We have to admit that when we go through difficult times at some point in our lives, whether we are talking about anxiety, depression, stress, and so on, we feel that we can’t open up to anybody, so we tend to bottle up our emotional pain and feelings. However, medical experts say that this is a common mistake that many people make, as bottling up your emotions leads to more complications, including exhaustion, suicidal thoughts, self isolation, irritability, and so on.

Depression is considered by specialists to be a mood disorder, as well as a serious medical illness. In general, depression adversely affects the way you feel, the way you think, and the way you act. It usually makes you feel sad, unworthy, recalcitrant, with negative thoughts, tired, not interested in any activity even if you have enjoyed them before.

These symptoms (among many others) especially affect your mind, but if you don’t find the root of your problem and don’t fix it as soon as possible, the symptoms will start to be physical as well. For example, in some cases you will eat even more, so you will be prone to obesity, or your appetite decreases, so you will be likely to develop anorexia nervosa; your cognitive abilities will also be affected and you’ll experience difficulty concentrating, you can’t get enough quality sleep, have digestive problems and so on.

It’s important to remember that depression is a serious condition and without proper treatment, you may experience more severe complications. This mental illness is not only triggered by a specific trauma, brain structure, and other medical conditions, but it can also be a genetic disorder. To be more specific, if you have a family history of depression, you will be more likely to develop it as well.

Nevertheless, you should realize that it’s perfectly normal to feel down from time to time because we are human beings and we need some sad moments in our lives to learn how to enjoy the little things more and realize our blessings. However, if these episodes are too frequent or last for long periods of time, you should consult your doctor. According to statistics, depression affects about 40 million adults in the United States over the age of 18 (about 18% of the population every year).

So, you are not alone in this situation and, due to the fact that depression doesn’t care about your social status and financial resources, age, race, gender, or other features, it can occur even in children and famous people. Our celebrities weren’t afraid to talk openly about their mental health issues and the struggles related to depression. So, read on to find out their stories!

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson, well known by his ring name The Rock, is an American Canadian actor, producer, retired professional wrestler, and former football player. Before starting his acting career, The Rock wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) for eight years, and is still considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

He starred in a lot of commercially successful movies, making Johnson one of the highest grossing actors in the world. in 1998, Johnson won his first WWF Championship, becoming the first African-American world champion. He starred in The Scorpion King (2002) – his first leading film role, The Game Plan (2007), Tooth Fairy (2010), Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), Hercules (2014), San Andreas (2015), Skyscraper (2018), to name a few.

Even if he was a champion in the world of wrestling and is still a successful actor, the truth is that life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, so just like any other ‘normal’ individual, he had to struggle with depression at some point too.

During an interview for a British newspaper called Express, he said that struggle and pain are real and that depression never discriminates. He also posted on Twitter that it took him a long time to realize it, but the key is to not be afraid to open up, especially because boys and men have a tendency to keep it in. You are not alone, he added.

However, it seems that the root of his depression was genetically inherited, in addition to the fact that he experienced a traumatic event in his childhood. To be more specific, he said publicly that he saved his mother from a suicide attempt when he was only 15 years old.

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Katy Perry

Katy Perry is an American singer and songwriter who started singing in church when she was only nine years old (until she turned 17). When she was 13, Perry received her first guitar for her birthday and began singing the songs she wrote in public. Her first album signed with Red Hill Records in 2001 called Katy Hudson (which is her real name) was actually commercially unsuccessful, but she rose to fame in 2008 with her second album, One of the Boys. Since then, the beautiful singer has remained one of the most appreciated artists in the world.

But that’s not all! She is the recipient of numerous awards, including four Guinness World Records, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, a Brit Award, and a Juno Award. In addition, her estimated net worth as of 2016 is $125 million.

During an interview with Siri Sat Nam Singh, host of the Viceland channel’s The Therapist, she spoke about suicidal thoughts and depression. She previously opened up about this in a 96-hour live stream on YouTube. Perry said that she spoke about her depression because she wanted her fans to see her true self, adding that “If people can see that I’m just like them, they can dream just as big.”

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Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm is an American actor and producer who gained more fame after starring in the AMC television drama series Mad Men (2007–2015). This role earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama in 2008 and again in 2016, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2015.

He also appeared in Million Dollar Arm (2014), Keeping Up with the Joneses (2016), Beirut (2018), The Town (2010) Bridesmaids (2011), Baby Driver (2017), to name a few.

However, he wasn’t afraid to talk about his struggle with depression that was particularly rough after his father died when he was in college. During an interview for InStyle magazine spoke about the importance of therapy. “We live in a world where to admit anything negative about yourself is seen as a weakness when it’s actually a strength. It’s not a weak move to say, ‘I need help’,” he added.

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Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is an American singer, songwriter and actress, well known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. She is one of the most influential singers in the world. She started singing as a teenager, performing at open mic nights. In 2008, her debut studio album called The Fame brought her more fame.

