NEED TO KNOW
Presley Gerber shared a candid video on Instagram about where he is on his mental health journey
Gerber said he is opening up about his journey in hopes of making others feel less alone
Gerber is the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber
Presley Gerber is getting candid about his mental health.
The 26-year-old model son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber shared a detailed update on his mental health journey in a video posted on Instagram, on Monday, Dec. 1, after being open about his mental health struggles in recent years.
“I feel like honesty is the best policy…,” Presley began in the clip while sitting in a sauna. He went on to share that he is currently on several depressant medications, including Buprenorphine, Xanax and valium, to treat his “panic attacks” amid his mental health struggles.
“…The benzos have been fluctuating up and down depending on what’s been going on in my life,” Presley continued. “Unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of loss in many different forms recently, so that is not an excuse, but it’s the reason why I am where I’m at now.”
The 26-year-old said that he takes Xanax “when the panic attacks are really, really bad,” and valium “a little bit in the morning,” adding, “I don’t know if it’s a little bit or a lot, who f—— knows at this point anymore.”
Presley shared his concerns about using the medications and the different opinions he’s received from doctors about his treatment.
“The doctors say a lot of different things, so it’s kind of scary, but hopefully between my research and their research … and God, we can figure this out,” he said. “…The things that scare me are the things you need to take … if you don’t take them, something not good happens. And there’s a spectrum there on how intense the withdrawal from certain medications is.”
Presley said that, despite having seen several doctors, he feels like he doesn’t have “as much direction as I would like to have” on his treatment.
“I’d like doctors to be like, ‘Take this three times a day’ … but every psychiatrist I’ve had — I’ve had 15 — are like, ‘Here’s 20 medications and take this if you feel like this … and I’m like, ‘No, don’t get me that much leeway.’ I need some direction,” he said.
Alexander Tamargo/Getty
Cindy Crawford (left) and her son Presley Gerber in 2024
Presley shared that he’s found other ways to help improve his mental health, like working out and has stopped drinking alcohol. He said that he also hopes to find a community of people who are “good influences on me.”
“As I’ve grown up in Hollywood, there’s a lot of people around me that I love to death, but right now I try not to be around them,” he added.
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Presley said that he hopes his latest video “reaches people in many ways.”
“A. So you feel like you’re not alone, because that is how I feel most of the time and I have a feeling that if I say all of this, a lot of people will at least know that there’s someone else going through it,” he said. “And the second thing is, hopefully I find some people out here and are willing to help or know someone that can help.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the original article on People