Scheana Shay has been quietly dealing with mental health challenges in recent months.
On her “Scheananigans” podcast, she shared, “I’ve really only been depressed for about six months. I kept telling myself, ‘It’s fine; it’ll just go away.’” She turned 40 on Wednesday and described how her struggles began around the time she participated in the show “The Masked Singer.”
Initially, she was hesitant about joining the show. “I was asked to do it, and my immediate response was ‘No way, absolutely not.’ The money didn’t matter to me,” she said.
Shay admitted that stepping out of her comfort zone for a primetime national series was daunting. She previously mentioned wanting to set a good example for her 4-year-old daughter, Summer Moon, emphasizing that it’s okay to stumble and recover.
However, during the latest podcast episode, she recognized that she had been internalizing her struggles instead of confronting them. She reflected on feeling like maybe she was overdoing her medication but then noted issues like night teeth grinding, which led her to start taking Zoloft for depression and panic disorders.
Currently, she has increased her dosage to 75 mg and is contemplating moving to 100 mg.
Shay has also faced difficulties due to her hectic holiday schedule and the unexpected wildfires in Los Angeles, which were compounded by the spiritual toll of participating in another reality show.
She has come to terms with her decision not to return to “Vanderpump Rules,” especially with the show being reset with a new cast. “Everything seems great, but it’s been tough on my mental health,” she admitted, adding that she has battled postnatal obsessive-compulsive disorder in the past. “I wanted to share my story because you can seemingly have everything and still struggle.”
