Celebrities and Mental Health Issues

Is your favorite celebrity suffering from mental health issues and how can you tell? Mental health includes the way you feel about yourself, your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties. People who are mentally healthy are happy, have a zest for living, love to laugh and have fun, and feel a sense of purpose in their lives.

They are able to learn new things and adapt to change easily. They can deal with stress and bounce back from adversity, and have the ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships in their lives. This doesn't mean they never experience hard times or have emotional problems. We all go through disapointment, loss, and change. These are a normal part of life, the difference is that people with good mental health have the ability to bounce back from adversity.

Now let's look at some of the things that create good mental health and see if celebrities fit the bill shall we? Rest. Being well rested is important. Most celebrities work long grueling days punctuated by long periods of rest. That one's a toss up. Good nutrition and exercise. Yes, most celebrities keep in shape for their job and many are vegan or vegetarian. Doing things that positively affect others such as volunteering or giving to charities. Yes, many celebrities do. Learning or discovering new things. Yes, that's part of their jobs and many love to travel. Enjoying the beauty of nature or art. Again yes, this is common among celebrities and more than a few are artists themselves. With so many things in their favor how can they go wrong? Well, now let's look at the other side. What are the causes of poor mental health?

Alcohol, cigarette, and drug abuse. Oh oh. That one gets a lot of celebrities. Alcohol and drug abuse can create mental problems and make preexisting problems worse. Feeling lonely, confused, isolated, unsafe, or abused as a young child. Hard to say, but I know of a few celebrities who fit this bill. Illness, especially chronic or disabling. Yes, celebrities get cancer and other such illnesses just like the rest of us. Loss of a parent or other traumatic experiences such as hospitalization or loss of a partner. Sadly, yes, this happens to celebrities too. Mental health problems can also be brought on as a side effect of taking medications, especially in older people taking a variety of medications. How often have we heard of this happening?

The good news is that help is sometimes easier to find than most people might think. Having a friend who can listen without interrupting, judging, or criticizing can work wonders. However, it's not always as simple as that. If after a consistent effort to improve your mental and emotional health you still don't feel well it may be time to consult with a professional. This is not a bad thing but a normal thing and quite common among celebrities who can afford such services. Unfortunately, no public option exists in psychology for the rest of us.