FAMOUS PEOPLE WITH DEPRESSION

"Despite their fame, celebrities are not exempt from the feelings of low self-worth and sadness, restlessness, irritability, and apathy associated with depression. Many stars suffer from bouts of crying and fatigue, and have difficulty concentrating. They lose sleep, weight, and interest. They withdraw. But their depression isn’t just juicy tabloid fodder—they are insights into a condition that affects 19 million Americans every year. Here’s a look at some familiar faces of people with depression.

JIM CARREY

"Jim Carrey made a career on making people laugh, yet Carrey’s humor was born out of “desperation” while growing up with an ailing mother and an unemployed father. To help make ends meet, he dropped out of high school and went to work full time. Depression was a constant battle for Carrey, and he was medicated off and on for years. These days, he relies on his spirituality to get him through the valleys.

J.K. ROWLING

"Before becoming a wildly successful author and creator of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling contemplated suicide while a single mother in a cramped apartment after her marriage dissolved. She thought of suicide, but instead Rowling used her daughter as motivation to rise above grim circumstances and began writing what would become a multi-billion-dollar franchise. She often reflects back on those darker days, but doesn’t blame herself.

BILLY JOEL

"The talented six-time Grammy winner has long struggled with a depression that frequently coincides with alcoholism and failed marriages. In 1970, Joel attempted suicide, later turning his suicide note into the song “Tomorrow Is Today.” Although he’s had a scattered history of stints of sobriety and relapses, Joel has everything mostly in control these days, noting that it’s an ongoing battle for the piano man.  . .

"As these celebrity stories have illustrated, money and fame can’t buy happiness. Depression can strike anyone. Like many celebrities did, getting the right support is important to overcoming depression. If you’re suffering from depression, or know someone who is, you are not alone. It’s important you know how to get the right treatment.

Depression is a serious mental health condition that affects one in 10 Americans, including celebrities like comedian Jim Carrey and astronaut Buzz Aldrin."

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SOURCE: http://www.healthline.com/