Jameela Jamil says online bullying has triggered her to ‘point of near death’
‘I have a fragile past with suicide,’ writes actor
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Your support makes all the difference.Jameela Jamil has said online bullying she has faced in recent weeks has “triggered” her “to a point of near death”.
The Good Place star has been criticised on Twitter regarding her chronic health conditions, with some people suggesting she suffers from Munchausen’s syndrome, a psychological disorder where someone pretends to be ill.
On Sunday, Jamil tweeted that she wanted to address “all the lies from last week” about her health, her modelling career, and a car accident she was in years earlier.
“I’m tired of the bullying,’ she wrote, “the taunting over my mental and physical health.”
The actor apologised to those who do suffer from Munchausen’s syndrome, explaining that their health should not be used ”as a punchline”.
The NHS states that the main intention of those with Munchausen’s syndrome is “to assume the ‘sick role’ so that people care for them and they are the centre of attention.”
Jamil has previously opened up about suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (a rare hyper-mobility condition), eating disorders, labyrinthitis (an inner ear disorder that causes dizziness, nausea and hearing loss) and having two cancer scares.
“I am so sorry to all the people who shared their accounts of not being believed over their chronic health problems and invisible disabilities,” she wrote.
“I’ve experienced that my whole life and it’s traumatising and isolating.”
Jamil, who also faced recent criticism after she came out as queer, continued: “Last week triggered me to a point of near death.
“I have a fragile past with suicide. If you live in pain and have to survive a lot, just to still be here, it’s agonising to have to tell people that you made it up."
The 33-year-old went on to explain that the recent doubts about her health conditions have triggered many other people with similar illnesses to her, describing it as “cruel” and “scary”.
“Our lives are hard enough without gaslighting and abuse and I’m glad that at least we know we have each other because all this s*** is out in the open.
“Let’s hope that this is the end of the sorry saga – and that Twitter takes a break from ‘diagnosing’ mental health conditions in other people.”
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offer support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
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