Famous People with Mental Health Issues

Mental health issues are extremely common in the United States, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t seen as legitimate concerns. In fact, many famous people with mental health issues have been open about their struggles, helping to destigmatize these conditions and raise awareness among their fans and the general public alike. In this list of famous people with mental health issues, you can learn about their triumphs, failures, and coping strategies—all from the comfort of your favorite armchair!

Mental health affects people from all walks of life. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a start to bringing awareness to the issue. Below are some famous people with mental health issues

Depression:

The word depression can have many meanings. Depression can be an illness or the natural response to a depressing event. It could also be a temporary feeling that passes in time. However, when depression becomes severe, it can lead to suicide, which is why it's so important for people to know the signs and get professional help if they think they're suffering from depression. One way to do this is by reading stories about people who've been through it before and how they were able to find their way back out. For example, 

Anthony Kiedis: was diagnosed as clinically depressed and went through electroconvulsive therapy.

Anthony Kiedis

James Altucher: suffered from depression at some points in his life; while Tina Fey has said I'm always either really happy or really sad. Famous people show us that we aren't alone in our struggles and provide hope for others like us.

James Altucher

Bipolar Disorder:

One famous person who has bipolar disorder is Tina Fey. Tina's success in comedy and her ability to keep her disease under control with medication have helped to lessen the stigma against people with this mental health condition. The most common misconception about bipolar disorder is that people with it are all over the place emotionally or mentally, but this is not true for everyone. Some people who suffer from bipolar disorder are able to maintain a relatively normal life and appear normal to those who do not know them well. This can be confusing for loved ones when the person does not want anyone else to know about their diagnosis.

Anxiety Disorders:

Many famous people have been affected by anxiety disorders. The list includes both actors and actresses, such as Rosalind Russell, Margot Robbie, Hugh Laurie, and Amanda Seyfried. The list also includes singers and songwriters such as Roy Orbison, Tori Amos and Elvis Presley. These people were able to rise in fame despite their mental health related issues due to the many other talents they possessed that allowed them to overcome this obstacle. It's important not to let our own insecurities get in the way of what we are capable of accomplishing; because with the right support system we can succeed at anything.

Rosalind Russell

Eating Disorder:

Anorexia is a mental health disease that affects millions of people around the world, making it one of the deadliest mental health disorders on the planet. The disease typically begins in adolescence and early adulthood with males tending to develop anorexia more often than females. Symptoms of anorexia include severe weight loss, a distorted body image, obsessive thoughts about food, self-starvation and having low energy levels.

It is estimated that up to 1% of people with anorexia die prematurely as a result of complications related to starvation or suicide attempts. Famous people with mental health disorders like Anorexia include Princess Diana (1961-1997), Kate Moss (1974), and Ashley Olsen (1986).Famous people such as Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys and Demi Lovato, talk openly about their struggles with eating disorders and provide hope for others battling these deadly diseases.

Personality Disorder:

There are many people with mental health disorders that are successful and well-known, from actors to business professionals. Here are some examples of people with personality disorders, which includes Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder.

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by a pattern of unstable relationships, emotional instability and impulsiveness. Famous people with BPD include Anna Nicole Smith and Marilyn Monroe.

Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for admiration and lack of empathy for others. Famous people with NPD include Howard Hughes, Andy Warhol and Donald Trump. Another form of mental illness is antisocial personality disorder, which may manifest itself as aggressiveness or disregard for social norms. Famous people with ASPD are Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and Dennis Rader (aka the BTK killer). Lastly there's histrionic personality disorder; it's marked by attention-seeking behavior, dramatic speech patterns and extreme emotionality. Mental illness can be challenging at times but there are also many success stories out there!

Insomnia Disorder:

Insomnia is an incredibly common disease, affecting over one-third of the population at some point in their lives. Famous people with insomnia disorders include, but are not limited to:

John McCain - John McCain is a senator from Arizona and was the Republican presidential nominee for the 2008 United States election. He has had a lifelong battle with sleep disorders; he suffers from night terrors and restless leg syndrome, which causes him to move around his bed throughout the night.Nicole Richie - Nicole Richie is a fashion designer, author, actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She has been public about her struggles with bipolar disorder.

John McCain -

Ryan Reynolds - Ryan Reynolds is an actor best known for playing Deadpool in the Deadpool movies. The actor opened up about his personal struggle with anxiety and depression to The Hollywood Reporter stating that he's been working through it since he was 15 years old.

Ryan Reynolds

Kelly Osbourne - Kelly Osbourne is a TV host/designer/singer/actress most famous for being on MTV's The Osbournes show alongside her family when she was younger. Kelly discusses how her PTSD caused her panic attacks and how she sought help through therapy sessions that changed her life.

Kelly Osbourne

Conclusion

However, I hope you will read on and get to know some of these wonderful people that we consider legends today, but at some point in their lives suffered from mental health problems.

We should not forget the famous people with mental health issues because just like anyone else, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Learning about famous people's struggles sheds light on how common it is to have depression or bipolar disorder--perhaps even more than the general population--but that doesn't mean it's a stigma; it simply means that we're all humans, so let's help each other get through life together!