According to statistics about one in five adults deal with mental health issues. But only one in eight seek out help for their disorders.
The reason people don’t reach out varies but it’s often due to mental health stigmas. Individuals feel that admitting they have a problem and seeking help is a sign of weakness. They think people will view them differently if they admit they have a problem.
Steps are being taken to remove stigmas, so individuals don’t have to be afraid to get the help they need. For example, many celebrities have come forward to talk about their mental health issues to show others that there’s nothing wrong with admitting you have a problem and reaching out. Here are a few that have gone public with their emotional disorders.
Chrissy Teigen
This model, television host and wife of recording artist John Legend went public with her battles with postpartum depression in an interview with Glamour Magazine. “I had everything I needed to be happy, and yet, for much of the last year, I felt unhappy,” she said, describing how she was affected by the disorder. “I want people to know it can happen to anybody, and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone.”
Demi Lovato
Demi has a successful career as a singer and public figure. But she risked it all when she fell victim to substance abuse and eating disorders. While in treatment, it was discovered that she was self-medicating her bipolar disorder. The mental health professionals she worked with taught her healthy coping skills that greatly improved her emotional health. She went on to become the celebrity spokesperson for Be Vocal: Speak up for Mental Health.
Daniel Radcliff
Daniel launched into his acting career at a young age, but even back then he was plagued with obsessive compulsive disorder. He has been struggling with the condition since he was five. When his anxiety got so bad that it kept him from turning off a light bulb for five minutes, he knew something had to be done.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga comes across as a fearless singer. It may come as a surprise that the pop star/actress struggles with PTSD due to being raped with she was 19. “My own trauma in my life has helped me to understand the trauma of others,” she explains.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio exudes confidence on the screen. But he admits that his OCD has gotten so bad it has caused him to walk through doors numerous times and step on chewing gum stains on the sidewalk. He manages to keep it under control by telling himself, “OK, you’re being ridiculous. Stop stepping on every gum stain you see. You don’t need to do that.”
These celebrities have come forward with their mental health issues, and so can you. Getting help is easier than you think. Take the first step to find out how much better life can be.
