Hayley Williams has opened up on the physical symptoms she experienced when battling depression.
The Paramore frontwoman marked World Mental Health Day on Thursday (10.10.24) with a candid post detailing how she had initially had her "frustrating health issues" attributed to chronic fatigue, but was eventually diagnosed with depression and PTSD.
She wrote in a statement shared via her hair dye company Good Dye Young: “In 2018, after years of struggling with my mind and some frustrating health issues, I finally got diagnosed with depression and a specific kind of PTSD.
“Admittedly, l'd been very ignorant about mental illness and just how all-consuming it can be. I didn't realize it could affect your physical wellbeing too.
“I'd been told prior by my doctor that I had chronic fatigue.
"Still, I didn't appreciate how interconnected my mind and body really were. This kind of fatigue is becoming more and more common, by the way. It can seem pretty impossible to thrive, holistically, in the modern world. (sic)"
The 'Still Into You' hitmaker is grateful for her medical team.
She added: “If I didn't have access to mental health professionals and functional doctors.
“I may have never learned these things and continued to struggle on my own, without answers. I hate thinking about how many people are stuck without answers or any tangible help.”
Hayley, 35, encouraged others in a similar situation to look for "small wins" before directing them to help through organisations such as Inclusive Therapists, Therapy for Black Girls, and The Trevor Project.
She wrote: “Obviously there are little things we can do in the day to day to cheer ourselves up or give ourselves space to really express how we feel and who we are. Small wins do help.
"I've always turned to music, dying/changing my hair, some form of community... but sometimes you just need more support than these things can give.
There are really good people doing incredible work to make a path to mental wellness more equitable and efficient and I'd love to highlight a few, so that if you feel drawn to any of them, you can reach out.(sic)"
