Kristen Bell speaks out on battle with depression

Kristen Bell's depression left her feeling "worthless".

The 35-year-old actress - who has daughters Lincoln, three, and Delta, 17 months, with husband Dax Shepard - struggled with a "complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness" because of the mental illness and hopes that speaking out about her own issues will help others in a similar situation.

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In an essay for Motto, she wrote: "For me, depression is not sadness. It's not having a bad day and needing a hug. It gave me a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness. Its debilitation was all-consuming, and it shut down my mental circuit board. I felt worthless, like I had nothing to offer, like I was a failure.

"Now, after seeking help, I can see that those thoughts, of course, couldn't have been more wrong. It's important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realise that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer. We all do."

She added: "When you try to keep things hidden, they fester and ultimately end up revealing themselves in a far more destructive way than if you approach them with honesty. I didn't speak publicly about my struggles with mental health for the first 15 years of my career. But now I'm at a point where I don't believe anything should be taboo. So here I am, talking to you about what I've experienced."

Kristen has paid tribute to her mother for helping her to cope with her illness.

She said: "When I was 18, my mom sat me down and said, 'If there ever comes a time where you feel like a dark cloud is following you, you can get help. You can talk to me, talk to a therapist, talk to doctor. I want you to know that there are options.'

"I'm so thankful for her openness on this predominantly silent subject because later, when I was in college, that time did come. I felt plagued with a negative attitude and a sense that I was permanently in the shade. I'm normally such a bubbly, positive person, and all of a sudden I stopped feeling like myself."

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