Former “Dancing With the Stars” pro Cheryl Burke has been open about her mental health and has used her platform to create awareness.
She did this again with a recent Instagram post addressing her 737,000 followers and sharing her truths. “Silence protects shame,” she tells the camera while doing her makeup. “I used to believe that it meant that I was strong. But in all transparency, bottling it up made me feel even more isolated.” She continued to explain what she had learned by opening up, and how the “mask we wear” when pretending that everything is OK is “exhausting.”
Cheryl Burke Discusses What She’s Learned About Mental Health
In her video, Burke shared the importance of being able to speak about mental health and admit when things are not good. “There is so much strength in saying, ‘You know what? I’m not OK and that’s OK,’ she said. “I used to think that healing meant becoming a perfect version of myself … always keeping it together. But what I realized is that’s not healing, that’s performance. Healing isn’t linear. It’s honestly more like a rollercoaster. Like a spiral.”
Burke discussed how some days are better than others, but this process is part of healing and growth. She also shared how she wanted to unlearn certain behaviors and embrace a new definition of strength that incorporates softness, honesty, and the ability to advocate for herself and say no.
Fans React to Cheryl Burke’s Vulnerability With Support
Burke’s decision to share her mental health journey is important because it has helped to raise awareness, not just for Mental Health month in May, but in general. In the caption, the dancer highlighted the importance of having uncomfortable conversations. “Not your usual get ready with me…” she said of her video, which shows her doing her makeup. “Because mental health isn’t pretty all the time — but these conversations matter. So while I get ready, let’s talk about the healing that happens behind closed doors…”
She ended her message with a call to action, asking fans to share their thoughts on what has helped them “get through your hardest season?”
Many people have praised her for sharing this message and commented on how they needed to hear it. “Every word of this resonates with me! Thank you for this!” a fan commented. “Thank you I love this and I needed to hear you,” another person shared.
This is not the first time Burke has addressed mental health and the challenges she faces. “We’re always, I believe I am at least, a work in progress ‘til the day I die because there’s always events happening in our lives, whether that’s death or meeting new people or a change, a transformation, a transition,” she told People in an interview in September 2023. “It’s one little step at a time.”
