The 19-year-old daughter of Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio admitted in a YouTube video released Christmas Eve that she has struggled with depression and substance abuse.
Chiara de Blasio said in the nearly five-minute video that she'd been suffering from clinical depression since her adolescence and used alcohol to cope with her sadness and anxiety. She said she sought treatment for her illnesses, and hopes that by sharing her story, she will inspire others to do the same.
De Blasio said she thought her problems would be solved by flying 3,000 miles away to attend college, but she felt a physical insecurity with her surroundings that inhibited her ability to connect with her colleagues, and to curb her addictive behavior.
"I just kept reasoning and using this really fake rationale that was so justified to me that I could keep doing this stuff and be like, 'Oh, I won't drink,'" and then I would just smoke weed, and then I'd be like, 'Oh, I'm not going to smoke weed,' and then I'd just drink," de Blasio said. "It was kind of just bartering for equally bad outcomes."
After years of struggling, de Blasio said her therapist recommended an outpatient treatment program in New York City. Working with both professionals and people her age who suffered from depression and anxiety as she did, de Blasio says she was able to work through many of her issues -- and get sober.
"Removing substances from my life, it's opened so many doors for me," de Blasio said, adding that being able to participate in her father's mayoral campaign was a highlight of her sober life.
She said her parents remained committed to helping her get better throughout her ups and downs, and that being able to be honest with them -- and others -- about her trials was critical in overcoming them.
People are suffering and dying of these diseases every day, de Blasio said,
"We really can't do anything as a society to help those people until we start talking about it. Nobody can do sobriety on their own," she said.
In a statement, Bill de Blasio and his wife Chirlane called their daughter's decision to share her story "courageous," and noted that the holidays can be particularly difficult times for people struggling with the issues she did.
"As parents, our instinct has been to protect our daughter and privately help her through a deeply personal struggle," the de Blasios said. "But not only has Chiara committed to her own health, she is also committed to helping young people everywhere who face similar challenges."
— NBCNewYork.com