Around one in five of the world’s children and adolescents suffer from mental disorders, but according to the World Health Organization, around 280 million people suffer from depression worldwide. Additionally, mental and neurological disorders make up 30% of non-fatal diseases and 10% of the global burden of disease.
On October 10, World Mental Health Day aims to raise awareness about mental health issues around the world and to mobilize global support for mental well-being. Here are some celebs Who Openly Spoke Out About Battling Mental Illness and normalized talking about mental illness for others.
Meghan Markle
Hollywood actor Meghan Markle talked about mental health challenges she faced while at Buckingham Palace in an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year. She admitted to having suicidal thoughts and contemplating harming herself. Meghan and her husband Prince Harry left the British royal household earlier this year.
Simone Biles
There is no doubt that Tokyo Olympics 2020 is that watershed moment that sparked a conversation about mental health in sports. Simone Biles, a star gymnast from the United States, played a huge role in this. She withdrew from the final event because of mental health concerns after winning her first bronze at the 2020 Games.
Miley Cyrus
“[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,” she told ELLE. “And every person can benefit from talking to somebody. I’m the most anti-medication 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.” [sic]
In an interview she gave to Variety in June 2020, Miley Cyrus stated she had been sober for six months. After undergoing a major voice surgery in November, the singer revealed she originally abstained from substances, but she kept doing so after learning that her family members suffered from substance abuse issues and other mental illnesses. In 2017, she announced she had given up marijuana use. In addition, she talked about her sense of clarity when sober.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
The actress, who spent six months in LA under Covid-19 induced seclusion, opened up about her mental health and what kept her sane during that time. Priyanka Chopra Jonas spent six months in Los Angeles, California, during the Covid-19 lockdown with her husband, singer Nick Jonas. During this time, she also released her memoir, Unfinished, which became a best-seller in less than a week. A year after the lockdown, she talked to an interviewer about her mental health and what kept her calm.
“There were phases in my life, especially after my father died, when I didn’t know how to cope. I talked to myself about how I am feeling and how I will overcome it. I told myself to allow myself to feel it. It is okay to feel that way instead of feeling guilty about it,” she said earlier on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, The Ranveer Show. She added. “I relied a lot on my friends at that point. Instead of dealing with it alone, I would seek out people who actually cared about me. I get so many opinions about myself from people on social media and I could very easily succumb to it. Social media could be good and can be evil. The idea of social media was to get people together. It was never to make people feel like they are targets. Instead of focusing on the negativity and taking the pressure on you, if you are feeling dark, it is important to not keep it to yourself. You have to find support. Find someone you can talk to. It doesn’t have to be a therapist only but your mother, a friend or someone else. But don’t do it alone”.
Zayn Malik
“I found it really frustrating that, even now that I was being upfront about what the issue was, some people still found reasons to doubt it. But that’s the industry. It’s an aspect of this job that I have to deal with, and I’m trying to accept it,” Zayn wrote in an excerpt of his book that was published by Time. “The thing is, I love performing. I love the buzz. I don’t want to do any other job. That’s why my anxiety is so upsetting and difficult to explain. It’s this thing that swells up and blocks out your rational thought processes. Even when you know you want to do something, know that it will be good for you, that you’ll enjoy it when you’re doing it, the anxiety is telling you a different story. It’s a constant battle within yourself.”
Anushka Sharma
Despite having publicly addressed her mental health concerns, the actress has admitted to taking anxiety medication and regularly raises awareness about mental health. As a mental health activist, she advocates for public discussion of mental health issues and normalizing them. She believes that people need to be informed about mental diseases and able to overcome their fears as soon as possible in order to overcome their fears.
Angelina Jolie
Jolie battled depression and attempted suicide twice, once when she was 19 and once when she was 22. The second time she hired a hitman to kill her. She suffered a nervous breakdown when she was 24 and was hospitalized for 72 hours in UCLA’s psychiatric unit. In 2019, she spoke to Vogue and said, “I’m like everybody and… especially these last few years haven’t been the easiest, and I haven’t felt very strong,” Jolie revealed during Disney’s press junket. She was referring to her highly publicized divorce from Brad Pitt in 2016, after two years of marriage and 12 years together.
“There’s something when you’re not feeling very strong, where you push yourself.”
There has been an impact of COVID-19 on society beyond issues of mental health in terms of elevated levels of stress and anxiety. Celebs’ struggle with mental illnesses and willingness to speak their truth contributes to information, standardization, and awareness. We are empowered to accept our mental state and work for it. The only things that can help us come together are love and compassion, and are the most effective solutions for mental health problems in the long run.
So let’s all be kind, compassionate, and supportive to one another.