Her role in American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–2016) earned her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress. She also starred in the critically acclaimed musical drama film A Star Is Born (2018). Gaga’s contributions to the latter’s soundtrack made her the first woman to win an Academy, Grammy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe Award in just one year.

It’s no secret that Lady Gaga is, in fact, one of the best selling and most talented music artists in the world. However, her life was not always rainbows and unicorns, so she said publicly that she struggled with depression and anxiety her whole life. In addition, she’s not afraid to admit that she is still taking medication for depression. Gaga encourages people to talk more about their mental health, as if we share our stories and stick together, we will be stronger.

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Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell is an American actress, singer and producer who started her acting career after starring in stage productions while attending the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Her role in the drama TV series Veronica Mars (2004–2007) earned her a Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television. She also starred in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Couples Retreat (2009), When in Rome (2010), You Again (2010), The Boss (2016), Bad Moms (2016), voicing Anna in Frozen (2013), to name a few.

Her role in the fantasy comedy television series The Good Place (2016 – 2020) earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy.

However, she has said publicly that she has been dealing with depression since she was in college. “There’s nothing weak about struggling with mental illness,” Bell added.

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Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He’s both a solo artist and the leader of E Street Band. Springsteen rose to fame in 1975 after releasing his third studio album called Born to Run. Bruce Springsteen is also nicknamed “The Boss”. His most commercially successful album is Born in the U.S.A. (1984), making him one of the most successful rockers of the 1980s.

As you probably already know, Springsteen is also one of the best selling and most talented music artists in the world. In addition, he is the recipient of numerous awards, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award (for Springsteen on Broadway).

During an interview, he talked about depression, saying that it lasted for a long time. “It’s like this thing that engulfs you. I got to where I didn’t want to get out of bed,” he said. Our talented singer also added that the love and strength of his wife, Patti Scialfa, were essential and helped him get over this episode easily, always motivating him with words like this: “You’re going to be OK. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it’s going to be all right.” He received proper treatment, including therapy and medication.

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Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow is an American actress, model, businesswoman, author and the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and is among the few performers to have won Academy and Emmy Awards.

She gained more fame by starring in Seven (1995), Emma (1996), Sliding Doors (1998), and A Perfect Murder (1998). She’s considered one of the most beautiful women in the world, as well as one of the world’s most influential people. Paltrow is the face of Estée Lauder’s Pleasures perfume and American fashion brand Coach, and owner of a lifestyle company, called Goop.

Our beautiful actress said that she struggled with postpartum depression after the birth of her second child, Moses. She told Good Housekeeping that she felt like a zombie and that she couldn’t access her heart and emotions, namely that she couldn’t connect to reality. Unfortunately, that’s not all that she has been through. In2002, she also dealt with clinical depression after her father died.

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Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd is an American actress and political activist, raised in a family of artists, including her mother Naomi Judd who is a country music singer, and her step sister Wynonna Judd, who is a multi award winning country music singer.

Judd starred in numerous movies, including Ruby in Paradise (1993), Heat (1995), Norma Jean & Marilyn (1996), A Time to Kill (1996), Kiss the Girls (1997), Double Jeopardy (1999), Where the Heart Is (2000), Frida (2002), to name a few. In addition, her role in the mystery thriller drama television series Missing (2012) earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Nevertheless, she publicly stated that she had a ‘dysfunctional’ childhood because she always felt isolated and insecure. These negative emotions had a great impact on her adulthood, bringing her a serious depression. However, she managed to get over this episode of deep sadness with proper treatment in 2006. She admitted that she was in so much pain and needed help.

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Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe is an American actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s by starring in several movies, including I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Cruel Intentions (1999), and 54 (1998). He has appeared in other successful films as well, such as Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Breach (2007), Stop-Loss (2008), MacGruber (2010), and The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), to name a few.

Nonetheless, our actor said that his struggle with depression began at a young age. During an interview for Elle magazine, he said that “as you get older, I think it decreases some, but I’m just innately kind of a sad person.” However, he didn’t let this mental health issue interfere with his acting career.

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J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is a British author and philanthropist. As you probably already know, she is the creator of the Harry Potter fantasy series, which earned her numerous awards and is also the best-selling book series in history.

She went through many hardships throughout her life, including the death of her mother, the divorce from her first husband and relative poverty. Hence, she was also a victim of depression. “It’s so difficult to describe [depression] to someone who’s never been there because it’s not sadness. But it’s that cold absence of feeling – that really hollowed-out feeling,” the author told Oprah Winfrey in 2010.

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Terry Bradshaw

Terry Bradshaw is an American former professional football player and a television sports commentator. Bradshaw was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). He also starred in a few movies, such as Failure to Launch (2006). People consider him one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

He said he had been depressed for years but was not officially diagnosed. However, Bradshaw hopes to reduce the stigma regarding mental illnesses. “I thought maybe I could help people with awareness, help men get the strength and courage,” he said.

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