Joy Anna Duggar Breaks Family Boundaries With Revelations About Her Mental Health
Like many of her siblings, Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth keeps her fans updated on her post-TV life and adventures. Her marriage to Austin Forsyth and the 2018 birth of her first child, Gideon, aired on the reality series "Counting On." Since then, the Forsyths have expanded their family with the arrivals of daughter Evelyn in 2020 and second son Gunner in 2023. Joy's Instagram posts and "Follow the Forsyths" weekly vlog chronicle family camping trips, birthdays, and mundane errands — the usual things you might expect from a busy mom. But her April 19, 2024 vlog entry included a surprising admission.
In the segment titled, "A Bit of Honesty About My Life!", Joy explained her emotional and mental health have declined since Gunner's birth. "It's definitely a battle that I struggle with on a day-to-day basis," she said. She has consulted her doctor and begun seeing a counselor to work through the pain. "I just want you guys to know that I do not have my life all together, and I do not always have a great day," Joy confessed. "[T]here are days when I have to choose to have a good attitude and choose to be there for my kids and my husband ... I just feel like there's just so much that goes on that you guys don't see."
It was a courageous admission for anyone to make, but perhaps even more so for Joy, considering her upbringing.
Joy was raised to put on a happy face
Joy Duggar Forsyth and her 18 siblings were raised under the guidelines of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, an ultra-conservative Christian organization whose controlling ways were exposed in the Amazon docuseries "Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets." Members of the IBLP are expected to be cheerful and obedient at all times. Mental health issues such as depression are considered a moral failing or even an evil influence best dealt with through prayer.
Finding the strength to reject this harmful belief is a huge step for Joy, similar to one her big sister Jill Duggar Dillard has taken. Jill was featured in the IBLP exposé and has spoken about seeking therapy to deal with the trauma surrounding her upbringing. Some members of the DuggarsSnark page on Reddit even wondered whether Joy was motivated to seek help after learning of Jill's heartbreaking stillbirth. Joy, too, experienced the loss of her second pregnancy. "I wonder if Jill talking about her stillbirth made Joy realize she never healed from [hers]," said one. "We know Jill has gone to therapy, maybe that inspired her. I hope she gets the help that she needs."
More than 200 fans have responded to Joy's video with messages of support. One said, "Depression is nothing to be ashamed of. It does not make you any less of a Christian or a person. There are physical, real issues in our brains at times. Thank you for sharing!"