Do celebs with phobias/anxiety help or hinder understanding of mental health issues?

[Admin]

Here is a very interesting question - the answer to which I am not sure myself - do celebs with phobias help or hinder understanding of mental health issues?

Some celebs go to the press with their issues to make sure they are headline news and it all seems to be about them. In many ways they make mental health issues a bit of a circus - or am I being a little harsh, maybe they do help awareness?

 

[Jade]

I think honestly it’s a mixture of both. Celebrities that suffer with mental illnesses promote awareness intentionally or not and will involve themselves in certain mental health campaigns which is great exposure for that charity or organization. The press and paparazzi are often the ones guilty for making mental illness a ‘ circus’. Look at Britney Spears for instance they followed her everyone detailed everything they found ‘ strange’ but I’m not sure if anyone had the conscience to say “look this girl needs help and exploiting her illness for a good news story isn’t helping” And yes some celebrities are probably guilty of ‘milking’ an illness too for more publicity. I also can’t understand celebrities that say they have severe agoraphobia yet will go on the red-carpet in front of hundreds of people and meet and greet thousands of fans ( please correct me if I’m wrong about this I’m not very familiar with agoraphobia). Anyway pros and cons to both sides if you ask me.

 

[Admin]

I suppose as they say any publicity is good publicity? Increasing awareness of mental health issues is the key in the short to medium term.

 

[Jade]

Yes and they certainly do bring publicity to mental illness. Another positive aspect to this is that so many people look up to celebrities and if it’s known that a certain popular celebrity does suffer from a mental illness it promotes awareness to their fans and also people that suffer with mental illness themselves. It’s a great form of inspiration to someone suffering with mental illness to recognise that despite a celebrity living with an illness they still managed to become very successful and live a very fulfilling life.

 

[GH0STP03T]

I think as long as the publicity gained is used in a construct and all round positive way, it doesn't matter about the source. I think we've all come to the realisation that we live in a world where people idolize celebrities. I think the fact that some celebrities suffer mental illness shows they are just human beings like anyone else.

 

[Jade]

The positive aspect of celebrities speaking up about mental health is that it really does help remove any ‘stigma’ people feel are associated with mental illness.There is however one concern I have with the fans of that certain celebrity with a mental illness though. As many younger fans especially look up to celebrities and try to be like them you sometimes come across impressionable young girls claiming to suffer with the illness they suffer with to connect themselves with that celebrity. It’s important that celebrities don’t glamorize their condition as this takes away the seriousness and true understanding of mental illness.

 

[Jade]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02xk5r8

A short video of celebrities and their mental health problems.