Transcript Celebrities With Mental Health Issues

Adam Wall
Student Coordinator
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Howie Mandel
Mysophobia
(A pathological fear of
contamination/germs) to the point
that he does not shake hands with
anyone, including enthusiastic
contestants on Deal or No Deal,
unless he is wearing latex gloves.
Instead of shaking contestants'
hands when they offer them, Mandel
often opts to exchange fist pounds,
put his hands on contestants'
shoulders, or give an occasional hug.
He once kissed a female contestant
on the show for good luck despite
his mysophobia. He now takes
medicine to control his condition
and even pokes fun at himself for it.
He revealed on The Howard Stern
Show on March 24, 2006, that his
shaved head is not related to natural
hair loss, but to his mysophobia. He
stated that the lack of hair makes
him feel cleaner.
Catherine Zeta Jones
Bipolar II Disorder
Catherine Zeta Jones may be the
new face of bipolar II disorder, but
it's no role she hoped to land.
Despite now speaking publicly to
help remove some of the stigma
that comes with the condition,
who's to say Jones would've done
so it if reports of her treatment
hadn't gotten out? "She went to go
get some help and some other
patient probably in there said,
'Hey, you won't believe who's in
here now,'" husband Michael
Douglas said during an interview
on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
What's the difference between
bipolar I and II? According to
WebMD, they possess many of the
same characteristics -- the highs
and lows -- but with bipolar II, the
person never reaches full-on mania.
Mel Gibson
Bipolar Disorder
Long before he was winning Oscars -or making headlines for all the wrong
reasons -- road warrior Mel Gibson
was doing battle with an unseen, offscreen foe: bipolar disorder. Known
for his onset pranks and proclivity for
after-hours partying, Gibson broached
the subject during a 2002
documentary interview with a former
classmate. "I had really good highs
but some very low lows," Gibson told
filmmaker Sally McKenzie for "Acting
Class of 1977," which aired on
Australian television in 2008. "I found
out recently that I'm manic
depressive." Numerous articles have
been written, linking bipolar mood
disorder with artistry. In 2008, a study
at the Stanford University School of
Medicine found that those with the
condition expressed "enhanced
creativity," but recommended more
research to determine why.
Brooke Shields
Postpartum Depression
Shields has publicly discussed her
bout with postpartum depression
after the birth of her daughter in
2003. Lasting longer than your
typical "baby blues," postpartum
depression includes prolonged
feelings of anxiety, worthlessness
and restlessness in new mothers.
She said that at one point, she
"didn't want to live anymore"
because her depression was so
severe. The actress sought
treatment early on and learned to
manage her disorder with
professional help and medications.
Emma Thompson
Depression
Emma Thompson has dealt with
depression. In an interview with
the Daily Telegraph, Thompson
said she battled clinical depression
in the past, with her career saving
her from "going under." Like other
people living with clinical
depression, Thompson said she felt
sad and hopeless, and was unable
to get out of bed at times.
Michael Phelps
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)
Olympic gold medalist swimmer
Michael Phelps has risen to
stardom at a fairly young age, and
Deborah Phelps, Michael's mother,
said she wanted to share Michael's
story and his struggles with
attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD). Diagnosed when
he was 9 years old, Phelps had
trouble concentrating in school, his
mother said, but personally
prescribed medication and
swimming helped Phelps manage
the disorder.
Howard Hughes
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
He is also remembered for his
struggle with obsessive compulsive
disorder, a condition that causes a
combination of unnatural obsessions,
anxiety and compulsions, which
usually are acted out in repetitive
behaviors. Unfortunately, Hughes'
OCD led to isolation, increased drug
use and his own death, according to
the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Notably, his obsession with
cleanliness and reputation as a
"germaphobe" were evident in his
daily life and interactions with his
employees. In one repetitive routine,
he made his workers use several facial
tissues and rounds of hand-washing
just to fetch his hearing-aid cord. His
career and personal battle with the
disorder inspired the 2004 Oscarwinning film "The Aviator." Anxiety
is also no stranger to this next
celebrity.
Paula Deen
Panic Attacks and Agoraphobia
Deen had a hard time doing away
with her panic attacks and
agoraphobia, she said in an interview
on the Larry King Live television
show. Agoraphobia is when people
fear places they know may lead to a
panic attack, especially in situations
that are difficult to leave. Deen said
her attacks began after her father's
death, and continued for nearly 20
years. She wouldn't leave the house
without a brown paper bag to breathe
into in case she had an attack. "I never
knew when they were going to hit me,
but it's the most terrifying,
uncontrollable feeling," she told King.
Deen eventually overcame her panic
attacks and agoraphobia on her own,
but it's common for people with panic
attacks to seek professional help.
Elton John
Substance Abuse and Bulimia
Music star Elton John discussed his
uphill battle with substance abuse
and bulimia on Larry King Live in
2002. Bulimia is an eating disorder
in which people binge, or
uncontrollably consume large
amounts of food, and then expel
the food by vomiting or using
laxatives because they don't want
to gain weight. Discussing his
substance abuse and bulimia, John
said he had been "sober and clean"
years. "And it was the best thing I
ever did. But, you know, those
three words -- I need help. If only
I'd said them earlier," John
explained.
Demi Lovato
Emotional, Physical Issues
Including Bulimia, Cutting, and
Bipolar Disorder
The Disney star checked into rehab
in 2010 for "emotional and physical
issues" including bulimia, cutting,
and bipolar disorder. "I had no idea
that I was even bipolar until I went
into treatment," she revealed in
2011. "I was conquering the world,
but then I would come crashing
down, and I would be more
depressed than ever."
Carrie Fisher
Bipolar Disorder
The Star Wars star and best-selling
author has talked and written at
length about her ongoing struggle
with bipolar disorder, most notably
in the memoirs Wishful Drinking
and Shockaholic. "I thought if I
could ever get this to be funny, it
would be brilliant," she has said of
her mental health struggle. "But it
took a really long time. My life
dealing with the bipolar situation
was far from funny."
Jim Carrey
Depression
The Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind actor has said he
took Prozac "for a long time" while
battling depression. "It may have
helped me out of a jam for a little
bit, but people stay on it forever. I
had to get off at a certain point
because I realized that, you know,
everything's just okay," he told CBS
News in 2009. "There are peaks,
there are valleys. But they're all
kind of carved and smoothed out,
and it feels like a low level of
despair you live in."