Bella Hadid has revealed she is struggling to find “joy or purpose” in her life while battling a severe flare-up of Lyme disease, a chronic illness she has been living with since 2013. The 29-year-old supermodel took to Instagram to share a lengthy and candid update on her health battle, which hospitalised her last October.
Details of the Health Update
In her Instagram posts, Hadid described the debilitating effects of the flare-up, including pain, exhaustion, fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, and insecurities that come with chronic illness and co-infections. She wrote, “I wish it wasn’t so intimidating and difficult to explain the pain/exhaustion/fatigue/anxiety/brain fog/insecurities that come with chronic illness/co-infections/mental health/trauma/etc.”
Hadid explained that the condition leads to severe isolation and depression, especially over long periods. She noted that despite trying various protocols and treatments, a flare-up can return and undo progress. “You think you’ve found the right protocol, the right routine, the right treatment and then a flare-up comes back and all of a sudden nothing feels certain again,” she said.
Struggles with Daily Life
The model shared that she hasn’t been able to shake off the current flare-up, even after sleeping 11 hours. She naps daily and has tried every protocol from every doctor she has seen, but nothing is helping. In a separate Instagram update accompanied by a photo of herself in tears, she quipped, “Now I’ve diagnosed myself with 12 other things, so that’s good.”
Hadid also addressed common well-meaning advice, stating, “And today is not the day to tell me to journal. And yes, I drank water. And no, I didn’t go on a walk because I was out of breath walking to the kitchen.” She added, “I don’t think there’s a singular brain cell in there working, and my last two are beefing with each other, so I’m sorry if I ever told you on a bad day to journal, I take it back, and I’m sorry.”
Impact on Career and Social Life
The internationally renowned model, who is also the founder of perfume brand Orebella, said she is back to cancelling plans and finds it difficult to make decisions because she never knows how she will feel from day to day. “You wake up with anxiety already living in your body. Physical pain before your feet even touch the floor and somehow still have to find the strength to move through another day in a body and mind that are completely exhausted,” she wrote.
She continued, “Masking feelings that you can’t even explain. Sometimes it feels like unless you’ve lived something like this or loved someone who had it’s impossible to fully understand.” Despite her struggles, Hadid expressed gratitude for life but admitted, “without living in a body that has more rough days than good. It’s hard to find joy or purpose or reason to even go outside but we will keep trying! Always!” She did note that wearing a fluffy green Star Wars themed “kids poncho does make everything a bit better”.
Previous Health Battles and Public Appearances
Hadid made a glowing return to the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in October last year, just weeks after being hospitalised for treatment of Lyme disease. The tick-bite-associated illness is found in the UK, US, and Asia. Her older sister Gigi also featured in the show alongside other well-known models Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Irina Shayk.
