While mental illness becomes more apparent and commonplace in a distorted and increasingly stressful society, celebrities with mental illness in the spotlight gain increasing attention at the behest of the presses over this serious matter.
Many celebrities we know and love have battled with serious mental illness and succeeded despite the challenges which these issues have brought into their personal lives and careers.
Some of them have even made major contributions to awareness and education involving the issue and have quelled public fears and hysteria, creating a greater public acceptance of the issue.
Their bravery and persistence is applauded. Some have not survived the ravages of the illnesses, while many more celebrities have continued to strive on.
Jim Carrey and Depression
One of the funniest actors of all time, Jim Carrey, has actually suffered from serious Major Depression and mood swings and terrible anger issues throughout his life.
These problems have been on the level of mental illness, as Major Depression is classified as a mental illness.
Though the man is not “crazy” in any sense of the term, he definitely went down the hard road and fought like a true warrior to get out of it.
He did not take any easy way out either because he could not and would not. This is a brave celebrity who found his way out of mental illness like a warrior.
Jim Carrey grew up in poverty, forced to quit school at the age of 15 to become a janitor and help support his family, resulting in profound resentment which escalated into monumental anger over years to come.
He actually ended up living out of a van for a period of his life, getting whatever work he could. This type of persistent poverty will depress and wear anybody down.
Persistent failures basically decimated his confidence, nearly tearing his soul apart.
However, Carrey persisted. He found comedy to be an outlet. As one of the celebrities with mental illness, he has refused to use drugs and alcohol.
He began to discover minor successes and then major successes, but depression still grew as his past caught up with him.
He tried an antidepressant which failed and gave up on that. Eventually, he found a spiritual revelation and discovered relief in his talent and work.
Through faith in his vocation, family, and colleagues, Carrey rose above Major Depression and today is a happy, hard working success, though still must persist with effort.
Kurt Cobain and Bi-Polar Disorder
Anyone from generation X will know of Kurt Cobain, the infamous lead singer and songwriter of the grunge band, Nirvana.
He was notorious for some of the most provocative and piercing lyrics to ever hit the music industry, singing to the wanting hearts of a desperate generation and generations to come.
He was a very troubled man. He was known to have bi-polar disorder, a mental illness known at the time as manic depression.
This is a condition in which a person suffers from severe mood swings which are dramatic and unbearable, marked by profound suicidal tendencies resulting in a 50% suicide rate and also remarkable genius with blooming creativity. Often, drug and alcohol addiction accompany the illness.
In Cobain’s case, he was also a heroin and cocaine addict as well as being suspected of addiction to many other substances.
He was well known for many frantic antics at concerts and in otherwise public events.
It was not that Cobain was a bad person. He was in the spotlight and he made statements about resenting this on many occasions.
His lyrics made statements such as “I wish I was like you, easily amused, find my nest of salt, everything’s my fault…” He was also believed to have Borderline Personality Disorder, a condition which makes it impossible for a person to relate to others in a normal, healthy manner.
It was believed that he thought he was chronically misunderstood. All of this coupled with a chronic, undiagnosed stomach pain eventually led to him killing himself with a shotgun in April 5, 1994.
Roseanne Barr and Multiple Personality Disorder
Roseanne Barr is another wildly respected comedian and actress with the poise of a queen and confidence to match.
She is nothing less than an icon in the history of comedy, television, and film. Anyone who argues this would have only weak points to offer, for she is a woman of strength and definitive talent.
She has carved and defined this talent with sheer confidence and outstanding effort. Even she has not been without mental health problems.
According to ABC News, Roseanne stated herself, in 1994, that she has Multiple Personality Disorder.
As one of the celebrities with mental illness, she stated this with no fear at all. Her fearlessness is applauded to this day.
Fearlessness is how she has led her career and succeeded. In fact, it has gained her great respect.To her, it is not an illness.
So, to the rest of us who view her, it should actually not be a true illness either.
She has successfully adapted it into an acting career. Many people end up dysfunctional due to this issue.
She claims to have exactly seven personalities. They have names. The names are actually irrelevant.
Names become irrelevant when a person has integrated the personalities into a functional unit. Roseanne Barr has done precisely this.
For sake of argument and because she has expressed them, they are: Somebody, Nobody, Cindy, Joey, Susan, Baby, and Heather.
Roseanne has dealt with this from a very young age and it used to cause her to blackout between transitional episodes. This is when one will move from one personality to another.
She has since learned how to avoid the times where she loses her memories and has spent much time without losing her awareness of transition between the different aspects, as she has clear outlets for the different personalities.
So, for her, this is not a mental illness at all. She lives by a single name and is proud while being loud about who she is.
With seven varying signatures and a proud persona, she carries one of the strongest positive attitudes in the Hollywood arena and we all love her for it.
Sources:
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=103650&page=1