The entertainment business has traditionally avoided discussing issues of mental health. Many famous people buried their mental health issues for fear of what that might do to their careers or public image. Public personalities have traditionally been reluctant to discuss their struggles with mental health.
However, this trend has begun to change in recent years. These famous people have become advocates for mental health by speaking up about their struggles and encouraging others to do the same.
1. Lady Gaga
Despite her struggle with PTSD, which she has been open about, she 2012 established the Born This Way Foundation to support individuals, including young ones, who are struggling.
In an open letter, the singer said: “There is a lot of shame attached to mental illness, but it is important that you know that there is hope and a chance for recovery.”
2. Ryan Reynolds
This Hitman's bodyguard was rather humorous about his battle with mental health when in 2021, he referred to it as his “lifelong pal.”
He encourages: “To all of those like me who overschedule, overthink, overwork, over-worry, and over-everything, please know you're not alone.”
3. Serena Gomez
Serena is an actress that started her career with Barney & Friends. Lately, in 2020 she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is managing the illness with therapy and medication.
4. Dwayne Johnson
After opening up about coping with depression, Johnson noted going to the gym gave him clarity. And being “The Rock” for others with similar struggles, he says: “I found that with depression one of the most important things you could realize is that you're not alone.”
5. Katy Perry
In the wake of her breakup with then-boyfriend Orlando Bloom, this pop musician described the shift into her bouts of “situational depression” as “seismic.” However, “gratitude,” as she said, has aided her return to normalcy and renewed purpose.
6. Jared Padalecki
The Supernatural star has never always been excellent at expressing himself but revealed in 2015 his battles with depression. But he Always Keeps Fighting (a campaign he launched) to assist people with problems including depression.
7. Halle Berry
Oscar-winning actress Berry was candid about her mental health disorder that almost drove her to suicide after her separation from David Justice in 2007. She mentioned in an interview that thoughts of her mother stopped her in her tracks.
8. Johnny Depp
Depp's versatility at acting belies what his general countenance during interviews reveals. Once a big secret, Depp has opened up on his battles with severe anxiety. Indeed, this had been a significant source of depression and unease, so much so that he has constant access to therapists, even on film sets, who advise him on how to deal with his anxiety and prevent it from dragging him into severe depression.
9. Cara Delevingne
A sought-after supermodel the world over, fame and wealth came home early for Delevingne at 15. But she was submerged by a “massive wave of depression,” leaving her “to decide whether I love myself as much as I love the idea of death.” She cites listening to “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” (an Outcast song) as kick-starting the process of gaining back her control.
10. Chris Evans
Evans may have dared a lot as Captain America. But outside the pseudonym, he qualifies 30 minutes of the red carpet as “30 minutes of walking on hot coals,” which arouses intense anxiety culminating in depression that has almost ended his career. He relies on meditation to cope with the feeling.
11. Adele
The Hello singer admitted she slipped into postnatal depression after she had her son and struggled even more afterward due to her marriage breaking down. The upside to this was her harnessing the whirlwind of emotions into her 30 album, her fourth studio album, that expresses acceptance and hope.
12. Michael Phelps
October and November are never the best months for the record Olympic medalist, who revealed that those months are the most challenging period in his struggles with depression. He relies on working out, writing in a journal, and repeating affirmations to cope with the illness.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.