Catherine Zeta-Jones has bravely put her face on the cover People magazine—and on the face of bipolar disorder. And in a less publicized interview, 18-year-old Demi Lovato of teen Disney fame admitted last month to People that she too also suffers from bipolar disorder.
“This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them,” the [Zeta-Jones], 41, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive statement in this week’s cover story. “If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it. There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help.”
Last month, Lovato said:
“I never found out until I went into treatment that I was bipolar. Looking back it makes sense,” she says of her diagnosis. “There were times when I was so manic, I was writing seven songs in one night and I’d be up until 5:30 in the morning.”
I’ve said before that I’m not a fan of mental illness fads, but bipolar disorder has such a stigma attached to it that celebrities who seriously suffer from the disorder have a chance to put a face on and say “There’s no shame in getting help.” And while psychotropic drugs certainly aren’t a cure-all in conjunction with talk and behavioral therapy, bipolar disorder can be managed—not just for these celebs but also for anyone who suffers from the disorder.
depression introspection 
Hi, I’ve been a follower of your blog for several years and really enjoy reading your posts. I am thankful that many celebrities put a positive face on mental illness. I recently found another good article that you might be interested in about mental illness as a spiritual path. It can be found online at:
Tough Grace: Mental Illness as a Spiritual Path
By Alice A. Holstein, Ed.D.
http://communities.ic.org/articles/1440/Tough_Grace
It is written by someone who knows and is a peer.
keep writing!
I like the valuable information you provide in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and check again here frequently. I am quite certain I’ll learn a lot of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next! Best Regards, Pedro
A Residential Treatment Center is a live-in facility that specializes in the treatment of chemical dependency (drug use), alcoholism, or psychological problems. Mental health issues may coexist with substance abuse, which is referred to as “Dual Diagnosis.” Psychological problems appropriate for a residential treatment center include bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, personality issues, psychological trauma such as PTSD, and self-injury behavior (cutting).
Hi, can you PLEASE flag my page on yours (thank you).
I am a complete newbie to blogging about my depression. My page is to diary my experience, to help me and hopefully to help others who read it.
Right now I have zero comments or interaction/feedback from other sufferers, which is what I am looking for. I’m not doing too good and I started my blog to try to help me and hopefully others. My blog address is: http://depressionsessions.blogspot.com/ I have no clue how to attract other people in the same position to my blog. Please help, Thank you so much. Donald
I think it’s a good thing for anyone who’s in the spotlight to come out and say, “it’s okay to get help.” So many young men and women are scared to do so.