Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon Shares Recent Struggles With Depression

[pearlychoco.livejournal.com]

On June 16, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon answered fan questions on Instagram Stories and opened up about her recent struggles with her mental health.

During the informal Q&A, Taeyeon answered questions frankly, responding with a simple “No” to questions like, “Are you doing well?”, “Did you watch soccer last night?”, and “Do you read YouTube comments?” In response to a question about how to get over a slump, she responded, “I’m not good at getting over it, so I just live in a slump.”

Some people took objection to her blunt answers and wrote things like, “Why are you being so disrespectful today?”, to which she answered, “Ah, so this is disrespectful.” Another person said, “Do you only know how to say no?” and she said, “Sorry,” while yet another person wrote, “Now that you’re 30, please grow up,” and she answered, “30s or 40s, it’s all the same.”

When one fan sent her the message, “It’s okay if you don’t post anything on Instagram, it’s okay just to communicate with us on Stories like this,” Taeyeon responded, “I’ve been sick for the past while. Please understand why I’ve refrained [from posting on social media]. Thank you and I’m sorry.” She also responded to another question about whether she’ll do an Instagram Live broadcast with, “I promise to communicate better when I’m feeling better.”

However, when one person wrote to her, “Is this bipolar disorder? Tsk tsk,” Taeyeon gave an honest but firm response. She wrote back, “No, I am suffering from depression. I am working hard to get better through treatment with antidepressants. Whether it’s depression or bipolar disorder, please don’t ‘tsk’ and treat people disrespectfully. They are all patients who are suffering.”

Taeyeon responded warmly to fans who shared their own struggle after seeing her answer. To a fan who said that they were also being treated for depression, Taeyeon answered, “It’s going to be okay.” When fans sent her love and support, she thanked them and promised to work hard to get better.

One fan wrote, “You are someone who gives me so much strength and comfort, and I’m sad that I can’t help comfort you in return.” Taeyeon wrote back, “No, you do give me a lot of comfort. That’s why I like talking with fans, I get a lot of strength from communicating with you. Thank you.” In the next reply, she added, “I’m so thankful that you listen to my music and seek me out. I gain strength from you every day.”

To a fan who sent her a virtual hug, she responded, “I decided to talk to you today because I needed to pep myself up. I feel like I’m being nourished by all of you. I’m going to be okay. I’m sorry for making you worry, but I think that this is another way for us to get to know each other better. I will take better care of myself. For the fans who deserve all the good things in the world.”

Taeyeon recently concluded her Japanese tour through Fukuoka, Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo.

Source: Naver via Soompi

Comments

[nana-the-dwarf.livejournal.com]

Fuck the people who flippantly mentioned bipolar disorder, told her to grow up or insinuated she was just seeking attention. They've seen the effect depression, bipolar disorder or other mental illnesess can have on idols, and they still do this shit.


I hope she gets the hope she needs.

[cettefemme90.livejournal.com]

Poor Taeyeon. I get it; I've had a pretty much lifelong struggle with depression and it is not an easy illness to contend with. Sometimes I wonder if she should get out of the spotlight and see if a simpler life provides some healing, but maybe it's all she knows or she does find jot in it when she's not in the midst of a depressive period?

I'm glad she told off the stupid tsk-er. The stigma around mental health is so stupid.

I hope she feels better soon and I'm glad she's treating it. I was happy to see her Japanese EP do well in its first week and wondered why she hadn't been posting anything.

[citypolaroids.livejournal.com]

the negativity shown by everyone putting down bipolar disorder (it's still a mental illness with a possible mood component, so ???) and chastising her for sharing her struggles with mental illness is LITERALLY the reason why so many people refrain from speaking up about it. fuck the stigma.

also fuck everyone who said that successful/wealthy people has nothing to be depressed about. financial problems can definitely affect someone's mental health, but it's not the only cause, and the "causes" are not always known either. you can't deposit money in your brain to change the chemical imbalance, only therapy and medications can do that.

[ggumd.livejournal.com]

Taeyeon has always been honest about her struggles I really commend her for still talking openly about her mental health even if antis and etc. still try to use it against her.

and I wanna know what these bitter ass people benefit from sending her comments like calling her a bitch and telling to her "grow up" while she was talking about her depression. If I dont like a celeb I just dont pay attention to them, I really dont understand this mindset of people who stalk the celebs they supposedly hate and consistently spam them like its just truly pitiful idk / end rant

I hope she continues to get the help she needs and if SM can start suing her antis that have been harassing her for years that would be great.

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

Their identity became "anti" so if they stop doing that, they have nothing left... so agreed, pitiful.

