It seems veteran American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler has joined the long list of celebrities who’ve struggled with mental health issues, and the slightly shorter list of celebrities who’ve actually spoken publicly about those struggles.

According to Yahoo! TV, Pickler discusses depression, antidepressants, emotional wreckage, and an overall “crumbling” of her personal life in an upcoming People interview.

Although Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, and Taylor Hicks were my season five faves, I always liked Kellie Pickler, and now I love the fact that she’s openly talking about her mental health. Like I said with Britney, it’s a great way to promote mental health awareness and bust stigma.

Image: PicApp.com

Post from: Blisstree

Kellie Pickler Discusses Depression With People

It’s July 26, and for completely random reasons, it’s time for another edition of What Do You Really Want?

Since the last edition of What Do You Really Want?, there’s been a pretty well-balanced mix of serious and hilarious searches. So, I thought I’d represent them both. And, hopefully I’ve been able to point you in the right direction with each of them.

5 MHN Search Phrases I May or May Not Be Able to Help You With

1. “celebrities disorder” – Hmm…while I’m not opposed to discussing the possibility that being a celebrity might actually be a problem, I do believe it’s yet to be labeled as a disorder. If you’re looking for celebrities with mental health disorders, try Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness for a round up of posts related to famous people and mental illness. If it’s just good, juicy celebrity scoop you’re looking for, try b5media’s Celebrities Channel.
2. “how to increase memory of men” – Ha! Start forgetting things yourself. You know, important things. *wink wink*
3. “opinions about pzizz” – You’re in luck! I reviewed this product earlier this month, and I really liked it. Check it out: Product Review: Using pzizz to Treat Sleep Problems and Increase Energy.
4. “personality disorder and cartoon” – My blogging buddy Chato B. Stewart is a seriously talented cartoonist and creates some pretty funny mental health cartoons. You should definitely check out his site, Mental Health Humor.
5. “trans atlantic lunatic asylum” – I’m not familiar with a “Trans Atlantic Lunatic Asylum,” but I am familiar with the old Weston Hospital, which is now referred to as the “Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.” If that’s the one you meant, join in the conversations at these Mental Health Notes posts: Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum Upsets Mental Health Advocates and Ghost Hunters Declare The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum Haunted.

Well, that’s all for the July edition of What Do You Really Want? Keep your searches coming and maybe yours will be featured next month!

Image: morgueFile

Post from: Blisstree

Mental Health Notes Asks: What Do You Really Want? July Edition

Celebrity Health Week is over, and boy, and I glad.

Actually, Celebrity Health Week was technically over on Saturday, but as last week was quite eventful for me away from the computer, my own Celebrity Health Week posts carried over to early this morning.

I also opted to cut some of the posts out of the original Celebrity Health Week schedule. Honestly, given the busy week I had and the fact that I was just getting tired of writing about celebrities and mental health, I decided to cut myself some slack. It’s as simple as that.

Sure, I have, from time to time, mentioned famous people and mental illness here at Mental Health Notes; however, I’m not entirely comfortable with it, which is why I normally choose to only write about well-publicized information that has come directly from the famous person’s mouth or a seriously reliable source.

In any event, I hope Celebrity Health Week at Mental Health Notes taught everyone a few things. It definitely reinforced a few truths for me.

• Having a mental illness doesn’t mean you can’t have relationships and children, work your ideal job, and live your dreams.
• While your own health – physical and mental – is your own business, publicly acknowledging your mental health issues can be empowering. Not only does it leave little room for people to criticize you (honestly, there’s not much else for someone to say when you look them in the eye and say, “Yeah, I have bipolar disorder. What about it?”), but it also helps others understand that they’re not alone and it helps bust stigma.

So, in closing to Celebrity Health Week:

• I want to thank all the celebrities who have come forward with their mental health problems, and especially those who have become mental health advocates.
• I want to apologize to anyone about whom I’ve passed along incorrect information.
• I want to thank all the readers who commented and shared their thoughts, or corrections, on the Celebrity Health Week posts.

Tomorrow, we’ll get back to plain ol’ mental health issues! In the meantime, what are your thoughts regarding Celebrity Health Week at Mental Health Notes?

