Jameela Jamil offered words of encouragement to fans who may be dealing with mental health issues this week, revealing that she once tried to kill herself.
The “Good Place” star made the revelation in a series of tweets Thursday to mark World Mental Health Day (Oct. 10).
She said she sought help through eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, or EMDR, a form of “psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences,” according to the EMDR Institute.
Later, on Instagram, she elaborated, acknowledging that “not everyone is lucky enough to be able to access affordable therapy.”
Linking to two crisis hotlines, she said, “It’s not something you have to tolerate on your own. You have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. I feel you.”
“I’ve been there,” she added. “And it’s a process of radical self forgiveness, patience and care that will help you out. It feels like the pain, nightmares and exhaustion will never end sometimes, but they can. And they will.”
Jamil, who appears in the forthcoming film “How to Build a Girl” with Beanie Feldstein and Emma Thompson, has been outspoken about the benefits she found in EMDR.
“I had a therapy called EMDR that I used for depression, anxiety, eating disorder issues and PTSD, and if you should be lucky enough to access any mental healthcare I would urge you to spend your money on that before ANYTHING else that isn’t a necessity for your life,” she wrote on Instagram in July. “Saved my life.”
And the star, who also founded the “I Weigh” movement, told People in August she still suffers from body dysmorphia but has stopped looking in the mirror.
“I’m not interested in my appearance,” she said. “Doing that has helped me concentrate on progressing and doing things that enrich my life, like watching my career grow and my relationships grow. That’s what gives me a wonderful sense of self.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.