Unfortunately, in a number of cases, those who enjoying making people laugh can actually have their own internal struggles. Ryan Reynolds, the star of Deadpool and a genuinely hilarious guy, recently came out and publicly discussed his lifelong struggles with anxiety. Now, the 44-year-old actor has revealed why he chose to speak out about his mental health battle.
When he started speaking about his struggles with anxiety, Ryan Reynolds said that not enough people talk about mental health openly. In an interview with ET, Reynolds says that a big reason he spoke out is due to the three daughters he shares with wife Blake Lively. Based on his comments, it sounds like he wants to set an example for his kids when it comes to expressing one's emotions. Here it is in his own words:
Part of it is that I have three daughters at home and part of my job as a parent is to model behaviors and model what it's like to be sad and model what it's like to be anxious, or angry. That there's space for all these things. The home that I grew in, that wasn't modeled for me really. And that's not to say that my parents were neglectful, but they come from a different generation.
This parental approach Ryan Reynolds is taking is pretty huge, and a lot of newer parents are of the same mind set. It is common for past generations, of which Reynolds speaks, to be more reserved in expressing emotions. In some cases, this upbringing can lead to children having struggles with mental health, such as the anxiety that Reynolds has dealt with. It's sure to be hard for a parent who grew up suppressing emotions to lead by example by modeling behaviors they did not see growing up, so kudos are definitely due to the girl dad.
In the same interview, Ryan Reynolds went on to explain that his children aren't the only reason he chose to speak out about mental health. Here’s what the MCU star continued to say:
Part of that is to de-stigmatize things and create a conversation around [mental health]. I know that when I felt at the absolute bottom it's usually been because I felt like I was alone in something I was feeling. So I think when people talk about it, I don't necessarily dwell on it or lament on it, but I think it's important to talk about it. And when you talk about it, it kind of sets other people free.
While it’s sad that Ryan Reynolds, along with a large part of the world’s population, has had lifelong struggles with anxiety, it’s pretty cool that he’s trying to break the cycle for his daughters. Talking about mental health is a great thing, especially when so many are fighting silent battles. It’s important to remember that just because a star is highly active, staying busy, and in headlines, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t fighting their own internal battles.