Image: Newscom

If you have a mental illness and are still living the life you love, head on over to This Is Why I ROCK! and enter!

Post from: Blisstree

Celebrity Health Week Comes To A Close

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

In this Celebrity Health Week post, we’ll take a look at some celebrities who have either reportedly attempted suicide, or who have completed suicide.

Please note that I am not an authority on celebrities and mental illness, nor am I an authority on celebrities who have committed suicide. For a celebrity to be on this list, he or she or a spouse or reliable family member must have publicly discussed – verbally or otherwise – his or her suicide attempt or completion, or, in the case of the deceased, professionals must have addressed it later on.

Read on.

Halle Berry, actress, discussed her attempt at suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning with Parade.

Drew Carey, comedian, actor, and game show host, discussed his depression and two suicide attempts – one at the age of 18 and another in his 20s – with Nancy O’Dell of Access Hollywood.

Robert Van Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice (Ice Ice Baby!), reportedly attempted suicide twice in 1994 after struggles with drug abuse, depression, and being dropped from his record label.

Drew Barrymore, former seriously troubled child star turned seriously successful actress and producer, attempted suicide during her early teenage years.

Gary Coleman, actor, disclosed two suicide attempts by sleeping pills in a 1993 Geraldo interview.

Brigitte Bardot, actress, reportedly attempted suicide twice.

Johnny Cash, country music singer, attempted suicide in 1967.

Walt Disney, Academy Award-winning film producer, screenwriter, director, animator, voice actor, and entrepreneur, reportedly attempted suicide in the early 1930s.

Eminem, aka Marshall Mathers, rapper, reportedly attempted suicide in the mid 1990s.

Kim Mathers, Eminem’s two-time ex, reportedly attempted suicide in 2000.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, author, reportedly attempted suicide.

Judy Garland, actress, reportedly attempted suicide in the early 1950s. Some speculate her accidental death by overdose was actually suicide.

Billy Joel, musician, reportedly attempted suicide in the early 1970s.

John McCain, the potential next President of the United States, reportedly attempted suicide during Vietnam.

Mindy McCready, country music singer, reportedly attempted suicide twice.

Sinead O’Connor, musician, reportedly attempted suicide in the late 1990s.

Yoko Ono, artist, musician, and John Lennon’s widow, reportedly attempted suicide in the 1960s.

Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of F@&*#%g Darkness!, reportedly attempted suicide several times as a teenager.

Jack Osbourne, the Prince’s son, frankly discusses his depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and suicide attempt in his book 21 Years Gone: The Autobiography.

Lee Harvey Oswald, John F. Kennedy’s assassin, reportedly attempted suicide when he failed to gain Soviet citizenship.

Edgar Allan Poe, writer and poet, reportedly attempted suicide in the late 1840s.

Lou Reed, musician whose parents confined to a mental hospital to “ward off” homosexual behavior, reportedly attempted suicide.

Donna Summer, singer, reportedly attempted suicide.

Elizabeth Taylor, actress, reportedly attempted suicide.

Tina Turner, singer, reportedly attempted suicide in the late 1960s.

Sid Vicious, former Sex Pistols bassist, reportedly attempted suicide in 1978. Vicious died of a drug overdose in 1979.

Hank Williams, Jr., singer and son of Hank Williams, Sr., reportedly attempted suicide in the 1970s.

Owen Wilson, actor, reportedly attempted suicide in 2007.

Sadly, the following celebrities completed their suicides:

• Kurt Cobain, musician and lead singer of Nirvana.
• Ernest Hemingway, writer.
• Margaux Hemingway, actress and Ernest’s granddaughter.
• Terry L. Long, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman.
• Marilyn Monroe, actress. (Though this is speculated.)
• Sylvia Plath, poet.
• Freddie Prinze, actor and father of Freddie Prinze, Jr.
• Anne Sexton, poet.
• Hunter S. Thompson, journalist and author.
• Vincent van Gogh, artist.
• Virginia Woolf, writer.

For more detailed lists, check out the NNDB’s lists of suicide attempts and suicide as causes of deaths.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more information about suicide, as well as my letters to a few of the people discussed during Celebrity Health Week.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Celebrities And Suicide

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

In this Celebrity Health Week post, we’ll take a look at some famous writers and artists who have a mental illness – or had, in the case of the deceased. I’ve covered several music artists throughout the series, so I think I’ll keep this post to writers and artists who were painters, sculptors, etc.

