Costa Rica – September 25, 2023
Supermodel Gisele Bündchen is shedding light on her past mental health battles during the peak of her illustrious modeling career. In an upcoming episode of CBS News Sunday Morning, she divulges her experiences, including panic attacks and moments of despair that made her contemplate suicide.
During her time in the fashion industry, Bündchen found herself grappling with intense panic attacks while working in studios. She describes feeling trapped as if she were “in tunnels” and “suffocated” during these episodes. In her own words, “I couldn’t breathe. And then I started being in studios, and I felt, like, suffocated. I lived on the 9th floor, and I had to go up the stairs because I was afraid I would be stuck on the elevator, and I’d be hyperventilating. … You know when you can’t breathe even when the windows are open, you feel like, I don’t want to live like this, you know what I mean?”
When questioned about whether she had ever contemplated suicide during these dark moments, Bündchen candidly admitted, “Yeah. For, like, a second.”
This isn’t the first time the Brazilian beauty has shared her struggles. In her memoir “Lessons: My Journey to Finding Meaning,” published in 2018, she depicted a powerful account of experiencing intense feelings of being inundated and contemplating the idea of terminating her own life. She wrote, “The idea swept over me then: Maybe it will be easier if I just jump. It will be all over. I can get out of this.”
Reflecting on that time in her life, Bündchen demonstrated compassion for her younger self, stating, “When I reminisce about that period and the 23-year-old woman I was then, it brings tears to my eyes.” I want to tell her that everything will be all right, that she hasn’t even begun to live her life. But in that moment, the only answer seemed to be to jump.”
Throughout her journey, Bündchen has confronted her past struggles with mental health and is now focused on living life to the fullest. At the age of 43, she asserts that she’s no longer merely “surviving” but truly “living.”
This revelation by Gisele Bündchen shines a spotlight on the importance of addressing mental health issues and seeking support, even amid success and fame.
For more on this story and updates, stay tuned.