Monday, February 13, 2012
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Public Figures Can Help Ease Social Stigma of Mental Illness

 

Let's look at this in terms of a situation that more of us non-celebrities can relate to. Am I obligated to tell people at work that I suffer from depression? After all, every little bit of information about depression helps to break down the stigma. But what about the potential effect on my career?

 

This is not to say that I'm not grateful to celebrities who have talked about their own mental illness. I'm very grateful to people like Brooke Shields or Mike Wallace who have been very open. They have definitely, in my mind, contributed to the gradual breaking down of the stigma surrounding depression.

 

But if Wilson wants to keep what he's going through to himself, that's his right. I sincerely hope for his sake that no one tries to convince him that he has an obligation to do his part to erase the stigma. It doesn't sound to me like he needs any more pain in his life right now.

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