Being a depression sufferer myself, I find it interesting and inspiring to see people deal with their chronic depression. I love seeing what people can do with their lives, despite the agonizing pain they have had to cope with. While we probably all know about Heath Ledger and Kurt Cobain, there are plenty of surprising celebrities with depression, like Harrison Ford. A few others you may not have know about include the five stars below.
In an interview during 60 Minutes, Mr. Carrey revealed that the inspiration behind his funny-man antics was “desperation.” Like many famous comics, Carrey channeled his emotional pain and scarring into humor. The laughter and attention brought from audiences helps ease the depression comedians feel and soothes their pain.
Carrey's attention getting antics started when he tried to entertain his sick mother. To get her spirits up, he'd do anything from impressions to rolling down the stairs. When he was young, he grasped on to an optimistic dream of making it big. In 1987, he wrote himself a check for ten million dollars "for acting services rendered." As it turns out, the check was a massive underestimate of what he ended up making when he cashed the check 1995. As financial worries lessened, so did his depression symptoms. He has since learned to better cope with his sadness and he says the valleys and peaks have gradually smoothed out a bit. While he used to take Prozac to help stabilize his mood, he now focuses on treatment through spirituality and clean living.
Sources: one, two & three Photo by IBWK [Flickr]
"If a really good comedian isn't depressed," says Bob Saget, "something's wrong." Rodney Dangerfield is no exception to this rule. Around the end of his life, he attended regular therapy sessions with his psychiatrist and took around 137 prescription drugs a day, including anti-depressants and Valium.
Rodney’s father abandoned the family when he was a child and he was instead raised by a cold-hearted mother.
He has had wild mood swings throughout his career and tried to escape the pain and suffering in every way imaginable, including prostitutes and drugs. His wife helped pull him through to the end, but he still experienced these problems until the end of his days.
Source Photo by Breakfast For Dinner [Flickr]
J.K. Rowling will be the first to tell you about the hardships of being a single parent. In fact, in her darkest hour, she strongly contemplated suicide while suffering from a massive bout of depression. She missed her ex-husband and worried about finances, that’s when the dark thoughts started coming out. Fortunately, her daughter was there to inspire her to seek treatment:
Rowling opted too treat her depression with cognitive therapy rather than anti-depressants. This type of therapy seeks to cure the emotional problem, rather than treating it. The therapy involves a series of counseling sessions providing the sufferer with the mental tools to cope with their emotions. Rowling has been very forthright about her disorder in the hope she can help remove the stigma associated with mental illnesses.
Source
Many people already know about Owen Wilson's depression. After all, his attempted suicide took over all the tabloid headlines at their local grocery stores two years ago. But, you may still be wondering why.
The fact is, like millions of other Americans, Wilson is clinically depressed and will be throughout his lifetime. He has been battling depression by taking anti-depressants for years, however, breaking up with Kate Hudson pushed him beyond the effects of his medication and made him feel hopeless. While it has been debated whether Wilson was taking cocaine or heroin around this time, the fact is that either way, a major life change can dramatically endanger a depression sufferer.
Sources: one & two Photo by Smellmoregloves' [Flickr]
Mrs. Shields is a perfect example of how beauty does not equal happiness. While not a lifelong depression sufferer, she has been very vocal about her experience with postpartum depression, an illness experienced by 13% of pregnant women and new mothers. Her book “Down Came The Rain” describes her experiences in detail.
Like many postpartum depression sufferers, she experienced a detachment from her baby daughter and self-destructive thoughts. At her lowest point, Brooke says she wanted to jump out of a window and throw the baby against a wall. Brooke began taking Paxil to cope with her emotions and eventually recovered. She now has a very close relationship with her daughter.
After being criticized by Tom Cruise for her use of anti-depressants, Brooke published an essay in the “New York Times” detailing the need for global recognition of postpartum depression and the use of anti-depressants for treatment.