Unless I find one that interests me – say, a historical musician or someone like that.

Please note that I am not an authority on anyone who may have a mental illness. For an person to be on this list, he or she or a spouse or reliable family member must have publicly discussed – verbally or otherwise – his or her mental illness, or, in the case of the deceased, professionals must have addressed it later on.

Read on!

The following writers and artists have either reportedly spoken about their mental illnesses, or professionals have talked about the possibility of mental illness after their deaths.

Art Buchwald, deceased American humorist and well known for his column in The Washington Post, reportedly had bipolar disorder.

Patricia Cornwell, author, was quoted in The Times as admitting to taking a mood stabilizer because she was “wired differently” and that even though her “diagonosis goes back and forth” she’s “pretty sure” she has it. “It” being bipolar disorder. She also mentioned that it’s “not unusual for great artistic people to have bipolar disorder.” Hmm.

Hart Crane, deceased American poet, reportedly experienced episodes of both manic euphoria and deep depression, as well as struggled with alcohol abuse.

Dorothy Day, deceased American journalist and founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, reportedly experienced depression.

Theodore Dreiser, deceased American author, reportedly dealt with clinical depression.

George Eliot, deceased British author who was really Mary Anne Evans, reportedly had clinical depression.

Jules Feiffer, New York cartoonist, novelist, and playwright, has spoken of his depression.

F. Scott Fitzgerald, deceased American author, reportedly had clinical depression.

John Gibson, Irish pianist-composers, reportedly has bipolar disorder.

Amy Heckerling, writer, director, and genius behind Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Clueless, has spoken about her struggles with eating disorders.

Ernest Hemingway, deceased American writer, reportedly suffered from either clinical depression or bipolar disorder (probably bipolar disorder, as Patricia Cornwell’s so sure it’s not unusual for great artistic people to have it), and committed suicide in 1961.

Hermann Hesse, deceased German-Swiss writer and painter who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946, reportedly had clinical depression.

Jack Kerouac, deceased American writer and artist of the Beat Generation who became widely influential after his death, reportedly suffered from clinical depression and struggled with alcohol and substance abuse.

Norman Mailer, deceased American writer, reportedly dealt with clinical depression.

Kate Millett, American feminist writer and activist, discusses her bipolar disorder in The Loony-Bin Trip.

Spike Milligan, deceased British writer, reportedly had bipolar disorder.

Robert Munsch, American-born Canadian children’s writer, reportedly has obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder.

Georgia O’Keeffe, deceased American artist, reportedly suffered from clinical depression.

Eugene O’Neill, deceased American playwright who looked a whole lot like a younger version of the actor who played Barty Crouch in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, struggled with depression and alcoholism.

Walker Percy, deceased American writer, reportedly had clinical depression.

Pablo Picasso, deceased Spanish painter and sculptor, reportedly had clinical depression.

Sylvia Plath, deceased American poet, suffered from bipolar disorder and committed suicide in 1963. (Lively Women’s Kristen King contributed Sylvia Plath: Glimpse Into The Writer’s Mind to Mental Health Notes back in November.)

Edgar Allan Poe, deceased American writer, reportedly suffered from clinical depression and alcoholism.

Jackson Pollock, deceased American painter, reportedly dealt with clinical depression and substance abuse.

Cole Porter, deceased American lyricist and composer, reportedly had clinical depression, paranoid delusions, OCD, and alcoholism.

Mark Rothko, Latvian-born Jewish American painter, reportedly suffered from clinical depression.

Charles Schulz, deceased American cartoonist and mastermind behind Peanuts, reportedly suffered from clinical depression.

Anne Sexton, deceased American poet and writer, reportedly had clinical depression and committed suicide in 1974.

Neil Simon, American playwright and screenwriter, reportedly has clinical depression.

Paul Simon, Grammy-winning musician and composer and the man I can thank for the chills every time I hear “Hello darkness, my old friend…,” reportedly has clinical depression.

Joey Slinger, Canadian journalist and author, reportedly has clinical depression.

William Styron, deceased American novelist and essayist, reportedly had clinical depression.

