Even Heart Evangelista, whose life seems to be perfect and ideal, has had her fair share of mental health problems.

In an interview with Vogue Singapore, the actress opened up about feeling “sad, anxious, and very depressed” at some point in her life. It was around three years ago, just when she was “feeling at the top of the world.”

“Then, suddenly, I felt sad, anxious, and very depressed,” Evangelista recalled. Like most people who have faced mental health problems, she said she was also in denial at first. She couldn’t fully comprehend her feelings as she knew that she was generally a happy and grateful person. Later on, however, things started to get worse.

Evangelista shared that such emotions and “pent-up anxiety” took a physical toll on her, prompting her to see a doctor as she experienced numbness in her limbs and dealt with “burning tongue syndrome.”

Getting herself checked turned out to be one of the best decisions she has ever made. It helped her treat her painful condition and get better in no time. “It was like a miracle. I was like, ‘Oh my god, there are so many who are suffering in silence because they don’t know why or are embarrassed to seek help.’ This is something that can be fixed, you just need to take the first step,” she said.

On top of this, the multihyphenate expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her husband Chiz Escudero. “I can be a heavy person to be with when I have my bouts. I get very negative, but he has been by me through it all. He is my biggest inspiration,” explained Evangelista.

Since then, she promised herself that she would continue to raise awareness of mental health and use her influence and power for the good. “I talk about it whenever I have a bigger platform to express myself. And why would I not, when taking control of things like I did can save someone’s life?”

Evangelista said she doesn’t pay attention anymore to bashers who call her “crazy, bipolar, and a pretender.”  “This is my truth, and I will fight with all I have got to get myself back,” she said with conviction.

Evangelista was in her teenage years when she entered the entertainment scene. She started out on a children’s show and later on explored other ways to capture the hearts of many such as singing, hosting, modeling, and vlogging. She grew up in the public eye and has remained to be one of the biggest stars in the Philippines.

When she’s not in the limelight, she expresses herself through her brilliance in art that she signs as Love Marie—her real name.