Source Photo by WatchWithKristin [Flickr]
Jim Carrey
In an interview during 60 Minutes, Mr. Carrey revealed that the inspiration behind his funny-man antics was “desperation.” Like many famous comics, Carrey channeled his emotional pain and scarring into humor. The laughter and attention brought from audiences helps ease the depression comedians feel and soothes their pain.
Carrey's attention getting antics started when he tried to entertain his sick mother. To get her spirits up, he'd do anything from impressions to rolling down the stairs. When he was young, he grasped on to an optimistic dream of making it big. In 1987, he wrote himself a check for ten million dollars "for acting services rendered." As it turns out, the check was a massive underestimate of what he ended up making when he cashed the check 1995. As financial worries lessened, so did his depression symptoms. He has since learned to better cope with his sadness and he says the valleys and peaks have gradually smoothed out a bit. While he used to take Prozac to help stabilize his mood, he now focuses on treatment through spirituality and clean living.
Sources: one, two & three Photo by IBWK [Flickr]
Rodney Dangerfield
"If a really good comedian isn't depressed," says Bob Saget, "something's wrong." Rodney Dangerfield is no exception to this rule. Around the end of his life, he attended regular therapy sessions with his psychiatrist and took around 137 prescription drugs a day, including anti-depressants and Valium.
Rodney’s father abandoned the family when he was a child and he was instead raised by a cold-hearted mother.
He found an outlet in writing jokes, and even remembers the first one. At age 4, Dangerfield finished dinner and whined, "I'm still hungry."
"You've had sufficient," replied his mom.
"But," said Rodney, "I didn't even have any fish."
He has had wild mood swings throughout his career and tried to escape the pain and suffering in every way imaginable, including prostitutes and drugs. His wife helped pull him through to the end, but he still experienced these problems until the end of his days.
Source Photo by Breakfast For Dinner [Flickr]
J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling will be the first to tell you about the hardships of being a single parent. In fact, in her darkest hour, she strongly contemplated suicide while suffering from a massive bout of depression. She missed her ex-husband and worried about finances, that’s when the dark thoughts started coming out. Fortunately, her daughter was there to inspire her to seek treatment:
“Mid-twenties life circumstances were poor and I really plummeted,” said Rowling. “The thing that made me go for help . . . was probably my daughter. She was something that earthed me, grounded me, and I thought, this isn’t right, this can’t be right, she cannot grow up with me in this state.”
Rowling opted too treat her depression with cognitive therapy rather than anti-depressants. This type of therapy seeks to cure the emotional problem, rather than treating it. The therapy involves a series of counseling sessions providing the sufferer with the mental tools to cope with their emotions. Rowling has been very forthright about her disorder in the hope she can help remove the stigma associated with mental illnesses.
Source
Owen Wilson
Many people already know about Owen Wilson's depression. After all, his attempted suicide took over all the tabloid headlines at their local grocery stores two years ago. But, you may still be wondering why.
The fact is, like millions of other Americans, Wilson is clinically depressed and will be throughout his lifetime. He has been battling depression by taking anti-depressants for years, however, breaking up with Kate Hudson pushed him beyond the effects of his medication and made him feel hopeless. While it has been debated whether Wilson was taking cocaine or heroin around this time, the fact is that either way, a major life change can dramatically endanger a depression sufferer.
Sources: one & two Photo by Smellmoregloves' [Flickr]
Brooke Shields
Mrs. Shields is a perfect example of how beauty does not equal happiness. While not a lifelong depression sufferer, she has been very vocal about her experience with postpartum depression, an illness experienced by 13% of pregnant women and new mothers. Her book “Down Came The Rain” describes her experiences in detail.
Like many postpartum depression sufferers, she experienced a detachment from her baby daughter and self-destructive thoughts. At her lowest point, Brooke says she wanted to jump out of a window and throw the baby against a wall. Brooke began taking Paxil to cope with her emotions and eventually recovered. She now has a very close relationship with her daughter.
After being criticized by Tom Cruise for her use of anti-depressants, Brooke published an essay in the “New York Times” detailing the need for global recognition of postpartum depression and the use of anti-depressants for treatment.
