For many, the stigma surrounding struggles with mental health issues remains high. Currently, in the States, one out of every five adult people deal with some type of mental health issue — across the entire population, one in twenty will deal with a severe form of mental health issue, like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression. In the UK, numbers are very similar to those in the States, with one in six dealing with some type of mental health struggle. Yet, despite how many people deal with these types of issues, many feel shame in discussing them publicly. But Ryan Reynolds, (Deadpool actor and husband to Blake Lively) wants to change that.
Everyone experiences some form of anxiety, these forms of anxiety are most over little things that are easy to get over — like schoolwork, job interviews, or a first date. People who have anxious thoughts about these types of problems and are able to calm their racing thoughts, do not have an anxiety disorder. People with an anxiety disorder let those thoughts become all-consuming and it will affect them for much longer than those without a disorder. Ryan Reynolds, like many around the world, experiences the true depth of what anxiety feels like.
According to an interview with The New York Times back in 2018, Reynolds explained that his early 20’s were really “un-hinged”. He was self-medicating in order to help deal with his anxiety, but after seeing so many of his friends die from overdoses, he knew he needed to make a change. While he stopped the hard partying lifestyle and even consulted with a doctor after he wrapped on the first Deadpool film, he still gets overwhelmed by his anxious thoughts. In a post, he shared to Twitter, he encourages everyone struggling to know they are not alone.
While it is the end of Mental Health Awareness Month in the States, it doesn’t mean the conversation needs to end also. While it is amazing that Ryan Reynolds is using his vast platform to get this conversation going, it is up to all the everyday people to take up that conversation. It won’t be easy to destigmatize issues surrounding mental health, but together we can try. What are your thoughts about Reynolds’s struggles? Do you struggle also? Let us know in the comments. And, as always, from all of us a Trill!: get your vaccine, enjoy dining out again, and don’t buy Goop.
The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., ET. (US ONLY)
1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or [email protected]
Click Here for mental health crisis help in the UK.
Feature Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
