Actress Mena Suvari is just one of many Hollywood celebrities who have had to battle their inner demons; this is unfortunately prevalent among those who began their careers in Hollywood early, a profession that often struggles with demons of its own.
Actress Mena Suvari is just one of many Hollywood celebrities who have had to battle their inner demons; this is unfortunately prevalent among those who began their careers in Hollywood early, a profession that often struggles with demons of its own.
It’s no secret that Hollywood celebrities have battled addiction and abuse in a variety of forms. It’s easy to forget that superstars are simply regular individuals who have to go through their own issues just like regular civilians do, as evidenced by Jane Fonda’s addiction to laxatives and weight loss, or stars like Kylie Jenner talking out about their struggles with postpartum depression. Moreover, although in the past discussing mental illness and struggles may have been frowned upon, times have changed, and people are now praised for their bravery when they open up about their struggles in books, documentaries, or even simply casual conversations.
Mena Suvari Overcame Substance Addiction and Abuse:
Mena Suvari, who debuted in Hollywood in 1995 at the age of 15 on the hit TV programme Boy Meets World, underwent one of the roughest experiences a person could possibly go through before her career even got off the ground.
Suvari was sexually assaulted at the age of 12 by a student at her school, who also regularly teased her. The encounter, according to Suvari, “sucked the life out of me” and would regrettably carry over into her career.
People have been remarking on how she looks much older than she is since she was a young child. No one intervened to stop her from dating people who were considerably older than she was, so she continued. After her mother left the household, Suvari finally started doing drugs because she felt “totally helpless and forlorn.”
Unfortunately, Suvari’s relationships with men didn’t improve, and she continued to be physically and emotionally abused. Suvari acknowledges that she felt pressured to embrace her hypersexuality, a decision that led her to star in American Beauty, maybe one of her most well-known movies.
She would use this tone throughout the majority of her acting career, including interactions with photographers. She didn’t recognise what she was going through was abuse until much later in her career, at which point she started to separate herself from the role she had played for so long.
Mena Suvari Has A History of Anxiety Disorder:
Mena Suvari’s history of abuse was accompanied by a history of anxiety, which she partially attributes to the sexual assault she underwent when she was 12 and the frame of mind it had given her.
Mena Suvari clarifies “I definitely recall having a lonely feeling. quite solitary I just learned to do everything on my own-and that’s why no one noticed-because no one was ever going to ask if I was okay, no one was ever really going to care, and no one was ever really going to do anything. I got really skilled at following instructions.”
The American Pie actress says she wants to be more honest about her struggles with mental health. She says she no longer tries to hide them and that she would be more than happy to “shave off some of the suffering for someone,” adding that it makes her heart hurt to think of anyone else going through a similar ordeal.
Suvari claims that writing her book, The Great Peace, helped her work through some of the trauma she was still dealing with today and helped her process many of the feelings and experiences she was going through.
The Birth of Her Son did not Go as Planned:
Parenting and giving birth may be lovely experiences; many parents describe giving birth as joyful and full of unwavering love. This is probably true for parents who experienced a straightforward birth or who were able to closely adhere to their desired birth plan.
Mena Suvari’s son Christopher’s birth was one of those unfortunate events that simply cannot be prepared for. Suvari remembers having to have her first epidural redone after spending some time at home and then spending 24 hours in the hospital.
Suvari ultimately required an emergency c-section, which left her feeling depressed about not being able to give birth vaginally.
Mena Suvari Suffered from PostPartum Depression:
After giving birth to her baby, Suvari acknowledges that she is still battling postpartum depression. She goes on to describe undergoing hormone testing and working with a postpartum doula to assist her manage her emotions. She describes wanting to spend some time for herself but feeling bad about not being in her son’s face all the time. This is a common experience for new mothers.
Mena also hopes that by being upfront about her challenges, other parents going through similar circumstances will realise they are not alone and that there is hope for the future. Suvari is a living example of how someone can overcome their difficulties and continue to succeed after so many years.
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