Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness
June 7, 2008 by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Starting Monday, June 9, 2008 and running until Saturday, June 14, 2008, the b5media Health & Wellness Channel is rolling out the red carpet and holding Celebrity Health Week!
Given that this is a mental health blog, I figured I’d go the celebrities and mental health route.
While I generally try to stay away from talking about celebrities wait, that’s a lie, I talk about celebrities a good deal. Especially my Wenti. So let’s start over.
While I generally try to stay away from talking about the mental health of celebrities here at Mental Health Notes, there have still been times when I’ve written about celebrities and mental health issues.
Why?
Well, like I’ve said before, while I believe a person’s mental health (and any kind of health, for that matter) is his or her own business, I also believe that when a celebrity brings his or her mental illness out into the open, it helps bust stigma and show others that they, too, can live full and productive lives even with mental illness.
So, I try to limit my writings of celebrities and mental illnesses to posts only about celebrities who have either publicly spoken about or written about their mental health issues, or have had reliable sources such as family members come forward with the celebrity’s mental illness.
Seriously. If you were a famous actor or singer, would you want some random bloggers, journalists, and entertainment shows who don’t really know squat about you talking about what’s going on with your brain unless you’d already announced it?
I didn’t think so.
So, during Celebrity Health Week, I’ll be blogging about celebrities who have already publicly announced, talked about, or written about their own mental health issues; giving you more information about several kinds of mental illness; and publishing letters to three different people – alive and dead – who reportedly have or had a mental illness.
There will be 18 posts in all during Celebrity Health Week, and once it gets underway the chart below will act as a “home base” for all the links. You know, to help you stay organized.
As you wait for Monday, let these mental health- and celebrity-related posts tide you over:
- Meet Famous Poets Who Lived With Mental Illness
- Harry Potter Saved Rowling’s Sanity
- In The World Of Show Biz, It Pays To Be Crazy
- Celebrities With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Smile For The Camera!
- And The A.S.S Award Goes To…TMZ.com
- Is Paris Hilton Mentally Ill?
Image: Newscom
Do you want to tell the world why you ROCK? If you have a mental illness and are still living the life you love, head on over the the official announcement post and enter This Is Why I ROCK! today!
I think it’s interesting to note, too, that celebrities tend to eat and drink healthier than the average person. What does this say about a nutritional link to mental illness? Why not drink Purple all day and load up on antioxidants, and that is supposed to help keep a sharp mental edge. From what I’ve seen it actually does help.
Wow, Alicia! You have a serious plan here. I am envious of your chart! (but will definitely be stopping in to read)
@ Apple – Thanks for chiming in! Nutrition indeed plays a huge role in our mental health. I would imagine that celebrities who eat well are being kind to their brains – nutritionally, of course
@ Gabrielle – This has been a HUGE undertaking, and it’s just Monday, haha! It’s so much easier to make the plan than it is to actually carry it out, lol, but I’m determined to cover this topic as thoroughly as I can. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for the post