Ariel Winter has spoken about some of her mental health struggles and how she deals with them with the help of medication.
The 25-year-old actress, who showed off her survival skills on Star on Mars, shared her journey on the Broad Ideas podcast with Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen.
The Modern Family star was talking about getting medication for one of her dogs who suffers from anxiety when she admitted: “I take a lot of medication too.”
Olivia told her, “I love that you just put it out there and are being open and honest about it… same thing.”
The SAG-nominated actress told her hosts, “Why would I be out here acting like I don’t need something?”
Mental Health: Ariel Winter, 25, has spoken about her mental health journey, including therapy and medication (pictured in Los Angeles in November 2021)
“Why should I be out here pretending I can live my life just fine without it when I can’t? And so many people I know can’t either.”
The Star Trek: Lower Decks actress said she started therapy when she was 15 and started taking medication a year later.
The Tripped Up star said: “It’s been a really difficult journey to find the right ones. “It’s taken a really long time.”
The young actress explained that she took a medication in high school that made her feel better, but it caused her to gain 20 to 30 pounds in weight.
“Nothing I could do would get rid of it,” she said.
After high school, she decided to look for another medication that could make her feel better than just “fine.”
“It was never about the weight. “I’d much rather feel good than feel, you know, extremely thin.”
Ariel said it was “a tough trial” to find new medications that work for her. The result is: “I found a couple that fits me perfectly together.”
She was uncomfortable taking more than one medication, “but as time went on I thought, ‘Whatever, I’m getting better.’
Podcast: The Modern Family star shared her experiences on the Broad Ideas podcast with Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen and revealed that she goes to therapy for two hours every week
Medication: Ariel revealed that while in high school she found a medication that made her feel “good” but caused her to gain 30 pounds in weight. She lost weight after switching to other medications, which made her feel better
Therapy: The actress encouraged those who could afford it to seek therapy and encouraged listeners to “take this time” to heal
‘It is what it is. What if I need to pair up to be the best version of me, that’s okay.”
The actress has been attending therapy for two hours a week since she was 21.
“I would much rather take the time and heal now,” she said, “rather than wait.”
The mental health advocate admitted that she knew therapy was a luxury and some people couldn’t afford it, but encouraged listeners to “take this time” to heal.
Rachel Bilson, Ariel Winter