Source Photo by WatchWithKristin [Flickr]
Jill - great article! It's interesting to find out how celebrities are just regular people when it comes to depression.
I went through a very similar situation this past semester at college. I never went to class and avoided anything that didn't remotely bring me any happiness.
However, last November my mom motivated me enough to see a doctor.
Since then, I've been on Wellbutrin and it has really helped me out. I've noticed that I the good, positive rational thoughts that I thought before (and rejected instantly) now actually calm me down and let me get things done.
I mean, yes, you might have to try a few medications before they work (because everyone is different), but they really do help.
If so his depression is cured....
I lived with depression and anxiety throughout public school, and I figured it would have stopped when I ended highschool. It didn't get better, it just got worse until I had gotten help for it. I'm not currantly on medication but I was for a number of years, but I've got a stable job, group therapy and a support system if I need it. It's worth it to get help, because it can always get worse if you go untreated.
seems fine to me, care to point out the errors?
Talking about depression, my wife has a motto: "Don't get depressed, get angry instead!"
Stephen Fry
Spike Milligan
Peter Sellers
Billy Connelly
Richard Pryor
...and the list goes on.
ps: I think Tom Cruise should be on the list as undiagnosed.
@Josh and others. Ignore the whole thing about 'drugs are bad', they work, you can get off them, therapy is great too, your problems don't last for ever, in retrospect your problems always seem less. If you have a 'quack' who won't help see another...if they won't, see another. Doctors can be real twats at times.
No, I don't have depression and can't really understand the mindfarq. However, I know people who do have it, and they are amongst the most considerate and interesting people I know. If I may quote from a depressive friend 'the trick in surviving is not feeling sorry for yourself'.
www.beyondblue.org.au
'Sucked in' is Oz slang for being conned.
I know you're kidding, but this assumes that people with depression have a choice.
There's a big difference between being "blue" after trauma or stress (a natural and healthy reaction) and being clinically depressed for years on end.
Too many people are prescribed medication to cure "the blues", I agree. But for some of us, certain mind medications act as insulin does for a diabetic: there is simply something "wrong" in the brain that causes the mind to work in a way that is not conducive to a fulfilling life.
For the record, I'm on high doses of escitalopram for uncontrollable panic attacks (with either no or completely irrational external stimuli) and a low dose of bupropion for depression that lasted for most of my pre-medicated adult life, again with no or irrational external stimuli.
Before the medication, life was simply misery, pain and fear. With it, I feel as I imagine a healthy person feels without drugs. I'm sad when there are things to be sad about and afraid when there's something to be frightened of, but I don't constantly sit in the dark in my room alternately hyperventilating and crying for no reason whatsoever with pain in my chest similar to a heart attack.
I am a strong advocate for people to *not* take medications when they're simply reacting to life situations. I always shudder when someone says something like, "oh, the doctor prescribed Lexapro because I was having trouble dealing with a break-up". Not only is this harmful to the person who doesn't truly need the medication, but it also creates the impression that those of us with serious psychiatric disorders are simply too weak to deal with them like the rest of you do.
Oh, and also for the record, I'd like to punch Tom Cruise square in the face. :D
1. Me too.
2. unfortunately money is a strong stressor, maybe the strongest as a result of our societal 'beliefs' - note that even as we bail out the banks they are still buying airplanes - money is an illusion, it's tough to hang onto that concept, but you can re-educate (un-brain-wash) yourself about it - it may be hard to see now, but it will work out
3. lots of people have student loans and there is no 'debtor's prison" -everyone will be in the same boat once a pandemic hits, or we run out of food. ignore the creditors/collectors until you can get a grip - 90% is ludicrous, commit something you can afford, send the cheques, don't speak to them or take their calls
4. doctors and the pharmaceutical industries prop each other's money volume up, so you are right to be suspicious, but not ALL doctors are corrupt
5. there is a herb known commonly as St. John's Wort, that is the first thing prescribed in many Euro countries. it TOTALLY worked for me (but maybe not for everyone) 300mg x 3times/day for 6 weeks will be enough (steady heavy dose, don't go over or under) - read up on it or get advice, as you shouldn't be doing magic mushrooms while undergoing this dosage (and probably other things) - notably, I heard about a study saying that magic mushrooms will keep depression at bay too, but I wouldn't recommend that... booze is a depressant, so drink as little as you can for a while, and marijuana will only distract you, not cure it. easy on the coffee for a while too - calm thyself.
