Hello Internet!
Today I will be discussing the influence that celebrity figures can have on mental health issues. Mental health is not something that is commonly addressed in our society and when someone who is higher up in the hierarchy of fame discusses it, we are more likely to listen. I think that it’s hard to talk about mental health because it goes against what our lives should be like. We SHOULD be stress-free. We SHOULD be happy. We SHOULD live our lives in a way that makes our society a better place. When someone suffers from mental health issues, they often are unable to meet the requirements of our societies SHOULDS and instead of turning the SHOULDS into TRYING-TOS, we turn them into TOO-LAZYS or NOT-TRYING-HARD-ENOUGHS. When a well-known person has the courage to say that they suffer from mental health issues, it acts as a wake-up call to all of us who judge those who are trying to live like they should.
Glenn Close, an actress, and mental health advocate, wrote an article for the Huffington Post called Mental Illness: The Stigma of Silence. In the article, she calls to question why our society is unable to discuss and fix the problem of discrimination against mental illness. She writes: “It is an odd paradox that a society, which can now speak openly and unabashedly about topics that were once unspeakable, still remains largely silent when it comes to mental illness.” Over the past century, our country has become increasingly more accepting of minority groups. The civil rights movement, the women’s rights movement, and the recent movement for gay equality has proven that the stigma towards these groups, once present in our everyday society, is dissipating.
This is fabulous news for those groups that have sought freedom and equal rights for centuries. Everyone over the age of eighteen can now vote, no matter their gender or race, which used to be an unfathomable idea. There are also more interracial marriages than ever before which proves that people’s mindset of racial superiority is changing. We have made so much progress towards the infamous statement in the Declaration of Independence that declares, “…all men are created equal…” but we have forgotten about one major demographic that is still heavily misunderstood and discriminated against: those suffering from mental illness.
Another big star that had the courage to go public about her mental health issues is Demi Lovato. Lovato has struggled with drug abuse, mental illness problems, and eating disorders for her entire life. She struggled with anorexia, bulimia, and bipolar disorder. After seeking help in 2009 at the age of 19, Lovato has become an advocate for mental health awareness and currently works with mental health awareness groups all over the country. In an article with elle.com she says, “When I was bulimic, I knew it was a problem. When I was anorexic, I knew it was a problem. But I wasn’t in a place where I could quit by myself.” She entered rehab when she was on Disney Channel, which created some major headlines. It took courage to seek help and she is a role model for teenage girls everywhere who are struggling with mental health issues, eating disorders, or drug abuse issues.
Sometimes, all it takes is one person to make a difference in the world. A quote from one of my favorite TV shows, When Calls the Heart, reads: “Bad things happen if good people do nothing.” The issues and the stigma surrounding mental health are only going to continue if those who have something to say stay silent. Who knows; they might be holding back on saying the exact words that someone else needs to hear.
http://www.elle.com/culture/
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