This past week, October 4 – October 10, 2015, was Mental Health Awareness week. The theme for this year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), was #IAmStigmaFree. The Merriam-Webster definition of stigma is “a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something; a mark of shame of discredit.”
To hopefully help reduce some of the stigma that surrounds mental illness, I thought I would compile a list of well-known people over time who have suffered or are still suffering from a mental illness.
1. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
2. Michelangelo (1475-1564)
Known for his incredible art,
Michelangelo also suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
3. Isaac Newton (1643-1727)
The scientist who explained gravity and had the Laws of Motion named after himself, Isaac Newton was known to have suffered from bipolar disorder and possible depression.
4. Beethoven (1770-1827)
While Beethoven is well-known for being a deaf composer and coming up with masterpieces such as Fur Elise, he also suffered from bipolar disorder and depression.
5. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
Though this is no surprise, the father of the American short-story suffered from depression and alcoholism.
6. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
The 16th president of the United States suffered from depression and anxiety attacks.
7. Charles Darwin (1809-1882)
The creator of the Theory of Evolution suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
8. Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882)
The wife of Abraham Lincoln suffered from schizophrenia.
9. Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931)
The inventor of the light bulb suffered from dyslexia.
10. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
The creator of "Starry Night" suffered from bipolar disorder and depression.
11. Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom suffered from bipolar disorder and dyslexia.
12. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
The creator of the theory of relativity suffered from dyslexia.
13. Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
This famous artist suffered from depression.
14. Walt Disney (1901-1966)
The man behind Mickey Mouse suffered from dyslexia.
15. Buzz Aldrin (1930- )
This astronaut, the second person to walk on the moon, suffers from depression.
16. Elton John (1947- )
This musician who wrote the song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight," suffered from bulimia.
17. Ozzy Osbourne (1948- )
This musician, known as The Prince of Darkness, suffers from bipolar disorder.
20. Robin Williams (1951-2014)
Loved by many, this actor and comedian lost his battle to depression in 2014.
19. Stephen Fry (1957- )
This actor and comedian suffers from bipolar disorder.
20. Princess Diana of Wales (1961-1997)
The late princess suffered from bulimia and depression.
21. Jim Carrey (1962- )
This actor and comedian suffers from depression.
22. Ben Stiller (1965- )
This actor and comedian suffers from bipolar disorder.
23. Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
Founder and lead singer of the grunge-rock band Nirvana, Cobain suffered from ADD and bipolar disorder.
24. Leonardo DiCaprio (1974- )
This actor suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
25. Heath Ledger (1979-2008)
This Australian-born actor known for his amazing performance as The Joker in "Batman: The Dark Knight," suffered from insomnia, anxiety, and depression.
Every one in five people have a mental illness of some kind. These 25 people are only a tiny fraction of those who have some kind of mental illness in the "famous" or "well-known" spectrum. There are even more of those who have it in our day to day lives.
To learn more about mental health, visit https://www.nami.org/.
Sheetal Tadiparty
Flickr Creative Commons