6. get as much sunshine as you can, and get an injection of vitamin B12 once a month (for a while)
7. some people may see depression in you, and it throws them off, which will further throw you off - try to remain calm and take as many hugs as you can handle, even when not in the mood - human contact is a great healer - if you have no friends, join the wrestling team or take a waltz course
8. in all but extreme cases, it will go away.
9.I am not a doctor
lol, yeah.
I hope you don't have kids, my mother had that same belief. My sister and I were afraid of her for a good 15 years or so. She would turn depressed feelings of the death of her husband (my biological father) into accusations like "It's all your fault". Sure, it works great for the person getting angry, but there is a price to pay with that mindset.
Wonderful. Replace one negative emotion with another, more violent one! Good advice!
Of course that won't fix that real problem, but you wan't care anymore, and that's cool!
Come on folks! If you're "depressed" grow some balls and LOOK AT your problem, only then you can fix it.
- From Superman to Superwoman which chronicles her 20yr journey from pharma drugs to orthomolecular medicine in treating her manic depression
http://www.vistamagonline.com/articles/page.php?s=interview_with_margot_kidder&page=1
AND watch
‘Masks of Madness: Science of Healing’
http://www.orthomed.org/store/masks/movie.html
Dr. Abram Hoffer, and actress Margot Kidder are featured in this two-part video series. This is a great introduction to Orthomolecular Psychiatry, and the key role of nutrients in the medical model for disorders such as “bipolar” and “schizophrenia”.
Some people do just need to evaluate their lives and deal with their problems. But other people have serious chemical imbalances that leave them feeling miserable, even when things are going great. Maybe you should learn something about psychiatrics before you go around talking crap.
I have since made my peace with my parents and we all understand the situation a LOT better than we did back then. But to hear someone like Dandy imply that depressed people are really just in...I don't know, denial? a lack of willingness to examine one's own life? I'm not really willing to put the details of my life or what caused my depression up here on the Internets for just anyone to read, suffice it to say that Dandy, you do not know of what you speak. And attitudes like that just make it that much harder for depressives to get the help they need, whether it's to see a mental health professional or even just ask a friend for help.
My psychiatrist is a cognitive therapist. He told me up front he had no interest in keeping me in therapy for years and years. He did prescribe an antidepressant, in order to get my depression "out of the way," as he put it, much like taking an aspirin for a headache, so that we could work on what was the root cause.
I'm in a much, much better place than I was six years ago, or for much of my life leading up to that for that matter, but I had to hit rock bottom before I got desperate enough to get help, and a lot of that was because of mental conditioning to just "suck it up and deal."
Josh, change your phone number and take some time to get yourself well, then you'll be able to handle your student loan problem with a clearer head.
YOU have to care for YOU because SallieMae apparently doesn't care.
Those of you who have been dissing that statement are taking it the wrong way. This is actually good advice for those coping with depression but admittedly, it needs some clarification. Here's the scoop: feelings of anger, if not released, turn into feelings of sadness. A contributing problem for many depressed people is that they have not yet learned healthy ways to feel, and thus release, their anger before it turns to sadness.
This is particularly a problem for females who have fewer socially acceptable ways to vent their anger. And females, more than males in our society, are generally taught to "be nice" - to be cooperative not confrontive, keep disagreements to a minimum, etc.
The problem is, after years of deep-6'ing your anger and burying it inside yourself, it burrows a knot in your stomach and leads to, you guessed it, depression. So the trick is to find healthy ways to get your anger out. When you feel angry, pay attention to it. Don't deny or ignore the emotion. Feel it. Have healthy ways prepared for how you will deal with the anger. Hit a pillow as hard as you can, buy a punching bag and hit the crap out of it when you need to, journal your thoughts, write furiously until the rage passes, scream at the top of your lungs (only if you're somewhere no one can hear you - go for a drive and do it), etc.
