Celebrities Becoming More Open About Depression
Tuesday January 23, 2007
It seems that more and more I am reading articles about celebrities who have openly confessed to being depressed. In the Februrary issue of Jane, singer Mandy Moore admits, "A few months ago I felt really low, really sad. Depressed for no reason"; Scrubs star Zach Braff recently told Parade Magazine that he thinks he suffers from "mild depression" and that his fans help him cope; Dreamgirls star Beyoncé Knowles told People she went through depression, not eating and staying in her room, when her band Destiny's Child broke up; and, Jessica Simpson was reported on the gossip site Fametastic to be curtailing her holiday activities because she was feeling down. These are just a sampling of recent news stories. Why are there so many celebrity depression stories? Did celebrities like Marie Osmond and Brooke Shields, who both confessed to Postpartum Depression in recent years, open up the way for people in the spotlight to be more open about their emotional problems? Or has this become yet another way to gain public sympathy and publicity?
Comments
Maybe it is no more a secret but part of life to have a depression. Maybe the doctor has adviced to be open about it. I’m also have a depression and when i talk about with people their reactions are always good. So why should i hide anyway?
(I’m Dutch so forgive my bad english)
I don’t think anyone is immune to the clutches of depression, including celebrities. I suppose when they are in pain over the ending of a relationship, or work related problems, then it is even more acute because of being in the public eye at all times.
In my experience my clients suffer from mis-identication. They believe the things they possess and the things they do for approval defines who they are. that this is their sense of self and esteem. When they lose their celebrity they lose their sense of self and in many cases depression is the result. This type of self esteem is termed pseudo self esteem.
I agree with this entry. I think that, while some celebrities may suffer from depression, I think many “admit to it” for the attention. I also don’t think that the public is properly educated about depression. But, that’s just one mans opinion.