‘Full House’ Star Gets Painfully Honest About Her Health Battle

Please note that this post mentions topics like depression and suicide and may not be suitable for all readers. Viewer discretion is advised.

A beloved star from the Disney/ABC-owned sitcom Full House has gotten painfully honest and blunt about her ongoing health battle, detailing her daily struggles, her reluctance to get help, and what her journey looks like now.

A Beautiful Façade

It’s no secret that an acting career in Hollywood is not without its challenges. For all the glitz and glamour–or at the least the appearance of such–there are also numerous demands that come as part of the job, including memorizing lines, countless rehearsals, hours of filming, scheduled appearances, contract issues, and the like.

And though your favorite actor or actress may have a flawless appearance every time you see them in films, television series episodes, late-night talk show interviews, and magazine spreads, the truth is that many of them are often facing hidden struggles and challenges that no one knows about. Sadly, that seemingly flawless appearance on the red carpet sometimes serves as a façade–a pleasant and attractive outward image masking what’s really going on inside.

Hollywood Is Struggling

In the fast-paced world of acting, there’s often little time for the real humans behind the fictional characters to take care of themselves. That’s especially true when it comes to an actor’s or actress’s mental and emotional well-being.

Many of Hollywood’s most beloved and successful actors and actresses have opened up about their individual struggles with depression, anxiety, and even thoughts about suicide.

Over the years, celebrities like former wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, singer and songwriter Katy Perry, actress Kristen Bell, and comedian Wayne Brady have publicly shared their stories of battling depression and anxiety. Actor Owen Wilson has also talked candidly about his struggles with depression–and even about a suicide attempt in 2007.

Funny man Jim Carrey has also talked openly about his mental health struggles, and actor and comedian Robin Williams battled depression along with alcohol and substance abuse and ultimately took his own life in August 2014.

Another Actress Struggling & Fearful About Asking For Help

This week, another actress came forward to share her struggles with depression and her fears about asking for help.

Actress Candace Cameron Bure is best known for the role she played when she was just a child. In 1987, after having played only tiny roles in single episodes of other television sitcoms, Bure began the most memorable role in her career at the age of 11. That year, the young actress began her role as Donna Jo, “D.J.” Tanner, the eldest daughter of widowed father, Danny Tanner, played by the late Bob Saget, in the Disney/ABC sitcom Full House.

It was a role she played for all eight seasons of the series, which ended in 1995.

In the years since the family comedy series ended, Bure has taken on many other roles, notably as various characters in holiday films made for the Hallmark Channel and D.J. Tanner in the Full House reboot, Fuller House, on Netflix. In her personal life, she also took on the roles of wife and mom to three kids.

Bure has become known for her dedication to her family and her faith, and in recent years, her dedication to her Christian faith has landed her at the receiving end of harsh criticism from some who don’t share her traditional values.

Bure also has her own podcast, The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast, during which she recently got very honest about her struggles with depression and the difficulties she had in asking for help, describing her depression as “such a lonely place” and saying that “it’s very difficult to speak out about it, even to your most trusted people.”

With tears in her eyes, Bure spoke candidly to her audience about the struggles she faced with her depression.

“It’s hard to admit it, at least for me, I feel like because I should be strong enough to overcome that, and then it just feels weak,” Bure explained. “Yet there’s so, so many times when I’m like, ‘I don’t want to feel this way.’ I can’t pull myself out by myself. But it’s hard to extend the arm and go, ‘Help me.'”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Candace Cameron Bure (@candacecbure)

Many of Bure’s listeners praised the actress for her “transparency and vulnerability.” One commented, saying, “You are so loving and vulnerable. This is an important conversation.” Others referred to Bure as “strong” and “brave” because of her decision to speak openly about her struggles.

In the past, Bure has shared the importance of exercise in her daily routine, saying that she notices a difference in her day when she exercises.

“I need to keep my mental health clear,” Bure said during an interview with The Salvation Army Midland Division. “Just sweating that out and all those endorphins really help me a lot. I notice a huge difference when I don’t exercise, how much it can affect me mentally and kind of deal with depression.”