Westworld actress Evan Rachel Wood opened up to her Twitter followers about her struggles with self abuse and an abusive relationship by posting two tweets.
In the first photo, she posted three glamorous-looking shots from a past photo shoot, with a caption describing the reality of what she was really going through.
“The day of this photoshoot, I was so weakened by an abusive relationship. I was emaciated, severely depressed, and could barely stand, she wrote. “I fell into a pool of tears and was sent home for the day. #IAmNotOk”
The day of this photoshoot, I was so weakened by an abusive relationship. I was emaciated, severely depressed, and could barely stand. I fell into a pool of tears and was sent home for the day. #IAmNotOk pic.twitter.com/aVUQ1w8ayQ
In the second photo, she posted a picture of self-harm wounds on her arm, along with the story behind them.
“[Two] years into my abusive relationship I resorted to self harm. When my abuser would threaten or attack me, I cut my wrist as a way to disarm him,” she wrote. “It only made the abuse stop temporarily. At that point I was desperate to stop the abuse and I was too terrified to leave.” She also added the hashtag, “#IAmNotOk,” as part of the Twitter movement spreading awareness of domestic and sexual abuse.
2 years into my abusive relationship
I resorted to self harm. When my abuser would threaten or attack me, I cut my wrist as a way to disarm him. It only made the abuse stop temporarily. At that point I was desperate to stop the abuse and I was too terrified to leave. #IAmNotOk pic.twitter.com/VtZ1cA7JdB
This isn’t the first time Evan has opened up about her struggles with mental health, or her abusive relationship. In January, Evan wrote an essay for Nylon magazine, recounting how she checked herself into a psychiatric hospital at age 22 after a suicide attempt.
Evan said her suicide attempt was fueled by PTSD. “My mind at the time was filled with scars and shadows and most importantly, so much shame. I was struggling with PTSD and didn’t know it,” she wrote. “My PTSD was caused by multiple rapes and a severely abusive relationship that went on for years.”
“I struggled with self-harm to the point of two suicide attempts”
Evan also opened up about her self harm when she spoke in front of a House Judiciary Subcommitee in Washington, D.C. to advocate for Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights Acts in all 50 states, according to People.
“I struggled with self-harm to the point of two suicide attempts, which landed me in a psychiatric hospital for a short period of time. This was, however, a turning point in my life when I started seeking professional help to deal with my trauma and mental stress,” she said. “But others are not so fortunate, and because of this, rape is often more than a few minutes of trauma, but slow death.”
Throughout the day Monday, Evan’s Twitter followers, replied to the actress’s revealing Tweet with their own experiences, opening up about the abuse and traumas they’ve also suffered. Clearly, Evan is not alone, and her bravery for sharing her experience was met with even more bravery.
If you or someone you know is struggling with self harm, call the National Alliance on Mental Health at 800-950-6264, or text NAMI to 741741. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). And if you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
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