Tracy Thompson, American journalist, talks about her depression and aims to bust stigma with her book The Beast: A Journey Through Depression.

Leo Tolstoy, deceased Russian writer, reportedly had clinical depression as well as struggled with alcohol and substance abuse.

Vincent van Gogh, deceased Dutch Post-Impressionist artist, reportedly had both clinical depression and bipolar disorder.

Kurt Vonnegut, deceased American author, reportedly had clinical depression.

Tennessee Williams, deceased American playwright, reportedly suffered from depression and alcohol abuse.

Note that this is not a comprehensive list of famous writers and artists who have or had mental illnesses; it’s merely a list of the ones for whom I’ve found information. As a matter of fact, you can check out the Home Based Family Services Network article on Famous People with Mental Illness, which undoubtedly includes writers and artists I haven’t mentioned here.

And, if you know of any others – and can provide credible sources – feel free to leave them in the comments.

In the meantime, stay tuned for information on celebrities and suicide as well as letters from me to a few famous folks!

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Famous Writers And Artists And Mental Illness

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

Now that we know which celebrities have or had schizophrenia, let’s take a look at the illness itself so you can better understand what these famous folks are going through.

Keep in mind that this post is just an overview and by no means meant to act as a substitute for medical professional advice.

I gathered information about schizophrenia from the National Alliance on Mental Illness and their section on Schizophrenia as well as the National Institute of Mental Health and their booklet about Schizophrenia.

After reading this overview of schizophrenia, I highly recommend checking out those Web sites for more detailed information.

Read on!

Quick Facts about Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that affects about 1% of Americans 18 years old and older. The disorder usually shows up in the teen and early adult years; however, it can occur at later times, especially for women. Having schizophrenia does not mean a person has split personalities, but it does mean the person may find it difficult to think clearly, tell the difference between reality and fantasy, manage their emotions, make decisions, and relate to others at times.

Signs and Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has three different kinds of symptoms: positive, negative, and cognitive.

Positive symptoms deal a lot with loss of reality (hallucinations, delusions, unusual thoughts and perceptions, etc.). Negative symptoms deal with reductions in normal behavior (decrease in abilities to speak, make and act on plans, enjoy activities, express emotion, etc.). And, cognitive symptoms are the ones that cause the most trouble when trying to lead a “normal” life as they deal with attention and memory problems as well as the brain’s executive functions (the ability to plan and organize, for example).

Schizophrenia Causes and Risk Factors

Like many mental illnesses, researchers still don’t know the exact cause of schizophrenia; however, they figure it is a combination of environmental and genetic factors.

Treatment Options for Schizophrenia

Because schizophrenia is a chronic disorder, it has to continue to be treated (just like diabetes!).

Medications (such as antipsychotic medications) and psychosocial treatment (such as illness management skills, integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse, rehabilitation, family education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and self-help groups) are usually combined to treat schizophrenia.

If you think you suffer from schizophrenia, contact your doctor. If you think someone you know suffers from schizophrenia, point him or her in the direction of these resources and encourage him or her to contact a doctor. There is absolutely nothing shameful or embarrassing about dealing with mental illness, and there are effective treatment options available.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Tell Me More About Schizophrenia: Signs, Symptoms, And Treatments

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

In this Celebrity Health Week post, we’ll take a look at some celebrities who have battled schizophrenia – or had, in the case of the deceased. We’ll look at actors and actresses, musicians, writers, and other well-known figures.

Please note that I am not an authority on celebrities and mental illness. For a celebrity to be on this list, he or she or a spouse or reliable family member must have publicly discussed – verbally or otherwise – his or her mental illness, or, in the case of the deceased, professionals must have addressed it later on.

Read on!

• Tom Harrell – Famous Jazz musician.
• Meera Popkin – Broadway star (think Cats and Miss Saigon).
• John Nash – Mathematician, Noble Prize winner, and subject of A Beautiful Mind.
• Eduard Einstein – Albert Einstein’s son.
• Lionel Aldridge – Former defensive end for the Green Bay Packers.
• Peter Green – Founder of Fleetwood Mac.
• Syd Barrett – Pink Floyd member until 1968.
• Alexander “Skip” Spence – Member of the 1960’s rock band Moby Grape as well as Jefferson Airplane.
• Bob Mosley – Another member of Moby Grape.
• James Beck Gordon (Jim Gordon) – Famous drummer who played with John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, the Everly Brothers, the Beach Boys, Judy Collins, Joe Cocker, Frank Zappa, Duane Allman, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, and Joan Baez until schizophrenia took hold.
• Jack Kerouac – Beat generation author.
• Rose Williams – Tennessee Williams’s sister.

