World Mental Health Day will be observed on 10 October, 2015 (Saturday) with an objective of raising awareness about mental health issues around the world. The theme for this year is "Dignity in Mental Health" and the World Health Organisation (WHO) will spread awareness on what can be done to ensure that people with mental health conditions can continue to live with dignity.
Technically, mental health is a broad term and revolves around a person's emotional, psychological and social well-being. It can affect a person's lifestyle and the way he thinks, feels and reacts. Hence, managing the challenge can help a person suffering from mental illness.
On World Mental Health Day, we draw a list of famous celebrities who have come out openly about their mental health problems and how they dealt with it. Also, we have listed out movies that have depicted various forms of mental disorders in a positive manner, highlighting the importance of relationships and management when it comes to coping with the conditions.
Some of the famous Hollywood celebrities, who have battled and spoken candidly about their mental illness:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Russell Brand, Michael Phelps
Bulimia: Elton John
Obsessive Compulsion Disorder (OCD): David Beckham, Charlize Theron
Presumptive Borderline Personality Disorder: Angelina Jolie
Anxiety: Taylor Swift
Depression: Nicole Kidman, JK Rowling, Jim Carrey,
Bipolar Disorder: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mel Gibson, Demi Lovato
Here are some movies that portray various mental disorders in a positive, yet powerful manner. These movies highlight the role relationships play in the management of any mental health disorder.
Silver Linings Playbook: Directed by David O Russell, the film shows both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence suffering from mental health issues. But the focus remains solely on Bradley's character, who suffers bipolar disorder. The movie shows how his family, especially dad ( Robert De Niro), helps him get through this phase.
50 First Dates: A rom-com starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore shows how Henry falls in love with Lucy, who has short-term memory loss and forgets him the very next day. But he doesn't give up and works his life around her illness.
I Am Sam: A drama revolving around a mentally-handicapped man, who fights for the custody of his seven-year-old daughter and in the process teaches his cold-hearted lawyer the value of love and family.
Still Alice: Is a beautiful depiction of how a daughter (Kristen Stewart) helps her mother (Julianne Moore) cope with Alzheimer's. The movie revolves around Alice's fear of what's coming and how she stays connected to her family for as long as she can.
Me, Myself & Irene: A dark comedy starring Jim Carrey and Renee Zellweger, the film is about a Rhode Island state trooper named Charlie who, after years of continuously suppressing his rage and feelings, suffers a psychotic breakdown which results in a second personality (dissociative identity disorder), Hank. He has to protect a woman on the run from a corrupt ex-boyfriend and his associates, but instead she ends up coping with his disorder.
Benny & Joon: A comedy drama, starring Johnny Depp, it is about a mentally ill young woman, Juniper Pearl – Joon, who finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
A Beautiful Mind: A biographic drama based on the life of mathematician and Nobel Laureate in Economics John Nash, featuring Russell Crowe. It is one of the most powerful portrayals of schizophrenia. The story begins in the early years of a young prodigy named John Nash. Early in the film, Nash begins to develop paranoid schizophrenia and endures delusional episodes while painfully watching the loss and burden his condition brings on wife Alicia and friends. After many years of struggle, he eventually triumphed over his tragedy and finally - late in life - received the Nobel Prize.