Hope this helps. Great article, by the way.
I don't subscribe to that school of thought.
I'm 40 and have suffered depressive episodes throughout my life, that's true. However, I don't believe just because I've had a handful of 6-12 month deep depressions that I'm doomed to have them for the rest of my life nor is anyone else.
I still have to believe that there will be one day when I will conquer depression for good. It will be the day that I finally change the way I think. I'm working on it. It will come. Brain chemicals play only a small part. If someone dropped a million bucks in my lap right now, you wouldn't believe how fast my mood would change. Then, the daily financial pressure of being poor in the United States would be gone and I'd be able to see the sunrise without those dark clouds in the way.
www.bipolar.com
www.nimh.nih.gov
www.adaa.org
I hope someone gets some use out of the information I just passed on. One thin I will say is that having a suport group always helps. My group is my husband my grandparents and some close friends. But a suport group can be any number of people.
Have a good one y'all
FUCK you both. i bet you guys/girls are just lonely ignorant people who no one want to be around. "dandy"--YOU grow some balls and get out of tom cruise's vagina. i guess being normal is very hard to think about how others aren't that fortunate.
then to "whatisadisease?", the DSM books aren't stupid or anything like you said. they're like all the other medical books that help doctors find the diagnoses for their patients.
i'm bipolar and i have ADHD, i'm only 17..the mania screwed up my 9th grade year and i'm stlil paying for all the screwed up things i did. broke my hand in a fight that cost me sports and not being able to play the drums or guitar very well..loss of credits for absences from being too depressed to get out of bed in 10th..some friends from thinking i was too weird when i was going through the mania. i wasn't feeling sorry for myself those two years. i didn't know what i was feeling was wrong. i didn't even realize i wasn't in a dream. so to the rest of you who KNOW EXACTLY what i'm talking about, good luck to you all. my friends, girlfriend, and family always tell me how proud they are of me for getting my life back together and living stronger. i think that's what really gets us all through the days. and for those who don't, my heart goes out to you..those with depression like Josh, NEED a doctor. some medications don't work for some. i was fortunate that 150mg of lamictal worked for me for the last 4 years. so it's different for every person...so get some help please. the light is at the end of the tunnel..it just takes some time to see that light.
for those who wanna act like they're better than people like me, screw you. don't EVER tell someone who acknowledges they live with an incurable disorder to "get over it", "be happy","stop worrying so much", "grow some balls",etc. WE as a nation of survivors against our minds are stronger than you're "healthy minded" self. some might not show it, but hey, they're alive aren't they? that's the strength that we subconsciously have. the strength most ignorant people will NEVER have.
You really hit it on the nose I too suffer from major depression, and it isn't easy for everyone to understand that either. Plus I think people before they open their mouths needs to do their homework on Depression they would be surprised that there are many types of depression. It's good wow that you are getting your life back from the mania I hope that you keep up the good work. Everyone deals with depression in their own way I actually had a co-worker come out her mouth with "We all get depressed so deal with it". Which pissed me off royally but she sure shut her mouth after the next day I brought her information about depression. She then apologized to me not realizing that depression is an incurable diease. Sure we take medication and go to shrinks or other ways to try to control our depression, but all in all we still have it for the rest of our lives we can either let it get to us or we can live our lives to the fullest.
