Orlando Bloom recently opened up and revealed details about a horrifying past “near-death” experience he had. For World Mental Health Day, the Lord of the Rings star took to Instagram to reflect on a situation he lived through at 19 years old, and how it impacted his mental health. “I was very fortunate to survive the fall because my spinal cord was still intact,” Bloom said in an Oct. 10 Instagram video sponsored by UNICEF. “And when I was in the hospital, I was told for the first four days that I may never walk again. That was really the beginning of what was a long and painful journey for me into recognizing and understanding some of the patterns that had been in my life that led to me having numerous accidents.”
Ultimately, the actor was discharged from the hospital after 12 days, but had to use crutches. He then had a long journey of healing and rehabilitation both physically and mentally. “I would say the months after the fall were quite a dark time,” Bloom said. “As somebody who’s sort of always been very active in my life, it felt restrictive all of a sudden and I was in a lot of pain.” He added, “I would say that for me, the injury created time and space for me to look at my life, recognize what was good and great in my life… And the fact that I had this recovery and then build that into the way I live my life.”
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Bloom went on to assert, “Mental health is particularly challenging because it’s unseen. There is always an opportunity for you to transform the pain, whether it be physical or mental, into the good, great fortune of your life.” Finally, the actor offered some helpful suggestions for everyone to keep in mind when they notice someone going through a hard time. “It’s so important to reach out to people, to talk to people, to find somebody,” Orlando explained. “In order to create the possibility for communication that leads to transformation and change.
Bloom’s post has received a lot of reactions from friends and fans, with his wife Katy Perry commenting, “I love you sho.” Someone else added, “What a story you have to tell. You are an inspiration to others. What you’ve come through to what you’ve become is great. Well done.” A final commenter wrote, “Such an inspirational story. We’re so proud of you…proof that caring for your mental well-being is as important as your physical well-being.”
