Bella Hadid is overcoming “severe isolation and depression” while battling a chronic illness.
The model opened up about her mental health “challenges” in a lengthy statement on her Instagram Story on Thursday.
“I wish it wasn’t so intimidating and difficult to explain the pain, fatigue, exhaustion, anxiety, brain fog, anxiety, co-occurring infections, and mental health trauma that come with a chronic illness,” she told her followers.
After explaining things that were “impossible for[other people]to fully understand”, the 29-year-old shared bright moments from the time, including a fluffy poncho and a gift from a friend.
However, Hadid posted a tearful selfie in response.
“I couldn’t shake this flare,” she captioned the close-up shot. “I slept for 11 hours. And…I went through every protocol from every doctor I’ve ever seen. Still, nothing helped.”
“I was walking to the kitchen out of breath,” Hadid quipped, adding that her “last two” brain cells were “fighting each other really hard.”
She continued, “I took a shower without passing out… so, you know, today felt like a really big accomplishment for me.”
Hadid followed up her emotional upload by apologizing for “surprising” or “concerning” anyone with her “uncomfortable” reality.
“The past 15 years have been a real ups and downs for me,” she declared. “I felt an overwhelming feeling about what my mind could do but my body could not.”
The post concluded with, “Every day is a new day and I hope tomorrow will be better. God willing, it will be better. I love you all so much. Thank you for your support. I wasn’t expecting it, but I really appreciate it. I love you all so much.”
Hadid was diagnosed with Lyme disease when she was a teenager.
She frequently gives insight into her long battle with the disease on social media, and last year posted a surprising photo of herself in the hospital.
“Sorry for being MIA all the time, I love you all,” Hadid captioned a September 2025 Instagram carousel.
Gigi Hadid said in a comment that she wants her sister to feel “as strong and good as[she]deserves,” while her mother Yolanda Hadid called Bella a “Lyme warrior.”
During her hospitalization in 2023, Bella wrote, “Being sad and sick despite having the greatest blessings, privileges, opportunities, and love all around (her) was probably the most confusing thing I’ve ever done.”
Yolanda, who revealed in 2015 that Bella was battling Lyme disease, also suffers from the disease, as does her son Anwar Hadid.
