Celebrities and Mental Illness - "You're Nothing These Days Without a Dash of Bipolar, Darling!"
I have sometimes written in this blog about celebrities "coming out" as having had experience of mental illness, and how I felt such openness has been an aid to alleviating stigma. Among the most well-known of these is Stephen Fry, who recently admitted to attempting suicide only last year despite, seemingly, having it all. To my mind, such things show how mental illness can affect anyone, even the most talented and successful. However, in an article in "The Observer" newspaper by Barbara Ellen entitled "Severe depression is hell, even if you are famous", it was argued that increasing instances of celebrities suffering from mental illness are actually creating "compassion fatigue" and leading to "a whole new level of stigma". Ellen argues that because of an often-felt contempt for the famous, when they are open about their mental health they are perceived as "over-diagnosed, over-indulged, attention-seeking fakes". Her ar...