Malika Haqq is learning to be "honest" about her struggles.
The 36-year-old actress and reality star has struggled with anxiety for most of her adult life, and says she’s now determined to spend more time "taking care" of herself and encouraging others to do the same.
She said: "A lot of this s**t is in my head, let’s be honest. But dealing with stress is real for people – the daily struggles of trying to figure things out.
"I think that the more you mature and become self-aware, you spend less time caring about what people think about what you’re doing and spend more time actually taking care of yourself and your wellbeing. What I’ve learned is the best way to handle or deal with your discomforts in life is to be honest about them.
"It doesn’t mean you have to scream them from the rooftops, but it’s almost impossible to get help with something that people don’t know about. So often we struggle with things out of fear that someone will judge us. There are so many people that are afraid to say, ‘I’m struggling.’ I’m going, ‘I struggled, and I still do with stress on a daily basis.’ I’m happy to be someone that’s out there going, ‘You don’t have to speak up, I’ll speak up for us.’"
Malika – who is best friends with Khloe Kardashian – used to rely on popular anxiety medication Xanax, but has recently swapped out the drug for a CBD (cannabidiol) product.
Speaking to People magazine, she added: "A lot of anxiety is very much about the way you process things in your head. So for me, I actually am processing that I’m doing better and feeling better because I’m doing something that’s better for myself. It’s crazy, but the truth is it really does help. It honestly has done a world of difference for me where anxiety is concerned.
"If you really do have a reason to be doing it, it is a game-changer. I’ve become the girl who is literally dropping CBD oil into people’s hands. I feel like the fixer."
Malika Haqq is being ‘honest’ about her struggles