How I wish I would have seen this weeks ago. Hope you are all doing well. I suffered depression/panic attacks for 3 years. My first time, I went through 2 weeks of little or no sleep, my body was constantly shaking 24/7, I couldn't eat, heart pounded faster than normal, my mind was either racing or numb. I cried and prayed for it to stop. My doctor put me on Paxil and I suffered one of the side effects. I wanted to kill myself. I could not see relief, couldn't remember normal. I wanted it to stop so badly, that was all I could think of. I stood in my kitchen and stared at the knife drawer, my own mind convincing me it would be alright, just push it through your heart and it will all stop and you won't feel the pain any more. I was home with my then 13 yr old son. And my love for him is the only thing that stopped me. I couldn't let him remember me that way. I called my husband and he came home right away. I stopped taking the meds, bad idea. It's best to let the docs ween you off. I found relief in the Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety (they also help with depression). Yes this cost money ($500) I paid in installments. It helped me understand myself and opened up a world to me I did not know existed. People, everywhere, that were feeling the same things I felt. I can't express how much I believe in their program. I carry my cards with me all the time. I haven't had to use them but I keep them to share. Please give it a chance, you can go online and check out their site. For me the worst part was accepting I was the only one that could help me, I had to believe in myself, learn to like and then love who I am and what I have become despite my upbringing and childhood and constant fallbacks. I am happy, not rich, not famous, my marriage is not the best and my kids are a huge pain in my butt, but I love and accept them the way they are and will do all I can for them. I am happy to be alive and healthy and be able to share this experience with others. It took a long time and many small relapses, but knowing and understanding the symptoms helped me cope with them and then one day, they just stopped and it's been a good 2 yrs now. If ever I feel anxious, I drink some Tension Tamer Tea by Celestial Seasonings. It tastes yucky, I use plenty of honey and it does calm me down, also chamomile. I cut down on caffeine but can't get over sweets, I love candy.
Take care of yourselves and I truly hope this will help you, you deserve to be happy.
My point is that there will always be reasons to be depressed (mine are being single, childless, poor at 45 and raised by emotionally absent parents). But it is NOT NORMAL to spend half your time (or more)being depressed. THIS IS A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE. You don't tell a diabetic to "start making insulin". You give them insulin. Their lives are not easy and they have to take extra care of themselves, but they do lead productive lives.
I take an anti-depressant, otherwise I wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning. But I also must exercise, watch what I eat, keep up socially & spiritually (isolating is the worst thing you can do for depression). If I don't do these other "therapies" I go right down hill again. So medication is never enough for me - and probably not for anyone else. On the other hand, without my meds I'd be 6ft under by now.
If you are chronically depressed, get help - but don't expect the little pill to be a quick fix.
you know what you're talking about---the best advice so far.
I tried to stay busy , go to the beach, and hang out with friends but it only got worse. I began to feel isolated and so I turned into a hermit. I only left the house to go to work. I felt guilty because nothing traumatic had happened to me. I was fine right before it all went downhill and now my mind feels clouded like someone took it or something.
I tried to kill myself twice. It was a regular day and then I snapped and wanted nothing more than to end it all, such a strong force that came over me while running errands. I got locked up in an asylum and diagnosed as bipolar.
I felt terrible for thinking depressed people were whiners or just couldn't cope with life.Now I am one of them. All I have to say is I understand people that are confused by this illness. I am too, and I don't expect people to understand because you can't fathom it unless you live it.
This is the craziest thing that has ever happened to me, but with God I will survive somehow and be cured and if not He will give us all the strength to go on until He calls us home.
Just because you feel like you will "get over" your temporary condition, that doesn't mean that everyone's situation is curable. There are plenty of people that were born with a chemical imbalance or some other type of physical disconnect that simply prevents them from seeing life the way most people do.
I think you need to get over yourself.
My childhood was a horror movie and half of my adult life I didn't know that this thing I would do was from depression and anxiety. I was molested for ten years and had a drunk mother. My feeling of death sadness and wanting to avoid people was a everyday drug. I would feel that it wasn't normal if wasn't able to cry and feel sorry for me being alive. After dealing with never being able to have a baby that the dirty little medical condition came out at work home everywhere and there was no more hiding it. There was help for me and talking it out and taking meds can and will help. Please don't until your are not in control. God Bless
Did you ever heard about homeopathic or herbal remedies.just google in the net to find more info.
also you can find a good herbelist/homeopath for helf.
the good thing is no side effects,but it doesn't works for everybody.good luck and all the best to you!