Kristen Bell opens up about living with depression and anxiety in this touching interview.
Seeking help shouldn't be shameful, and Kristen Bell shows why.
You probably know Kristen Bell from one of her many upbeat, bubbly characters in TV shows and movies.
And if you're a parent, you may most recently remember her as the voice of Anna in "Frozen."
GIF from "Frozen"/Walt Disney Animation Studios.
But in a recent interview, Bell opened up about something she hadn't really made much mention of before: depression and anxiety.
On an episode of "Off Camera with Sam Jones," Bell was asked how she differed from the characters she plays. Her answer was both honest and unexpected. She, like millions of others across the U.S., struggles with depression and anxiety.
GIFs from "Off Camera with Sam Jones."
It's thanks to some important advice from her mom that Bell learned there's nothing to feel ashamed of when it comes to depression.
Bell's mother, being a nurse, knew that there was some risk that her daughter would develop depression or an anxiety disorder, given that both she and Bell's grandmother had experienced it.
And with her mother's help, Bell found a prescription that helped ease the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Hearing her open up about this was powerful in that many people living with anxiety and depressive disorders — myself included — are made to feel weak and alone for seeking medical intervention. Thanks to Bell's mom, she learned at an early age that those who shame others for seeking help simply don't understand.
And as her mom told her, "The world wants to shame you for [seeking medical intervention]."
A survey from the National Mental Health Association once found that 54% of people "think of depression as a sign of personal or emotional weakness." A more recent survey discovered 17% of people "see taking medications (for problems with emotions, nerves, or mental health) as a sign of weakness. In 2004, a study found that 15% of respondents "see therapy as a sign of character weakness." And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just 25% of adults with mental health symptoms feel that people are caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness.
That is what stigma looks like.
Toward the end of the interview, Bell opens up about the double standard the world seems to have in how mental health is treated in relation to physical health.
And it's a point others have made time and again: You wouldn't deny someone with diabetes access to insulin, so why would you deny someone with depression prescriptions that would greatly improve their own lives?
In reality, you can't have full physical health without taking into account mental health.
When it comes to talking about mental illness and mental health, Bell isn't the only celebrity helping break down stigma.
In an interview last year with Upworthy, Sarah Silverman opened up about living with depression and anxiety. Lena Dunham has been outspoken about living with obsessive compulsive disorder, Demi Lovato isn't ashamed to talk about what it's like living with bipolar disorder, and Jon Hamm has discussed how his depression affects his personal life and career.
Each of these celebrities help chip away at the stigma surrounding mental health. They help bust stereotypes, and they give hope to those facing the same struggles. Their voices are important, Kristen Bell's voice is important, and your voice is important, too.
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."