Hélène Boudreau Opened Up About Her Mental Health Struggle & Shared An Important Message

Hélène Boudreau's 152K Instagram followers are used to seeing her post about nights on the town, tattoos, art and OnlyFans. But earlier this week, the Quebec content creator used her platform to talk about something out of the ordinary: her mental health, including her borderline personality disorder diagnosis.

She said she wanted to raise awareness because "it's important to talk about mental illness, to support people who are suffering."

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In a series of Instagram stories on September 21, Boudreau opened up about her mental health after posting a photo of a $24,000 cheque she wrote to Fondation Casse-Tête.

"A lot of people ask me what this foundation is, it's a foundation for mental illnesses that helps people who are suffering, and I've been diagnosed as [having] borderline [personality disorder] since 2017. I think it's important to talk about mental health openly and support those that are affected," Boudreau said.

"Unfortunately, even in 2021, it's not well recognized. People suffering from borderline, bipolar, anxiety and depression are still being judged, still being singled out."

According to Quebec.ca, people with borderline personality disorder "have an intense fear of losing loved ones" and "feel easily rejected or abandoned by others, which creates conflicts in their social relationships."

This disorder, therefore, affects the way a person acts, thinks and behaves as well as their emotions and self-image.

Boudreau, the new owner of two Montreal triplexes, finished by emphasizing that it's important for people to have a better understanding of this subject in order to support those who juggle mental health disorders on a daily basis, without judging them.

In response to a Narcity Québec article about her mental health, Boudreau shared even more of her story.

"I still remember when I was diagnosed in 2017 as if it was shameful to be borderline and have a mental illness. I swore to myself that I wouldn't talk about it to anyone as if it were a curse. You can never get over it but you can learn to live with it. Today I live in harmony with my borderline personality disorder and I am 0% ashamed to talk about it because it's normal," she said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or mental health concerns, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional. You can also contact the Crisis Services Canada helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, or consult these additional resources. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.