[myungung.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the "grow up" commenters were antis, but I feel like a lot of people with not much inkling of mental health always assume that it's easy to "think happy thoughts", "be positive" such that you don't become depressed

[ggumd.livejournal.com]

Im pretty sure they had malicious intentions.

there is no reason to comment “you're in your 30s, grow up” to someone discussing their mental health struggles, they meant that as an insult

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

How is it disrespectful to honestly answer the questions asked of her...

I'm glad she's being treated for her depression and she found some comfort in speaking to the (reasonable) fans.

(And the animated version of Train to Chuncheon is adorable)

[goshipgurl.livejournal.com]

:( she's been suffering from depression for ages, it's sad to hear that she's currently not feeling well. It's nice that she's getting help, I hope she feels better soon. She's been working non-stop for over 12 years, she should just take a long break from the industry and focus on getting better, but SM keeps pushing her to release more music. At least they don't force her to promote on music shows anymore...

[dongsaengkiller.livejournal.com]

I’m glad she’s getting help. I hope she was able to get strength from those who had thoughtful comments. Everyone else can kick rocks

[anabelstars.livejournal.com]

wasnt she one of the leading members of the SM milk club(depression group)? (leeteuk, yoona, taeyeon, yoochun, onew)


Jungsoo‘s Cyworld Diary Entry 2009.07.26 04:05

..In the future, Milk Club (Gathering of depressed souls)

..Hope the meaning will be ‘milk.. made in lovely kin..’*..

..The organization..

..President: Eeteuk (Park Jungsoo)..Court Lady Teuk

..Vice-president: Yoona (Im Yoona)..Court Lady Yoong

..Manager: Taeyeon (Kim Taeyeon)..Court Lady Taeng

N.B* Milk – Made in lovely kin; was written by himself.

[rembrandt13.livejournal.com]

Is there any more information about this? Can you tell me anything or everything else??

Thanks in advance.

[anabelstars.livejournal.com]

look it up on google, theres a few posts still around about it

[daynr.livejournal.com]

Those negative comments are so awful, I'm glad she read and responded to supportive ones too. People are so mean.

[jaequeeragenda.livejournal.com]

My tolerance for those who look down at mental illness in any way is so fucking low im going to fucking snap

[minho-lover.livejournal.com]

Ugh poor taeyeon! those disrespectful n ignorant fans can live SHOVE IT and i hope they live unhappy lives uuugghh

[oh-folk.livejournal.com]

That "please grow up" comment is making me see red. Mental health is so complex and to just demean it like that? Horrid. My family says the same stuff to me about my OCD. If only I could grow up, then my intrusive thoughts would melt away.

I appreciate her for being so honest about depression. It's brave... Although I hope, in the future, it won't be brave to discuss mental health, like it'll just be the norm and there won't be as much stigma against it. We need to be able to talk about this shit.

[myungung.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that a huge idol like her is talking about mental health, because I feel like a lot of people dismiss idols/successful people and mental health.

but it does suck that she constantly faces such negative comments, and it's not always that she gets to filter them out.

[xoxkenzxox.livejournal.com]

I hope she has a good support system around her.

[suggestivepeach.livejournal.com]

Some of those replies are so ignorant and nasty. Good for her for sticking up for herself and educating. It’s admirable that such a huge idol is speaking up about her own experiences with depression. I get the feeling it’s a lot more common than is being let on.

[kimbafierce.livejournal.com]

With the amount of people committing suicide in South Korea you would think they'd try harder to spread awareness of mental illness anywhere possible. But instead, I feel like it is taking as a joke, as a cry for attention or whatever.. Mental illness is spreading like wildfire and yet it's ignored..

[aeries-amethyst.livejournal.com]

This is what I can't understand. With a suicide rate so high, how can people still be so ignorant about mental illness? Like it just baffles me. But I do believe it is probably because of their culture, because even with new information coming out every day about mental illness, people are still stuck in their old ways and beliefs instead of trying to educate themselves so they remain woefully ignorant.

[kimbafierce.livejournal.com]

I really don't think it's just about culture; Most Asian countries share similar cultures, and similar dismissiveness of mental illness, but none as dismissive as SK. Most asian people don't take mental illness as a serious illness, or as an illness at all, but they still don't treat it as a joke, or push someone's buttons to see if they'll break. idk I could be wrong, but from what I've seen of other countries they ignore you (at worst) if you say you're mentally unwell, but in SK you kinda become a target for bullies.

[megamisama-ann.livejournal.com]

I'm glad she gets help. I hope she'll get better.