With her leading role in the upcoming Netflix movie Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, it’s time you get to know Shannon Purser. See, she’s already had roles in tons of your fave TV shows, like Stranger Things (as the legendary Barb!), Riverdale, and the short-lived series Rise. So yeah, there’s actually a pretty good chance you know Shannon already and now, she’s about to become everyone’s obsession. Trust us on this one! 

Something we admire about Shannon is that she really is an open book, which we learned when we spoke to the actress about something very important to her: mental health. Shannon got real when it came to speaking about her own struggles with anxiety and depression and below is a preview of some of our conversation with the starlet.

On coping with her mental illness during high school:

“I had a really tough time in high school because of my mental illnesses,” Shannon said. “I could usually put on a good face at school. I didn’t give others the opportunity to see that I was hurting, which was a mistake.”

On the pressures of social media:

“I think sometimes social media can convinced us that everyone else is happy and well-adjusted and we’re the only ones struggling. I can tell you that’s not true,” she said.

On the best piece of advice she can give for those who are struggling with their mental health:

“The best advice I can give is to not allow yourself to struggle alone. If you’re having a hard time, know that it really can get better,” she said.

You can find this full story including Shannon’s five techniques to de-stress, how she relates to her character Sierra Burgess, and more in the November 2018 issue of J-14, on sale Sept. 10!

Reporting credit: Ally Meyerowitz

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