Ryan Reynolds Opens Up About His Anxiety For Mental Health Awareness Month

05/26/2021 12:26 PM

"To all those like me who overschedule, overthink, overwork, over-worry and over-everything, please know you're not alone." Ryan Reynolds is getting candid about his mental health. On Wednesday, the actor took to Instagram to open up about his struggles with anxiety for Mental Health Awareness Month. "May is almost over," began Reynolds, 44. "It's also Mental Health Awareness month. Which brings me to this." "One of the reasons I'm posting this so late is I overschedule myself and important things slip," he continued. "And one of the reasons I overschedule myself is my lifelong pal, anxiety." "I know I'm not alone," Reynolds added, "And more importantly, to all those like me who overschedule, overthink, overwork, over-worry and over-everything, please know you're not alone." He concluded, "We don't talk enough about mental health and don't do enough to destigmatize talking about it. But, as with this post, better late than never, I hope..." Celebrities and fans alike took to the comments section to voice their support, with many praising Reynolds for speaking out. Among those who commented was Reynolds' "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" co-star, Hugh Jackman. "Mate - your honesty is not only brave but, I'm positive will help countless others who struggle with anxiety too. Good on you!" he wrote. Reynolds has opened up about his mental health in the past. While speaking to The New York Times in 2018, "The Proposal" star said he's "always had anxiety." "Both in the lighthearted 'I'm anxious about this' kind of thing, and I've been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun," he shared. In an interview with Variety in 2017, Reynolds explained why he thinks his anxiety began when he was a child. "I have three older brothers," he said. "Our father was tough. He wasn't easy on anyone. And he wasn't easy on himself. I think the anxiety might have started there, trying 
to find ways to control others by trying to control myself. At the time, I never recognized that. I was just a twitchy kid." Reynolds said he experienced anxiety before 2016's "Deadpool" began shooting, as he would stay up late working on adding new jokes into the script. "I never, ever slept," he said. "Or I was sleeping at a perfect right angle -- just sitting straight, constantly working at the same time." Reynolds said his wife Blake Lively "helped me through that." "I'm lucky to have her around just to keep me sane," added Reynolds, who shares daughters James, 6, Inez, 4, and Betty, 1, with Lively. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 13 people suffer from anxiety worldwide, with anxiety disorders being the most common mental disorders.