‘Just Like a Pill’ Singer Pink Overcomes Years of Health Issues Commemorating 18th Wedding Anniversary: ‘No One Else On This Planet I’d Rather Do It With Than You’

In Pink’s celebratory anniversary post, featuring a handful of sweet memories from her and her husband’s resilience relationship, the Pennsylvania-born artist wrote, “Love is a lifetime of coming back to the table. We almost didn’t make it to this one, well a couple of them, if I’m being honest. When I met you, 22 years ago, I just wanted someone that wouldn’t lie to me. I didn’t have a clue about commitment, building a life together, intimacy, trust. It’s f–king hard.

“But man if I’m not humbled by the surprise of loyalty, history, forgiveness, and resilience. How love rearranges itself and reappears after an empty night or five. I’m proud we made it to the other side of this year. I wear our scars proudly. You are my stubborn, beautiful, immovable rock.”

The mom of two continued, “The family we’ve built and the stories we have weaved together and the memories we continue to make are worth more than a thousand million awards that anyone could give me. I love you and I love us. #18years #improudofyou #family.”

Hart, a former professional freestyle motocross competitor, also took to his Instagram page to share how much he loves Pink in a heartfelt post.

Alongside three adorable photos of the loving duo, Hart captioned his post, “In the last 18 years of marriage to this amazing human, we have done so much together.

“Raise two amazing children, travel the world, go on adventures, love, argue, make up, support each other, laugh, cry, laugh more, breakup, get back together, party, mourn, grow, and a million other things.”

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A post shared by Carey Hart (@hartluck)

He concluded, “There is no one else on this planet I’d rather do it with than you. 22 years in each other lives and I’m looking forward to the next 22. As long as you don’t kill me first. Love you baby!!!!! Happy anniversary, @pink.”

Pink and Hart have certain grown in many ways since they met when they were in their 20s, as they now share two children together, their 12-year-old daughter Willow and their son Jameson, 7.

Looking Back On Pink’s Health Struggles

Last year, Pink opened up during an October 2023 interview with “60 Minutes,” about a near-fatal overdose she experience shortly before her first record deal, when she was just a teen.

The pop star explained, “Thanksgiving of 1995, I was at a rave and I overdosed. I was on, oh boy, ecstasy, angel dust, crystal, all kinds of things. Then I was out. Done. Too much.”

Recounting what led her to turn to drugs, Pink said, “I was a punk. I had a mouth. I had a chip on my shoulder. Basically I grew up in a house where every day my parents were screaming at each other, throwing things. They hated each other. And then I got into drugs. I was selling drugs … I dropped out of high school. I was off the rails.”

Prior to offering insight into her teenage years, earlier that month, Pink was disheartened to announce she had to cancel some shows due to “family medical issues,” later revealing she had a “respiratory infection,” according to US Magazine, which created a timeline of Pink’s health issues.

Earlier that year, Pink admitted to Variety that she’d gained 36 lbs when Covid-19 shuttered the world. She said the weight was hard to get rid of due to “not just the hip surgery, but double disc replacement in my neck.”

Despite her surgeries, which led her to call herself the “bionic woman,” she has since returned to her normal weight, saying, “I am stronger than I’ve ever been in my life.”

Meanwhile, back in May 2022, Pink revealed she used to struggle with “awful panic attacks,” which left her feeling like she was “having strokes,” US Magazine reports.

However, once Pink got checked and realized nothing was physically wrong with her body, she began seeing a therapist to combat her anxiety and focus on self-care.

In 2021, Pink opened up on Instagram about the tough recovery period she went through following hip surgery.

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“It was a brutal first week full of tears and pain med depression, ulcers from meds and constant fevers,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “He [her husband] brought me coffee in the shower, lugged around my 100 pound CPM contraptions everywhere I went, dried my tears, cooked me oatmeal, kept track of my meds, got me my phone charger, plugged in my compression machines, took my temp, made the bed, and talked me off the ledge.”

A year earlier, Pink and her family suffered from Covid. After dealing with coronavirus, Pink took to social media to reveal she had stitches taken out from drying a wine glass, dealt with a staph infection” and injured her ankle while “running down the stairs.”

Celebrating Milestones and the Power of Support

Reaching milestones after during or after health battle, or after any type of life change, is huge. These events like getting engaged, turning another year older, or a wedding anniversary like Pink just celebrated may mean even more than they did previously, so it’s important to take them all in and celebrate all that you’ve overcome.

Dealing with health issues can be extremely stressful. One way SurvivorNet experts encourage cancer patients to alleviate some of that stress by leaning on their support system.

A support system, like the one Pink has with her husband, can be made up of loved ones like family and friends. It can also be comprised of strangers who have come together because of a shared cancer experience. Mental health professionals can also be critical parts of a support system.

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“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friend’s circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik told SurvivorNet.

“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional.”

Dr. Plutchik also stressed it is important for people supporting cancer warriors or anyone battling a health issue to understand their emotions can vary day-to-day.

“People can have a range of emotions, they can include fear, anger, and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process,” Dr. Plutchik said.