Note that this is not a comprehensive list of celebrities who have battled schizophrenia; it’s merely a list of the celebrities for whom I’ve found information. If you know of any others – and can provide credible sources – feel free to leave them in the comments.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more information about schizophrenia as well as information about celebrities and suicide.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Celebrities And Schizophrenia

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

In this Celebrity Health Week post, we’ll take a look at some political figures who have a mental illness – or had, in the case of the deceased – as well as public figures who have a mental illness.

Please note that I am not an authority on anyone who may have a mental illness. For an person to be on this list, he or she or a spouse or reliable family member must have publicly discussed – verbally or otherwise – his or her mental illness, or, in the case of the deceased, professionals must have addressed it later on.

According to an article published by the Duke University Medical Center in 2006, 49% of US presidents had mental health problems.

49%.

That’s damn near half.

This post won’t focus solely on presidents, but will provide a well-rounded group of political figures and even their spouses.

Read on!

Abraham Lincoln spoke of his depression and was thought to have bipolar disorder.

Theodore Roosevelt was also thought to have bipolar disorder.

John Quincy Adams was thought to have clinical depression.

Calvin Coolidge was thought to have clinical depression.

Winston Churchill, a former British prime minister, was thought to have bipolar disorder.

Thomas Eagleton, a very short term running mate for 1972 presidential candidate George McGovern, was removed from the ticket after the public discovered he’d undergone electroconvulsive therapy for what was called “nervous exhaustion.” (I’ve also read Eagleton actually had bipolar disorder.

Patrick Kennedy, Ted Kennedy’s son and House Rep. for Rhode Island, announced he’d been diagnosed with and treated for clinical depression and bipolar disorder. Along with Senator Pete Domenici, Kennedy helped introduce legislation to place mental illness under the umbrella of health insurance. Kennedy has also won a plethora of awards in honor of his work, including: The Public Service Award from the Society for Neuroscience; Eli Lilly & Co. 2003 Helping Move Lives Forward Reintegration Awards; American Psychoanalytic Association 2003 President’s Award; American Psychiatric Association Alliance award; and the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Award from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.

Alma Powell, wife of Colin Powell, has talked openly about her depression.

Tipper Gore, wife of Al Gore, has talked about her depression and treatment as well as organized the first-ever White House Conference on Mental Health.

Kitty Dukakis, wife of former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, has battled depression and substance abuse issues and wrote about her success with electroconvulsive therapy in Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy.

Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s wife, experienced depression and a serious decline in her mental health after the deaths of Abraham and her son Tad. Her remaining son, Robert, placed her in Bellevue Nursing and Rest Home in Illinois after a juried trial declared her insane. Once she was released, another juried trial declared her sanity restored.

Note that this is not a comprehensive list of political and public figures who have or had mental illnesses; it’s merely a list of the ones for whom I’ve found information. If you know of any others – and can provide credible sources – feel free to leave them in the comments.

Until then, stay tuned for information about celebrities and schizophrenia, writers and artists and mental illnesses, and celebrities and suicide.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Political Figures And Mental Illness

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

In this Celebrity Health Week post, we’ll take a look at some celebrities who have obsessive-compulsive disorder – or had, in the case of the deceased. We’ll look at actors and actresses, musicians, writers, political figures, and other well-known figures.

Please note that I am not an authority on celebrities and mental illness. For a celebrity to be on this list, either he or or she or a spouse or reliable family member must have publicly discussed – verbally or otherwise – his or her mental illness, or, in the case of the deceased, professionals must have addressed it later on.

Read on!

Back in March, I wrote Celebrities With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Smile For The Camera! as part of the I Must Shave My Legs: The OCD Miniseries here at Mental Health Notes.

