Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Culture > Entertainment

Barb from ‘Stranger Things’ Opens Up About Her History of Self-Harm

Self-harm is probably one of the least discussed yet most important topics. Dealing with such a struggle can be difficult, and it’s often hard for people battling self-harm to reach out to others. It can be just as difficult to talk to others about your struggles if you have recovered. In the past, celebs have bravely opened up about their past struggles with self-harm. Shannon Purser, who you might recognize as Barb from Stranger Things, recently shared her personal battle with self-harm, and she has a positive message for those who face a similar obstacle.


Taking to Twitter, Shannon posted a photo of a razor blade but made clear that she hasn’t felt the urge to self-harm in years. Moreover, she has reached a point where she’s ready to say goodbye to that part of her past and throw away the blade.  

For people who might still be struggling, Shannon also reassured them that it is possible to recover.

Following her confession, fans sent Shannon tweets thanking her for sharing her story with the world and providing words of encouragement.

Olivia Singh is currently a senior at Hunter College in New York City, majoring in Media Studies. Her concentration is Journalism and she is a Pop Culture Blogger for HerCampus.com. Music, movies, television, and pop culture in general are her areas of expertise. She’s that one friend who knows just about every detail of the latest news story in the entertainment world. Close friends rave about her storytelling skills, so she can only hope that other people will enjoy her writing as much as she enjoys telling a good story. When she isn't scrolling through her plethora of social media sites, she can be found cuddling with her cat, playing the piano, obsessing over boybands, or eating a cupcake.