Cindy Crawford is sending a message of support after son Presley Gerber got candid about his mental health.
“Presley — we love you and you are not alone. 😘,” Crawford, 59, wrote in the comments section of Gerber’s Instagram post on Tuesday, December 3.
Presley, 26 — the son of Crawford and Rande Geber — opened up about his mental health in his Monday, December 2, Instagram post, explaining the medication he’s currently taking: one milligram of buprenorphine two times a day. (Buprenorphine treats opioid use disorder and pain.)
“The benzos have been fluctuating up and down depending on what’s been going on in my life,” he said, adding that “unfortunately he’s had a lot of loss in many different forms recently” but noted that it’s “not an excuse.” (Cleveland Clinic reports that benzos or benzodiazepines help slow down “activity in your brain and nervous system” and are used to treat “anxiety and related mental health conditions.”)
Presley explained that the recent losses are “the reason why I am where I’m at now,” explaining to his followers that he had been taking a small dose of Xanax typically at night or whenever his “panic attacks are really, really bad.”
“I try to take as little of that as possible,” he said, adding that he also takes valium but the dosage fluctuates. “I don’t know if it’s a little bit or a lot, who f***ing knows anymore.”
Presley claimed that doctors “say a lot of different things so it’s kind of scary,” but noted that “hopefully between my research and their research and the world and God, we can finally figure this out.”
Presley is ultimately “trying to stabilize on just valium so it’s not two different benzos,” explaining that he just “jumped up from 15 to 22.5 milligrams” of mirtazapine for antidepressants. He also revealed that he’s taking prazosin, a blood pressure medication, to treat “a lot of night terrors” he has been experiencing.
“The thing that scares me are the things you need to take,” he shared. “So once you start taking them, you don’t take them, something not good happens.”
Presley explained that he’s on “four classes of medication” — meaning, blood pressure, opioid, benzos and antidepressant — and noted that he has “comfort meds,” which he tries to save for when he’s lowering doses or making “cuts” to other prescriptions.
Presley claimed that he’s experienced a lack of “direction” from doctors, and is trying to find a better community to aid his health journey.
“I’m just trying to workout, sauna, take baths,” he said. “I’ve grown up in Hollywood, and there’s a lot of people around that I love to death, but right now, I try not to be around them.”
Presley went on to share that “on a good note,” he stopped drinking alcohol after his birthday in July, claiming that it is “no longer serving me.”
“I am hoping this reaches people in many ways,” he continued. “A: so you feel like you’re not alone, because that is how I feel most of the time. I have a feeling if I say all of this, a lot of people will at least know that there’s someone else going through it.”
Presley concluded: “And the second thing is, hopefully I find some people out here and are willing to help or know someone that can help.”
He captioned the post, “Here’s some clarity for ya — the truth will set you free (hopefully) haha.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
