Dove Cameron Details Tearful Struggle With Depression and Dysphoria
Dove Cameron got candid with her followers about her struggles with depression and dysphoria.
On Wednesday (May 18), the Descendants actress shared a series of tear-filled selfies along with a letter to her fans about her "identity vs. self" along with her mental health.
"The self is someone I feel I have always deeply known, someone I deeply love and protect, like my own child, I know this self and we are very close," she began. "For me, identity and the self have always been diametrically opposed, and there has only ever been room for one at a time to occupy my life."
As Cameron has gotten older, she has never been able to let them co-exist but has realized that it is because she holds a "deep-seeded [sic] belief that who I am is wrong, I am not allowed to be just as I am, I am not meant to be here." She explained that more days than not she feels "pulled towards no identity at all" and only feels natural as an energy or presence.
"I don’t know if I will ever be able to live as this, if I will ever find a rhythm in this job where perception is one of the major cornerstones," she added. "So far, the self and the identity seem to harm each other, in my personal experience. I’m feeling it out. and if you are too, we can do it together. The longer I’m alive, the more I realize these inner dialogues are actually pretty universal."
What the "Boyfriend" singer is seeking out is a "life unburdened by myself," which is "easier in theory than in practice, but we’re making room."
Cameron is now believing that the public platform that she has been given, which has been hard for her to learn to manage, "can actually be the conduit for change/mutual support/exploration/safety."
"There is room for us to talk about the things that terrify us/can’t be commoditized on a large scale, that can’t be commercialized and easily sound-bitten," she added. "
Her celebrity friends shared their concern and love for Cameron in the comments section of the post.
Kristin Chenoweth wrote, "Darling One. Remember: 'When the wind did not blow her way in the storm. What does she do? She adjusts her sails.'" Madison Beer added, "Holding you and seeing you so deeply."