Why did she say chronic illness feels isolating?
Hadid said living with uncertainty has affected her daily life in ways that are both physical and emotional. She described cancelling plans, struggling to make decisions, masking how she feels and waking up with “anxiety already living in your body.”
She also said the experience can leave her feeling misunderstood.
“Sometimes it feels like unless you've lived something like this, or loved someone who has,” she added, “it's impossible to understand.”
That hit home because it points to the difficult part of living with long-term illness: symptoms are not always visible, but they can still shape nearly every choice a person makes. For someone whose career often depends on appearances, schedules and public energy, that gap between how things look and how they feel can be especially sharp.
How did Hadid respond to fans who relate?
Hadid also used the posts to address followers who may be dealing with similar health struggles, offering encouragement while making clear she wasn’t pretending it was simple.
“I have to remind myself that healing isn't linear,” she said. “I believe God puts before us, somehow, only what we are capable of carrying, even when we don't understand why at the time. I know there is a deeper purpose to all things in life, and through experiences, good or bad, there is a silver lining.”
She said she remains grateful, even as the condition makes daily life difficult.
“I have so much gratitude for life,” Hadid continued, “but without living in a body that has more rough days than good...it's hard to find joy or purpose or reason to even go outside...but we will keep trying!”
What did she post afterward?
Hadid later shared another Instagram Stories post featuring a photo of herself crying, along with a message about trying to find relief from her symptoms.
“Every day is a new day and tomorrow I'm hoping for, God willing, a better one,” she wrote. “I love you guys so much thank you for all of your support. I wasn't expecting it, but I'm truly grateful.”
Nearly 10 hours later, she returned with another follow-up and apologized to anyone who had been alarmed by the posts.
“I'm sorry if I worried anyone,” Hadid said. “I know it sounds jarring, but in full truth it's my reality so it's something I'm able to cope with to a capacity now. I'm sorry if I startled anyone.”
She added that the symptoms have been part of her life for years.
“This is truly an ebb and flo for me for the past 15 years,” she wrote. “I just had an overwhelming amount of emotion over not being able to do the things my mind is capable of setting, but my body is not capable of doing.”
Why this update resonated
Hadid has spoken before about her Lyme disease diagnosis, but this update stood out because she described the emotional toll alongside the physical one. The post was not framed as a neat recovery story or a dramatic reveal. It was more complicated than that, which is usually how chronic illness works.
For fans, the response was not only about concern for a well-known model. It was also about recognition. Hadid described the kind of private calculation many people with long-term health conditions know well: whether to cancel, whether to explain, whether to push through, and whether anyone will understand if the answer changes tomorrow.
Her final message was simple and unresolved, which may be why it felt honest. She is hoping for a better day, thanking people for support and making clear that this has not been a brief detour. It has been part of her life since her teens, and she is still living with it in public, with as much grace as anyone could reasonably be expected to have.
