SELF – Kristen Bell Reveals How Her Depression Came Completely Out Of Nowhere

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Already a popular advocate for being read, Kristin Bell was again in the news this week. This time coming out about her struggles with depression, and people are paying attention. Not just because she is celebrity and raising awareness about the dangerous stigma that surrounds mental illness, but also because her depression came completely out of nowhere.

Korin Miller for SELF set out to understand more about how suddenly symptoms of depression can come on, and I was happy to weigh in. To read the full post, click HERE.

Licensed clinical psychologist Alicia H. Clark, Psy.D., tells SELF that’s it’s common for people to have an awareness “all of the sudden” that something is really wrong. “Depression can come on quickly—especially when multiple stressors compound or you have survived something traumatic—but more typically depression symptoms quietly mount, dragging you down bit by bit, until one day you notice things are different, and worse,” she says.

“Individual symptoms are not all that distinguishable from having a bad day, and need to mount over time to get your attention in general,” says Clark. “At some point though, usually after several things combine, most people notice how crummy they feel about themselves, and it dawns on them that they might be depressed.”

At this stage, experts say it’s crucial to seek help with licensed mental health professional—and feel confident that things will get better. “Know there is help,” says Clark. “A combination of talk therapy and medication has been shown to be the most effective treatment for depression in broad studies, but the right solution for you is something to talk over with a doctor.”