**Trigger Warning** (This story contains mentions of mental health struggles)

NOT all smiles are genuine—some conceal pain.

Model turned beauty queen Maureen Wroblewitz bravely opened up about her previous mental health struggles and disclosed how she conquered her “constant battle.” 

In a lengthy instagram post, Wroblewitz, 25, posted a photo of her young self, alongside telling the story of her teen life when she experienced depression.

“The girl that you see smiling and posing in the camera was thinking of the easiest way to end her life just a few months prior. If it wasn’t for her little sister, finding her in a vulnerable situation and telling her parents about it, I didn’t know if I would be here today,” the post read. 

Wroblewitz also shared how the death of her mother when she was 11 had made her suffer and “lose faith” in herself. 

“I was fighting my inner demons alone because I chose to suffer in silence. I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems but I also was too ashamed of them,” Wroblewitz said. “I knew something was wrong but I wanted to hide that for as long as I could.”

Upon sharing her mental health struggles during her teens, the Filipina-German also revealed how she has managed to overcome her problems with the help of therapy and her dad who gave her a gift—a book– that she claimed changed her outlook in life.  

“After completing a few sessions, my dad gave me a book. ‘Life Without Limits’ by Nick Vujicic…Nick’s story had made me realize that at just 13, I hadn’t even seen the world yet,” she said. 

The Miss Universe Philippines runner up then started to take herself away from the darkness where she’d been hiding. According to Wroblewitz, this has opened a “lot of doors” for her as she was able to pursue her dream to reality, making herself proud. 

She also told the story of how she engaged with the fashion industry through starting a fashion blog, where she wrote about her life and love for fashion, before getting discovered. 

Photo courtesy: @mauwrob / Instagram

Wroblewitz later on shared how she coped with her mental health struggles, hoping to help others who experience such problems.

“I have always wanted to share more about my mental health struggles but I never knew how. I now understand that the best way is to just do it, to speak my truth and people will listen. I believe that even if I get to help just one person by sharing my story, I have done something right,” she said. 

Wroblewitz also said that depression is still her constant battle, but she has learned not to be afraid to ask for help. 

She lastly then expressed her gratitude to people who showered her with love and support throughout her journey. 

“I can say now that I’m extremely proud of myself not just for all my achievements but for having found the strength to fight for what I believed in. I’m glad I didn’t give up on myself,” she said, adding that she now knows that she is meant for something bigger. 

Photo courtesy: @asntm, @mauwrob / Instagram

Wroblewitz gained her fame after being hailed as the first ever Filipina to win Asia’s Next Top Model in 2017. She then represented Pangasinan in Miss Universe Philippines 2021, where she was crowned as first runner up. 

With reports from Veronica Terese A. Amparo