Grace Mongey has opened up about her mental health struggles in a candid new interview.
The Irish influencer was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at the age of 17, and has been going to therapy for seven years.
Speaking exclusively to Goss.ie, the mother-of-two said: “I was always told by a doctor to go see someone, so I’ve had various different types of therapy but I never really connected with someone until about seven years ago when I found a psychotherapist.”
“It was just the therapy that worked for me and I found a really good connection with her.”
Grace continued: “I often go back whenever I need it. I would’ve done a long stint when I was really struggling like six years ago, and then I might just check in every now and then. Like during Covid, or after I had my son.”
“My therapist told me, ‘I will always be here for you. You don’t need to come every week, it’s whenever you need it.’ I appreciate that I don’t feel the need to go all the time, but when something significant in my life happens or I’m going through a tough time, I know that I have her there to reach out to.”
“I really wanted help and I really wanted answers as to why I was feeling certain feelings, but it took me a long time to get there. It can seem like a scary thing to open up to someone, and it can be very daunting to try and find someone but in the long run, it’s so resourceful and helpful.”
“Therapy has made me a better mam, a better partner, a better friend. It’s made me see people in a different light and I don’t think I’d understand as much as I do if I didn’t go to therapy. It’s an investment.”
Grace added: “Therapy doesn’t cure you. You don’t just go for six sessions and then you’re never going to experience anxiety and depression again. You need to constantly work on our own mental health to make sure you don’t go back to that place again.”
“I first opened up about my struggles with my followers about 9 years ago. I was going through a really tough time and was trying to figure it out. I always looked for someone [on social media] in my age bracket that I could relate to, and there wasn’t really anyone.”
“So I wanted to be that girl for anyone who was going through a difficult time, I wanted to be the person they could turn to. I didn’t want people to think they were the only ones going through this.”
“Mental health struggles can be very isolating. You feel like you’re the only person suffering. And then when you hear someone else open up about it, it makes you feel a little bit less alone… I want to be that voice for the younger people.”
Picture Brian McEvoy
“I didn’t tell my story for praise,” the Dubliner insisted. “I just felt like when I spoke about things to camera and got things off my chest, it was like a diary and I felt more at ease. I didn’t ever expect a response like I got.”
“People were able to share their stories with me because they knew that I had gone through something similar, and they trusted me. I was a stranger to them, but they were able to tell me their story and not feel judged. They were able to get that weight off their chest… I felt very grateful that they would open up to me about something so personal.”
“I nearly well up and start crying when someone comes up to me and tells me that my story has made an impact on them… As vulnerable as I feel when I open up about my struggles, I know that there’s a wider picture and that it will help other people.”
Grace, who has 178k followers on Instagram, revealed she often discusses the trolling she receives online with her therapist.
She told us: “Trolling is one of the most talked about topics when I do go to therapy. I found it very hard in the beginning to deal with it because I couldn’t understand why I was getting these nasty comments.”
“Particularly last year it got really bad for me and I was really having a bad time with my mental health. I sat down with my family and friends, and with my therapist, to talk about it.”
“One thing that I always say, that my therapist told me, is: ‘What people say about you is none of your business.’ And it isn’t. What they’re saying isn’t the gospel truth and I know that it’s not who I am.”
“Of course it still affects me, but I don’t read into it anymore. I don’t engage in conversation with trolls, because it’s detrimental to me. It can really consume and harm me, so I try to avoid the negativity at all costs.”
Grace spoke to Goss.ie after being announced as the new ambassador for Walk in My Shoes, a national mental health education and awareness campaign by St Patrick’s Mental Health Services.
