In her latest book, Live Wire: Long-Winded Short Stories, Kelly Ripa, 51, who has been making viewers smile on daytime TV for over 20 years, warns followers that it’s not always easy to tell whether someone has mental health issues. In her memoir, Ripa discusses her struggles with social anxiety disorder, which sometimes bordered on melancholy throughout her career. Excerpts from the book were made available by Entertainment Tonight.

Although the talk show presenter is well-known for her cheerful personality, Ripa has long struggled with mental health challenges. According to ET, she states in the book, “I have a severe case of social anxiety disorder, and I tend to say awkward or inappropriate things when under duress.” “People assume that just because I act outgoing on television, I will do the same in real life. Surprise. That is why they refer to it as acting.

The debut novelist has experience acting because she was a soap opera star before being chosen to co-host Live With Regis and Kelly. Whatever the case, her admission serves as a reminder of how many people, both famous and not, put on a strong face despite any hidden emotions.

Ripa writes about a former therapy session in which she admitted, “I have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning,” according to ET. “I usually start crying when I realize I must go to work. I think I’m in pain physically. My scalp aches. I have no energy. I get sidetracked easily. I feel like I’ve forgotten to do something at work when I’m playing with my kids, and I feel like I’ve forgotten to do something for my kids when I’m at work. In the shower, I sob. To get to sleep, I cry. In the back, I sob. Sometimes during the show, I want to cry. I occasionally feel as though I cannot breathe.

Ripa claims to have many psychological diseases that she has “self-diagnosed,” in addition to social anxiety. Still, the mother of three seems to find comfort in therapy, which she has been attending for more than ten years. She says in the book, “I had spent ten years focusing on my marriage, work life, childhood, and all the things that I wanted to fix about myself,” according to ET.

People with similar mental health issues, which are fairly prevalent while continuing to be veiled in stigma and shame, are likely to identify with Ripa’s narrative. According to the Mayo Clinic, social anxiety disorder is a clinical diagnosis in which regular social contact can significantly increase anxiety, self-consciousness, and humiliation. According to Mental Health America, it affects 15 million (or 7%) of adult Americans. More than 75% of people initially experience social anxiety as children, and no known explanation exists for the condition.

Even though they are so widespread, mental diseases are challenging to treat. People frequently struggle to access services and resources, such as therapy, and many receive incorrect diagnoses. Since no one should ever have to work alone, it is good that some mental health services are available for those in need at no cost.

Ripa deserves praise for using her public platform to open up about her struggles with mental health. We can only hope that other people who hear her tale will feel less isolated in what they might be going through.

Share on Facebook