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Licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin says people faced with cancer should “surround [themselves] with individuals who care and support [them]” throughout treatment while also acknowledging their limits on what they can handle.

“Going through [cancer] treatment is a very vulnerable and emotionally exhausting experience,” Dr. Strongin wrote in a column for SurvivorNet. “Noticing what you have strength for and what is feeling like too much [is] extremely important to pay attention to as you navigate treatment.”

If you’re ever in a relationship where you feel overwhelmed by how your partner is trying to support you, Dr. Strongin says you should try to communicate your feelings. This may help you decide if your partner is the person you want beside you “during this arduous chapter” of life.

How To Manage Anxiety During High-Stress Times

Battling a mental health issue, cancer, or learning to move forward after health issues can be an extremely stressful time for so many people. How can you manage your anxiety while dealing with so many other things?

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Dr. Marianna Strongin, a clinical psychologist and founder of Strong In Therapy, has been helping the SurvivorNet community by sharing coping mechanisms and a structured way to think about handling these issues.

Learning To Cope With Anxiety

“The way that I define anxiety is that it’s an internal question that we simply can’t find the answers to,” Dr. Strongin previously told SurvivorNet.

Dr. Strongin says that one of the main causes of anxiety is uncertainty about life, and a cancer battle can fuel anxiety for individuals because of the lack of uncertainty about the future.

Many people will turn to media platforms for answers, but Dr. Strongin says that individuals often end up with more questions as a result which leads to more anxiety.

The first step for coping during stressful circumstances is understanding one’s anxiety. To do this, Dr. Strongin suggests checking in with oneself everyday to see where the anxiety is manifesting and what questions are causing the anxiety. From there, it’s important to answer those questions and reassure oneself with positivity.

WATCH: A Guided Meditation for the SurvivorNet Community

“The answers are our coping skills,” Dr. Strongin says. “Some people are really good at always giving themselves answers…other people don’t have the coping skills to answer their anxiety and as a result the anxiety increases. … We are all facing the same questions.”

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She continues, “Some are facing them much more than others and some are better at answering those questions than others. What’s really important is to pay attention to is what those questions are, what the frequency of those questions are, and how you’re answering them.”

Anxiety In The United States

According to the Anxiety Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States, affecting nearly 40 million adults 18 years and older. Anxiety can be developed through factors including genetics, personality, brain chemistry, and life circumstances. Despite being highly treatable, only 43.2% of people receive treatment for anxiety disorders.

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Anxiety symptoms include feelings of irritability, fatigue, and nervousness. People struggling with anxiety also have trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and rapid heart rate which leads to hyperventilation.

Therapy and medication are the two most recommended forms of treatment for individuals with anxiety, and treatments vary depending on the type of anxiety an individual has.

Mental Health: The Basics

The term mental health refers to both our emotional and psychological well-being. Our mental health can affect how we think, feel, and behave. Certain triggers like stress, traumatic events, or change in your physical health can affect mental health. It’s really important to keep tabs on your mental health and, if necessary, seek treatment. This doesn’t necessarily mean traditional therapy because while it may be really helpful (even life-changing) for some, that doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.

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Problems with mood and overall mental well-being can be attributed to several factors. For some people it’s genetic, while others may be experiencing a response to some sort of stressor or past trauma.

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In order to keep your mental health in check, it’s important to be aware of signs which can be subtle that there is something affecting your mind. These signs include:

• A change in eating or sleeping habits
• Losing interest in people or usual activities
• Experiencing little or no energy
• Numb and/or hopeless feelings
• Turning to drinking or drugs more than usual
• Non-typical angry, upset, or on-edge feelings
• Yelling/fighting with loved ones
• Experiencing mood swings
• Intrusive thoughts
• Trouble getting through daily tasks

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These symptoms can be wide-ranging and vary a great deal from person to person. Everyone experiences grief differently, for example.

However, if you are feeling unusually sad, on-edge, or like you’re no longer interested in activities you used to love, know that there are many treatment options available and many different healthy ways to help you cope.

Understanding Treatment Options

Treatment options for people struggling with mental health really run the gamut. While some people may benefit from seeking the help of a psychologist and getting on medication, others see great improvement by simply implementing some lifestyle changes, such as prioritizing exercise and cutting back on alcohol.

RELATED: How to Be Realistically Optimistic: Coping With Mental Health Long-Term

Those struggling should know that they are not alone about one in five American adults has experienced some sort of mental health issue, according to mentalhealth.gov.

However, what worked to help someone else cope may not necessarily help you as treatment must be individualized.

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To maintain a positive mindset and address mental health struggles you may be having, treatment may include:

• Seeking professional help from a psychiatrist or therapist
• Learning healthy coping skills
• Medication such as antidepressants
• Adding more physical activity to your routine
• Adjusting your sleep schedule
• Connecting with others via support groups
• Mindfulness and meditation

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Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you find yourself struggling with a mental health issue, or a diagnosis, or even helping a loved one cope with their emotions, consider asking your doctor the following questions:

• How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
• Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?
• When should I seek other interventions if I’m still struggling?
• What are the steps to finding a different therapist if the one I’m using is not working out?

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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