Missy Elliott understands what it's like to go through challenges with mental health just like everyone else.
On Tuesday, June 20, Essence debuted its latest cover story featuring the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. During the magazine's conversation with her, Missy opened up about certain points in her life in which she battled depression and anxiety.
"Now I'm fine with being like, 'Hey, I got anxiety' or 'I went through depression,'" she explained. "Even the biggest artist, or just the regular everyday working person, we all go through s**t. We all do."
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"And it's okay to say, 'Hey, I'm not okay today,'" she continued. "Probably we would keep a lot of people around if we were that open, because we would be able to uplift each other."
Missy Elliott said her mental health struggles began when she was growing up, however, she believes "things were brushed up under the rug" and didn't feel as comfortable speaking up the way she is today. She detailed a low point in her life that occurred over a decade ago as she was dealing with her issues with Graves' disease, which is an auto-immune disorder.
"I had a peer of mine say, 'Hey, look, I've been through the same thing,'" she said. "And he was just like, 'Next time I see you, I'm going to put a mirror in front of your face, so you can remember who you are and all that you've done.'"
Read the entire cover story now.