Dove Cameron is "struggling" with depression and dysphoria and feels "terrorised" by her own image

Alongside a series of selfies of her crying into a mirror, she wrote on Instagram: "I've been struggling lately with the concept of self, my inner relationship to who i know myself to be and my outer perceivable self who i feel i have never known but other people seem to.

"I've been covering mirrors lately. I've been feeling wrong in clothing that used to make me feel beautiful lately. i've been crying a lot lately, sometimes terrorized by my identity and image.

"i don't know if I've ever slowed down enough to learn who i am outside of fight, flight or freeze. but the self finds ways of showing up anyway."

The 'Descendents' star - who came out as bisexual in 2020 - explained "sexuality and performative gender norms" were "really throwing" her for "a loop" and she believes social media and a "constant broadcasting of self and visibility" was potentially harmful to mental health.

The 26-year-old actress wanted to share her journey so her followers felt less "alone in a sea of what seems like humans who are comfortable in their identity, like they may not even have to think twice about it".

She added: "We all deserve a life unburdened by the societally created identity, we all deserve to unlearn self abuse and self hatred. i am on the journey now, and I'm sharing so that we may all feel more comfortable in a conversation that may be confusing.

"emotion is COOL, dysphoria is OK. living as a human is INTENSE. we are all holding hands. Don't forget."

Dove is "interested in a life unburdened by myself," but admitted that is easier in theory than in practice, but we're making room."

She added: "I am beginning to have a hope that the public platform that has been difficult for me to learn to take up space as myself in, can actually be the conduit for change/mutual support/exploration/safety.

"Maybe the spaces that are the least human can become the most human, if we want that, and we can all let each other take up a little more space. i love you."