Getty RHONJ Cast in 2013
A daughter of a former “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star revealed a “psychotic break” kept her from social media.
Ashlee Holmes Malleo, the daughter of Jacqueline Laurita, revealed an episode that led to her being diagnosed as bipolar.
Here’s what you need to know:
Ashlee Malleo Says She Has ‘Been in Denial for a Very Long Time’ About Her Bipolar Diagnosis
“Over time, I’ll probably speak more on this. For now, Instagram only allows the captions to be so long lol,” she wrote on Instagram on June 27, 2022. “You may not think that I have had many difficulties in my life —but I have. These last two years have been especially difficult for me. 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. And I chose to finally seek proper help. I took a short break from social media as well. During this process of seeking help, I was diagnosed with bipolar II.”
Malleo then went on to explain why she began the medication, rather than just therapy.
“I made the personal choice to begin medication right away, as I truly feel that I had tried everything else up to that point,” she said “I think I have been in denial for a very long time about this diagnosis. However, I was also never properly educated about all of the other aspects of having bipolar. I was so used to hearing bipolar being used as a negative adjective to describe someone. I always thought it was just something related to mood swings. It is SO much more, and a lot of things in my life started to make sense. It was actually a relief to finally have an explanation for certain things. It has been empowering for me to learn more about it, and take back control. I am not ashamed of my diagnosis. And I will not allow anyone to try to make me feel ashamed of it. I will also not allow anyone to use my diagnosis as a scapegoat to treat me poorly.”
Malleo Described Her Diagnosis ‘as the Gift of Extraordinary Emotions’
Malleo went on to explain how the diagnosis makes her feel and how she plans on coping with it throughout the rest of her life.
“I see bipolar disorder as the gift of extraordinary emotions,” she wrote on Instagram. “It has given me a level of resiliency that I very much needed growing up. It has made me capable of withstanding whatever obstacles the Universe throws at me. I am strong. 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. I’m curious and hopeful to see where I’ll be a year from now. Life is a journey full of ebbs and flows. Keep going. Be proud of yourself.”
Malleo is currently going through a split with her husband and announced she and Pete Malleo are separating in November 2021. They share one child, Cameron Hendrix Malleo.