Bella Hadid has shared a personal reflection on her ongoing battle with anxiety and depression

In a poem to her 61 million Instagram followers, she posted: "When the load feels too heavy, and the future is looking dark, it's okay to take a moment, if you feel you've lost your spark."

Days after ringing in her 29th birthday, the Dior supermodel opened up about carrying the "weight of anxiety and depression" for many years and how it has felt "all-consuming, paralysing, and invisible to the outside world".

"It can leave you in tears before starting your day, wondering why your mind feels so heavy when life around you seems so bright," she wrote in the caption.

Hadid shared that she has grappled with shame surrounding her mental health, but has learned to view her sensitivity and empathy as strengths rather than weaknesses.

"It's not a weakness; it's a part of me. My sensitivity, my awareness, my empathy. It's what makes us human. These parts of me have helped me understand myself and others more deeply."

The Vogue cover girl went on to send words of love and support to anyone who struggles daily with mental health, assuring followers, "You are not alone. And I love you so much."