While it would be a bit redundant to re-list those famous people with OCD, I will point you in the direction of a few Web sites that go into detail about each celebrity’s obsessions and compulsions or offer a few more names to add to the list of celebrities with OCD:

• 12 Obsessive Celebs – A Life Less Disorder-nary
• Here to Help: Famous People with OCD
• OCD in the Media
• Celebrities with OCD
• Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation: In the Media

Stay tuned for information about obsessive-compulsive disorder, political figures and mental illness, and celebrities and suicide.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Celebrities And Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This post is part of Celebrity Health Week at the b5media Health & Wellness Channel. For more information about Celebrity Health Week posts here at Mental Health Notes, visit Introducing Celebrity Health Week: Celebrities And Mental Illness.

In this Celebrity Health Week post, we’ll take a look at some athletes who have a mental illness – or had, in the case of the deceased.

Please note that I am not an authority on athletes and mental illness. For an athlete to be on this list, he or she or a spouse or reliable family member must have publicly discussed – verbally or otherwise – his or her mental illness, or, in the case of the deceased, professionals must have addressed it later on.

Read on!

Terry Bradshaw, sports commentator and former quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, admitted to dealing with anxiety attacks and depression.

Shelley Beattie, former bodybuilder, dealt with bipolar disorder during her life.

Willie Burton, former professional basketball player, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Barret Robbins, former Oakland Raider, received five years of probation and ordered to be treated for bipolar disorder in relation to charges in 2005.

John Daly, professional golfer on the PGA Tour, has battled alcoholism, gambling problems, and reportedly bipolar disorder.

Paolo Di Canio, retired Italian football player, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Ricky Williams, Miami dolphins running back and Heisman trophy winner, was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder.

Ilie Nastase, former professional Romanian tennis player, reportedly has bipolar disorder.

Scott Donie, former American diver and Olympic medalist and current Head Diving Coach at New York University, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Wendy Williams, former U.S. Olympic diver, was diagnosed with major depression in 1994, after a spinal injury that forced her to retire.

Paul Gascoigne, retired English football player, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Jimmie Piersall, sports broadcaster and former MLB player, has bipolar disorder and is the subject of the movie Fear Strikes Out, which is based on his autobiography Fear Strikes Out: The Jim Piersall Story.

Dwight Gooden (aka Doc Gooden and Dr. K), former MLB player, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Julie Krone, the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race and the first female jockey inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Earl Campbell, former football pro and current founder and president of Earl Campbell Meat Products, Inc., manages panic disorder and documented his life with panic disorder in The Earl Campbell Story: A Football Great’s Battle With Panic Disorder.

Greg Louganis, a Greek American diver who won back-to-back Olympic titles, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Alonzo Spellman, former NFL defensive lineman for the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Detroit Lions, has bipolar disorder.

John Madden, former NFL player, former Oakland Raiders head coach, football video game magnate, and a top broadcast analysts for NFL games, suffers from a fear of flying (also referred to as aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia, and pteromerhanophobia). He once suffered a panic attack in a plane, and states that his fear of flying actually deals with claustrophobia rather than an actual fear of flying or heights.

Monica Seles, former World No. 1 professional tennis player, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Muffin Spencer-Devlin, former professional golfer on the LPGA Tour, reportedly has bipolar disorder.

Pat LaFontaine, formerly of the National Hockey League (New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Rangers, has battled depression.

Darryl Strawberry, former baseball player for the New York Mets and the New York Yankees, reportedly has bipolar disorder.

Kendall Gill, former NBA player for an array of teams such as the Charlotte Hornets, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Chicago Bulls, was diagnosed with clinical depression.

Luther Wright, former basketball player with the Utah Jazz, retired from the game after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Pete Harnisch, former pitcher for MLB, has struggled with depression.

Oksana Baiul, Ukrainian professional figure skater and the 1994 Olympic Champion, reportedly has unipolar depression.

Note that this is not a comprehensive list of athletes who have mental illnesses; it’s merely a list of the athletes for whom I’ve found information. If you know of any others – and can provide credible sources – feel free to leave them in the comments.

Until then, stay tuned for information about celebrities and obsessive-compulsive disorder, political figures and mental illness, and famous people with schizophrenia.

Images: Newscom

Post from: Blisstree

Athletes And Mental Illness