Ashlee Holmes Malleo, the daughter of former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jacqueline Laurita, reveals that she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
“These last two years have been especially difficult for me,” she captioned an Instagram selfie on Monday, June 27. “About almost a month ago, I had a psychotic break.”
“I found myself in a position where I was afraid of myself and my own thoughts,” she continued. “I chose to finally seek proper help. During this process of seeking help, I was diagnosed with bipolar II.”
The mother-of-one shared that she began taking medication “right away.”
She explained, “I truly feel that I had tried everything else up to that point.”
According to Page Six, Ashlee noted that her disorder is “so much more” than “mood swings,” adding, “It has been empowering for me to learn more about it and take back control. I am not ashamed of my diagnosis.”
She revealed that the disorder has given Holmes Malleo “the gift of extraordinary emotions” and “resiliency.”
“I am strong,” she concluded. “It has contributed to me being imaginative, empathetic, adaptive — and it’s definitely contributed to my great sense of humor in some way. This is just yet another chapter of my life.”
Laurita commented on the social media post with lots of emojis.
“🤗❤️💋❤️💋❤️,” Jacqueline wrote.
Photo Credit: Bravo Media/NBCUniversal; Courtesy via Instagram/Ashlee Holmes Malleo
