Bella Hadid details challenges of Lyme Disease flare-ups

Bella Hadid candidly shared the physical and mental challenges that come with her chronic illness.

The 29-year-old model posted a series of Instagram stories on Thursday, detailing recent flare-up due to Lyme disease.

Hadid opened up in a lengthy message, sharing her struggles with pain, fatigue, brain fog, and anxiety caused by her chronic illness. She revealed that the condition has also led to extended periods of severe depression and isolation.

Determined to find answers, Hadid explained that she is doing everything she can to navigate her ordeal: "You learn about your symptoms, read books, read others' stories, [and] try to self-diagnose when you demand answers that no one can find."

"You fight. You finally have a few good days. You think you've found the right protocol, the right routine, the right treatment... and then a flare up comes back and all of a sudden nothing feels certain again," the 29-year-old supermodel added. 

Hadid said she had to cancel plans due to not knowing how she will feel each day, "You wake up with anxiety already living in your body. Physical pain before your feet even touch the floor....And somehow, still have to find the strength to move through another day in a body and mind that are completely exhausted."

Despite feeling misunderstood for most of the time, Hadid encouraged her followers to be hopeful amid struggles, "There is light, even if you can't see it today... There is hope."

"I have to remind myself that healing isn't linear...I believe God puts before us, somehow, only what we are capable of carrying, even when we don't understand why at the time," she added, saying there's a "deeper purpose to all things in life."

Next to her message, Hadid shared a photo of herself in a Star Wars kid's poncho, saying it helps make herself feel better. 

In another story, the model shared a selfie of her crying after a flare-up, saying she can't "shake it off" even after sleeping 11 hours. 

In August 2023, Hadid said she's "finally healthy" after undergoing treatment for Lyme disease for over 100 days, even as she was dealing with "15 years of invisible suffering."

According to US CDC, Lyme disease, which is mainly caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash.