Fifteen celebrities who have experienced mental health issues

CAIRO - 19 October 2019: Mental health like so many other health condition doesn’t discriminate, as it touches the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers; rich or poor, male or female, whatever your ethnicity, age or sexual orientation it is irrelevant as it can happen to any of us.

Yet mental health is still a rarely spoken of matter, a taboo that not many will discuss, especially in the arab world but these celebrities have broken the 'rule' as they open up about their mental health issue in an effort to raise awareness.



Prince Harry; Panic attacks

Yes, even a prince can have a mental health issue as Prince Harry admitted to Forces TV that after the death of his mother Princess Diana he struggled with panic attacks and every time he was in any room with a group of people he would be sweating and his heart beating very fast “like a washing machine” as he felt trapped and unable to hide away from grieving in the public eye.

J.K.Rowling ; Depression

It is hard to image how one of the best selling authors who enjoys such success can suffer from depression but Rowling has talked about her struggle as it being more than sadness, “Sadness is to cry and feel, but it is that cold absence of feeling”.

Robbie Williams; Depression

Robbie Williams one of the most successful singer of his generation and a very popular member of Take That band has battled mental health issues, self esteem problems that led to alcoholism and substance abuse. He revealed that it was his friend Elton John that booked him into a clinic to deal with the drug use that emerged from the depression while he was still a member of Take That.

Maisie Williams; Self-esteem

The star of Game of Throne's who plays the young Arya Stark revealed in an interview on the Happy Place podcast that being exposed to the spotlight from a young age and all the social media criticism took a serious toll on her self-esteem and mental health. Williams explains how at times she feels like sitting in “a hole of sadness” where she would be awake late at night “telling myself all the things I hate about myself”.

Justin Bieber; Depression

Speaking to Vogue magazine Justin Bieber spoke about how he got really depressed while on tour in 2017 and cancelled 14 dates of the tour. Bieber revealed how he was lonely and needed some time out, he also spoke about how he misused prescription drugs in the past.

Jim Carrey; Depression

Comedian actor Jim Carrey has spoken about his struggle with depression in 2017 to Inews but admitted what helped him to deal with it is a “good dose of detachment”.

Adele; Anxiety

Adele has gone through some severe anxiety attacks with constant panicking on stage, she revealed that when the panic starts, her heart feels like it's going to explode because “ I never feel like I am going to deliver, ever.”

Elissa – Depression

The Lebanese singer admitted in an interview that she suffered from depression during her cancer treatment and she sought a psychiatrist to help her through that period. In a tweet she stated the importance of seeking help and how doing so enabled her to fight the depression and urged all her followers to do the same and regard a psychiatrist just like a dentist and not attach any stigma to it.

Ghada Abel Razak – Depression

The Egyptian actress revealed recently that she has been taking anti depressant tablets for a fair while and for over 12 years has been seeing a psychiatrist due to the pressure and toxic environment of the acting industry, plus the fact that she was betrayed by a very close of hers which caused her considerable emotional and mental struggle.

Angham - Depression

The Egyptian singer told Amr Adeeb in a TV interview that she suffered from depression for years and sought medical help and was taking anti depressant for more than five years. The reason behind this depression is not men related but due to her surrounding environment, as she informed Adeeb.

Ahmed Zahr – Depression

Ahmed Zahr, the Egyptian actor suffered severe depression due to an alarming weight gain – he went from 85 kg to 180 – due to a rare illness that occurs in one person out of 10 million. His deteriorating health and increased weight meant no work was being offered to him which led him to isolate himself and stay at home. Zaher stated that it was his wife who stood by him and pulled him out of this very dark period of his life.

Ezzat About Ouf – Depression

In a TV interview with Raghda Shahlob, the late Egyptian actor and musician revealed ho his wife's death affected him greatly as he suffered from severe depression and sought medical help beyond Egypt, visiting clinics in the USA, UK, France and Germany. He also said that for three years he could not eat and lost over 20kg, and he lost his appetite for work and life in general.

Abed Fahd – Anxiety

The Syrian actor experienced severe anxiety attacks prior to getting married as he feared the responsibility of such a big commitment and worried how it would impact his acting career, he sought a psychiatrist and was on medication to deal with his anxiety.

Hend Sabry – Depression

The Tunisian actress began acting at a very young age which caused her internal emotional and mental struggle due to the fact that she had to grow up very fast in the limelight, she too went to see a psychiatrist who helped her deal with these issues.

Soad Hosni -Depression

After years of dominating the world of acting and performing, the Egyptian actress nicknamed the Cinderalla found herself suddenly isolated in a small flat in London, struggling to pay her way and dealing with various health problems that affected her physical appearance. Many claimed Hosni suffered from severe depression which made her live in a self imposed exile as she did not want people to see how she has changed. Her death is still a mystery; while some claim she was killed others believe that she committed suicide after her depression reached its peak.


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