.”

Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme disease when she was a teenager, and her brother Anwar Hadid and mom Yolanda Hadid also suffer from the illness.

According to Mayo Clinic, “Humans usually get Lyme disease from the bite of a tick carrying the bacteria.”