It's hard to imagine celebrities going through the same everyday problems we do, but the truth is that hundreds of millions of Americans struggle with mental illness, and that doesn't exclude the rich and famous.
Unfortunately, statistics show that approximately half of those people, famous or not, do not seek treatment. This is likely in large part because of the stigma surrounding psychiatric treatment. In reality, mental illness is no different than a physical ailment, in that it's never the patients' fault and it requires care and treatment from a professional. One of the best ways to help combat that stigma is to speak about mental health openly, something more and more people—including actors, musicians, and other public personalities—are doing on social media and otherwise. On this World Suicide Prevention day, check out this list of inspiring celebrities who have opened up about their battles with mental illness.
Halsey - Embrace Your Strengths (and Weaknesses)
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Halsey
Ashley Nicolette Frangipane, known by her stage name Halsey, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 17. Since beginning her career as Halsey, Frangipane has been committed to a mental hospital twice. She told Elle, "The thing about having bipolar disorder, for me, is that I'm really empathetic. I feel everything around me so much. I feel when I walk past a homeless person, and I feel when my friend breaks up with someone, or I feel when my mom and my dad get into a fight and my mom's f*ckin' crying over dishes in the sink. I used to say to her all the time, like, 'I hate this. I want to be naïve. I want to be worried about my prom dress. I want to be worried about getting my math homework done. I want to be like everyone else my age,' and she would say, 'Would you rather be blissfully ignorant or would you rather be pained and aware?' That was one of the things that's kind of followed with me through my whole life. She's encouraging of what I'm doing because she knows that even if sometimes I might be in pain, I'm aware."
▲Lizzo - Be Honest About Your Emotions
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Lizzo at the 63rd Grammys
Lizzo has been extremely open about her struggles with depression and self worth, saying in an Instagram video, "I used sadness so constructively in the last two years...I've used sadness as a tool for gratitude," she explained. She further explained in the video's caption: "I learned in the last 24hrs that being emotionally honest can save your life. Reaching out may be hard but as soon as I did it, I was immediately covered in love. ... My triggers are: rejection and inadequacy. But I love that I'm more emotionally honest lately."
▲Miley Cyrus - Don't Feel Guilty
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Miley Cyrus
The pop super star and ex-Disney sweetheart told ELLE, "[Depression is] more of an issue than people really want to talk about. Because people don't know how to talk about being depressed—that it's totally okay to feel sad. I went through a time where I was really depressed. Like, I locked myself in my room and my dad had to break my door down. It was a lot to do with, like, I had really bad skin, and I felt really bullied because of that. But I never was depressed because of the way someone else made me feel, I just was depressed. And every person can benefit from talking to somebody. I'm the most antimedication person, but some people need medicine, and there was a time where I needed some too. So many people look at [my depression] as me being ungrateful, but that is not it—I can't help it. There's not much that I'm closed off about, and the universe gave me all that so I could help people feel like they don't have to be something they're not or feel like they have to fake happy. There's nothing worse than being fake happy."
▲Chrissy Teigen - You're Not "Selfish"
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Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen, queen of Twitter and super model, has been very open about her journey with postpartum depression. In an essay for Glamour, "I also just didn't think it could happen to me. I have a great life. I have all the help I could need: John, my mother (who lives with us), a nanny. But postpartum does not discriminate, I couldn't control it. And that's part of the reason it took me so long to speak up: I felt selfish, icky, and weird saying aloud that I'm struggling. Sometimes I still do."
▲Jared Padalecki - You're Not Alone
Photo by Eugene Powers
Jared Padalecki attends Comic-Con International
Even this Supernatural heartthrob has had his share of struggles, telling Variety. "I, for a long time, have been passionate about people dealing with mental illness and struggling with depression, or addiction, or having suicidal thoughts and, strangely enough, it's almost like the life I live, as well. I was 25 years old. I had my own TV show. I had dogs that I loved and tons of friends and I was getting adoration from fans and I was happy with my work, but I couldn't figure out what it was; it doesn't always make sense is my point. It's not just people who can't find a job, or can't fit in in society that struggle with depression sometimes."
▲Lady Gaga - Don't Be Ashamed
(Shutterstock)
Lady Gaga
Gaga is well-known for speaking up about her anxiety and depression, and she did just that in a recent speech at the Patron of Artists Awards, saying, "We need to share our stories so that global mental health no longer resides and festers in the darkness...When I speak about mental health, especially when I'm speaking about mine, it is often met with quietness. Or maybe, a somber line of fans, waiting outside to whisper to me in the shadows about their darkest secrets. We need to bring mental health into the light."
▲Justin Bieber - Struggle Is Temporary
(Shutterstock)
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber recently posted an emotional essay to Instagram detailing his battle with addiction and depression. He wrote, "It's hard to get out of bed in the morning…when it feels like there's trouble after trouble after trouble..Sometimes it can even get to the point where you don't even want to live anymore. Where you feel like it's never going to change." The post ends on an optimistic note, however, detailing how the star began to feel like himself again and finishing with, "All this to say even when the odds are against you keep fighting."
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