These Stars Have Helped Raise Mental Health Awareness by Sharing Their Own Struggles

While May and Mental Health Awareness Month are coming to a close, it’s important to keep in mind that mental health awareness should be advocated for year-round. Everyone deals with anxiety and pressure in some way, shape or form. Fortunately, we’ve seen a notable shift in public discussion of mental health in the past few years. What’s really helped? Public figures discussing their personal struggles and opening up these conversations. Stars really are just like us.

Actors and actresses especially struggle with mental health in an intense industry based not just on acting chops, but also heavily on physical appearance. With constant rejection, emotional fatigue from demanding roles and grueling work schedules, everyone in the industry is vulnerable to poor mental health. Public scrutiny doesn’t make it any easier. Low self-esteem, crippling self-doubt, breakdowns, eating disorders and depression are just a few outcomes that can result from the stress of being an actor and leading that particular lifestyle.

One of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors has grappled with depression and self-doubt: action star and former WWE champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Despite his successful career, Johnson never forgot his rough upbringing: "I found that, with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is that you're not alone...I wish I had someone at that time just pull me aside and say, 'Hey, it's gonna be OK. It’ll be OK,'" he said in a 2015 Oprah Winfrey Network interview. By opening up about his issues, Johnson also subverts the "tough guy" stereotype and sets an example for guys everywhere to share how they're feeling. 

"Game of Thrones" actress Sophie Turner discussed her struggle with depression with Dr. Phil just last year: "The character that I play on my show is called Sansa, and people used to say, 'Damn, Sansa gained 10 pounds,' or 'Damn, Sansa needs to lose 10 pounds,' or ‘Sansa got fat.'" 

Kristen Bell, sassy and adorable star of "The Good Place" and "Frozen," shared in a 2016 essay for TIME's "Motto" that she initially kept quiet about her longtime battle with depression. "I didn't speak publicly about my struggles with mental health for the first 15 years of my career...but now I'm at a point where I don't believe anything should be taboo."

"Mad Men" lead Jon Hamm made a point to emphasize how mental health is just as important as physical health when he got candid about his battle with chronic depression and addiction in 2017.

Even Avengers struggle with mental health. That’s right -- Chris Evans, America’s sweetheart, initially passed on the iconic role of Steve Rogers due to his anxiety. On an episode of The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Evans revealed that the offer came at a time when he had been dealing with severe anxiety and panic attacks. The panic attacks began back in 2007, when Evans lost out on several roles and was going through a breakup. His anxiety escalated while he was filming "Puncture" in 2010: "It was the first time I started having mini panic attacks on set," he said. "I really started to think, 'I'm not sure if this [acting] is the right thing for me, I'm not sure if I’m feeling as healthy as I should be feeling."

Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, whether you're a star or an average joe. Kudos to these actors for opening up and helping to destigmatize the issue while inspiring others to seek help.