For quite a while now, famous people have been sort of “coming out” with their stories about battling depression, anxiety, or perhaps some other mental health issues. This has certainly led to raising our awareness about the importance of getting properly treated, as well as about the fact that these disorders are nothing to be ashamed of and that stigmatizing people based on what they are suffering from is definitely not a wise idea.
People have certainly become more attentive towards their general mental health, as well as more compassionate and supportive when someone in their circle of acquaintances is struggling with certain disorders, which is definitely a good thing.
If you’re looking to better understand this disorder, then this might be of help.
Anyway, as mentioned, a lot of celebrities have already decided to share their stories regarding their mental health, and those stories have reached the headlines quite a few times. Does that, however, mean that the famous people who weren’t quite as loud about their struggles haven’t actually gone through the same process of battling certain disorders? Well, it most certainly does not.
And, when I say that they weren’t loud about it, I don’t mean that they decided to hide it and that they never talked about those struggles in interviews and other public places. I simply mean that their struggles haven’t quite reached the headlines so many times as the struggles of certain other celebrities.
What I am trying to say is that there are a lot of famous people that you probably didn’t know were struggling with depression. While the stories of Robin Williams, Jim Carrey and certain other celebrities are well-known, the stories of some other stars might have been shoved into the background.
So, in short, there are probably a lot more depressed celebrities than you might have thought by now and it is perfectly normal for you not to be aware of everyone’s mental health issues.
And, yet, if you are feeling a bit curious and if you’d love to get more information on the topic of famous people struggling with this disorder, then I say you should continue reading and learn about the issues of a few celebrities that you probably didn’t know were suffering from depression.
This might put a better perspective on things and show you that depression is not always loud and that you should perhaps be much more attentive when it comes to the problems that the people you love are facing, even if they are not sharing. Read more about how to recognize the signs of this mental health issue in others.
1. Salma Hayek
Believe it or not, the woman that has been named one of the most beautiful people in the world, and not once, has admitted to having confidence and body image issues. Those issues have led to her developing depression that was actually quite severe.
The way she describes it, she has even had troubles getting out of bed in the morning and she would just lie there trying to sum up the courage to look herself in the mirror. You might not have been aware of here struggles, but they were very, very real, and rather severe for that matter.
2. Jon Hamm
Speaking of beautiful people, Jon Hamm is certainly on everyone’s list of sexy men. Perhaps that has something to do with his portrayal of Don Draper in Mad Men, or perhaps he just has his own, natural charms to thank for that. Whatever the case may be, we cannot deny the fact that this man is one of the Hollywood’s sexiest.
Once again, though, he is the living proof that depression does not choose people based on their looks, their fame, their money or their general success.
Ever since he lost his parents, and that had happened at a very early age, Jon Hamm has been dealing with depression. He has definitely had a few low points in his life and he even checked into a rehabilitation institution in order to get help, since his depression was also accompanied by alcoholism. This is a man that feels strongly about the idea of opening up about one’s mental health and getting help when help is needed.
As he puts it, “medical attention is medical attention, whether it’s for your elbow, your teeth or your brain”. Further on, he claims that admitting you need help and actually getting that help isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.
3. Tom Hardy
While Hardy’s addiction to alcohol and heroine is not unknown, a lot of people probably don’t know the reason behind his substance abuse. Basically, this was his own way of trying to deal with depression and, as he admits it himself, it was a rather wrong way of doing that. He has sobered up in the meantime and he has been able to control his depression in much healthier ways.
Substance abuse is never the right way and Tom Hardy can vouch for that.
4. Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady is another one of those famous people who have depression and he has opened up about it in an interview shortly after Robin Williams committed suicide. The timing was right, as it showed people that opening up is a much better idea than keeping things bottled up until you cannot take it anymore, like Robin Williams did, for example.
As Brady says, he decided to speak up about it because he realized that not everyone has a support system they need and that people often build walls that stand between them and the help they require.
5. Brad Pitt
This might not be a total surprise, since Brad Pitt’s depression might have been talked about a bit more following the years after his separation. Pitt admits that he has been in therapy ever since the separation and that he is, thus, taking responsible steps towards sorting his life out and getting healthy. He also stresses the importance of talking about these issues.
