25/09/2024 by Therapy For You

Celebrities who open up about their mental health: What can we learn?

When we’re having a hard time with our mental health, it can be easy to think that we’re all alone – like nobody else understands how we feel. But the truth is, millions of people in the UK live with a mental health problem.

You might then assume that these challenges are only experienced by everyday people – that fame, fortune and success lead to a life free of worry and hardship. In reality, mental health struggles are universal.

It doesn’t matter how glamorous a celebrity’s life may seem or how famous an individual is – anyone can find themselves coping with emotional difficulties, such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks or anything in between.

By shining a spotlight on a handful of well-known figures and how they worked through their own challenges, we hope this article reminds you that wellbeing issues are normal, and that speaking up and taking action can help you feel better.

Paloma Faith – Postnatal depression

Paloma Faith is a musical artist renowned for her emotive performances and popular songs. She’s also a famous figure who has been open about her struggles with postnatal depression.

After giving birth to her first child in 2016, Paloma went through a period where she questioned if she would ever feel happy again. During this time, she was on tour – a process she found hard to enjoy and even harder to balance with her family life.

“I think being pregnant is often glorified as this beautiful sentimental thing. But for me, pregnancy represents quite a lot of anxiety, especially after my traumatic first birth and the postpartum depression I experienced.”

Paloma’s candidness is a powerful reminder that the journey of motherhood isn’t always straightforward. But by speaking up, being kind to yourself and creating a network of supportive voices, you can better manage these challenges and achieve a better quality of life.

Prince Harry – Anxiety

Popular celebrities are not the only kind of public figures who can face emotional difficulties in their daily life. As Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, so candidly shared, these mental health issues can even affect nobility.

Despite his years of experience speaking publicly, meeting world leaders and representing his country abroad, Prince Harry at certain points found himself dealing with high levels of anxiety. During this period, he described how he would be drenched in sweat and overwhelmed by fear before a speech or public appearance.

To overcome these unhelpful thoughts, Harry relies on regular sessions of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (or EMDR therapy) – a helpful technique that can ease the weight of trauma and make the memories associated feel less distressing.

Selena Gomez – Depression

A world-renowned actress and singer-songwriter, you could be forgiven for thinking that Selena Gomez’s many accolades would result in a life of constant joy.

But the reality is, Selena is one of millions of people who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression. Reflecting on her mental health disorders in an interview, she said:

“My self-esteem was shot. I was depressed, anxious – I started to have panic attacks right before getting on stage, or right after leaving the stage.”

Selena started attending therapy sessions regularly to help her better manage her mental health. She also made a conscious decision to take a step back from social media – helpful advice we can all apply in our daily lives when we’re feeling low, sad or generally out of sorts.

Will Poulter – OCD

Will Poulter is a famous actor who has starred in countless films. With a strong following, a growing list of credits and a charming on-screen presence, you might think mental health issues are a passing concern for talent like Will.

However, as someone who has lived with OCD, generalised anxiety disorder and clinical depression since his teenage years, Will has been very forthcoming about his challenges.

For him, the mental health stigma around these difficulties made it hard for him to speak up in his personal life, especially early on.

To break down these barriers and encourage more open, honest conversations, Will does more than use his platform to raise awareness of mental health. In recent years, he’s joined up with charities like Movember and Mind to become a celebrity mental health advocate and spread the message far.

Dame Kelly Holmes – Self-harm

As a British record holder, Olympic gold medal winner, and an incredibly successful middle-distance runner, it can be hard to picture Dame Kelly Holmes as someone who struggles with any kind of emotional challenges.

But, as she has so bravely described, the high expectations associated with being an athlete of this stature sadly led her to suicidal thoughts: "Where half of you wants to live and the other half of you doesn't".

"I got to the point when I was 33 years old, which was the year before the Olympic games, getting ready for a world championship where I had a huge breakdown because of the pressure and expectation on myself to be good.”

As well as stepping away from stressful life events, she has also found that being active outside of competitions is an important part of her life and her recovery. While running and gym sessions may be Kelly’s activities of choice, even a short walk can do wonders for our own wellbeing.

For more advice on getting active and how it can help you improve your wellbeing, check out our article “The mood-boosting effects of exercise on your mental health”.

David Beckham – OCD

There isn't time or space to list Beckham's incredible sporting achievements, let alone what he’s achieved as a fashion icon, brand ambassador, humanitarian and charity advocate.

Yet, as impressive as these accolades are, Beckham is still someone who has to manage the day-to-day challenges of OCD. As he has explained in the past:

"I'll go into a hotel room. Before I can relax, I have to move all the leaflets and all the books and put them in a drawer. Everything has to be perfect."

While it might seem hard to believe that such a huge sporting icon is concerned by the smaller aspects of his environment, the fact is, OCD is a real difficulty that anyone can experience, regardless of fame, fortune or success.

Stacey Solomon – Postnatal depression

While it’s easy to think fame or financial security might shield someone from postnatal depression, for hugely successful TV personality Stacey Solomon, the impact of postnatal depression was sadly very real.

"I felt really trapped, like I'm going to be terrible, I'm not going to be able to do this, I can't live up to what the responsibility is."

Her experience reminds us that postnatal depression can affect anyone. But, by being vocal about her challenges, Stacey was able to move past her difficulties and encourage others who were facing similar challenges to speak up and get support.

Adele – Anxiety

Despite being a 15-time Grammy winner and one of the world’s most successful artists, Adele has been candid about her struggles with anxiety in the past.

"I'm scared of audiences. One show in Amsterdam I was so nervous and just escaped through the fire exit. I've also thrown up a couple of times. I don't like touring, I have anxiety attacks a lot."

Adele’s experience is a strong reminder that anxiety can affect anyone. It also shows us that even in the face of adversity, by talking about what’s on our mind, it is possible to move forward and continue doing what we love.

Finding it hard to manage how you feel?

No matter how successful or talented someone may be, everyone faces difficulties with their wellbeing from time to time.

If you're one of the many struggling to cope right now, you don’t have to endure these unhelpful thoughts and emotions forever.

Just as the celebrities we’ve talked about in this article have done, taking action and talking about your challenges can help guide you toward a brighter, more positive future.

As more well-known celebrities continue to share their hardships, it’s a reminder that these issues are a part of being human – and something you can overcome with the right support.

Our team at Therapy For You – the local NHS provider of talking therapies in North East and South East Essex – are here to help you find your path to feeling better at your own pace.

With a wide range of innovative online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) courses freely available, and a flexible choice of treatment options, we can help you work through your problems – all in a way that suits your preferences:

For more about Therapy For You and the support we can provide, get in touch with our mental health professionals today or use our free Limbic chat service.

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