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What's Normal Anyway? Celebrities' Own Stories of Mental Illness.

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Abstract

We all know someone who suffers from mental illness. It may be a family member, friend, neighbour, or colleague. Now or in the future, it might be you. Here, for the first time, ten celebrities share their experiences of conditions including depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder and OCD, eating disorders and body dysmorphia. From Premiership footballer Dean Windass, to TV presenter Trisha Goddard, their candid first-person accounts detail the day-to-day reality of living with a mental health disorder, as well as the nervous breakdowns, stays in psychiatric hospitals, and suicide attempts. They also show that, ultimately, mental illness need not limit achievement, happiness, and fulfilment in life. These frank and honest stories help us to better understand mental illness, offer practical coping strategies, and give encouragement and solace for everyone out there who feels they are suffering alone. What's Normal Anyway? shows that nobody is immune from mental ill health and shares powerful messages of positivity and hope. Contributors include: Bill Oddie, Alicia Douvall, Alastair Campbell, Stephanie Cole, Kevan Jones, Dean Windass, Trisha Goddard, Charles Walker, Tasha Danvers and Richard Mabey.
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(" '$3(") !!
   '!  '  (*' ' % "  
+")!('$)+%$
!'('' "
+$ '!!  ! '
" "  "  '  " 
 $%"( B %'$
+ ? !("'"'
"C('!D+ ''
" '> '  %  > "+ !(
 (""   $'" 
'(($
"+")'!'" >+
 % (('> "
" '!' !( # (' +  $  B
 " '! (B+$
""+ >"( %
 > " ' !(' ' "
 "( !$! '( 
+ "'!'#+ %
!(($  ' '
( !    "  $ 3  ! % 
!? )%
,-@,-.449:03:43;<00
 !  '($
3'(" ! 
>("(' ('
!!'''' ''&=%")+
'E)>""  +
 ' % ( !+$ ! ") '+
+ !$)')%"!
 +$;")"
 !+ +(('(('
+' " ! $ 3 ( )'   " !!  '
?""('!"+(
('($
)'%(#!$0!"%
( F  %  ! )  '%!  
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%!((''(($3!+
" ( " '>
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"('( $
3" (#'>
",--@>""% + %Flora Britannica""
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 (! &3%
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;   ! '   &  "     ( 
("""'
!("#$((
 '*!!( $
 %  % $!!
"  !$ ) !!      "%    
 !"!!#"
 " "$  %  &   '! ! ('
")$!!(*("( +$
!" "#!%(
 !($ (       ( # 
!  )   (7" '$!!
  ) +  " +   " +
'!+! '!+ #' "
 ) + ' !' " (*'$ )% " 
!$(!)%""!!'
 "   "$  ) ( (   " 
!( +"(*'
%'"($
 %'!'!!+#
   "       !!   ! " 
7 (' (*'$   ''" (% 
+   + !!  + +$
= "(('"%% '"(
+
$'+""(''(
7$''('' 
) "(%$)%"!
+'&"'" +'$ 
( " ! '   '  #! "
''(! #(!$
3)"  ""%!(!$+
)'( +"(%(!
('' '"'$)'
 '  %"  
" " +!!'('eighteen
months "(' $"!
    !   ' +  +   ! "
#''""&7 !!
' ( " $);('+
 >"E>  
 &"+7!!'('(
! !$) ' +  +   ( +  
'"?% $
3  !   !+ '"" "
 (" %*! '"; !($   "
(' > #' "% '    >
"') '!' % "
'"%'$"# "
('+""   
  "  #*7+$ %!!( "
!
,-2,-H449:03:43;<00
( ' !)!$
%(!(+ 
+!   ( '!! ? +
"    )   !  $ ) ' % (
$$$ '$$$!!+!%$
        '(  ' " 
!"'' 
%  + F   +  '  %(" $ 3
 >     > ' " ' '
   ( + +!   '  ' 
" "     "   + (  
+$
!!'#'!>'+
8III">''"!3")!
4'!""!+ $"
'#'' ( >" "   !J> ! 1# %
"   33$ "   '+ ='  ;6 " 
(""33(?$(
(""% ( '3 ") " +!'
?   (+   " ?6'*'% $  
''"' $ 
 '+"!!'  "
' (! "'
"    +     ("   
'" %    B     !  " )
 ''  " (   "   '  " (
% !% $
%  " '!  ! (  % '
 "  B  ! " (   
!! "(!'( $
)++ !!(  (
 ! " " B (    '  +
+"'')$'+
"" ($"
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# (   ( " " (' '$    % 
 " ('%  " (   $  !!
  % (  !    "   + ) '!
'(6"%")'!
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+ +'('(!"(+
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 " '$3 " ""%&"
 F %   > " % ' " 
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('"%(''
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,--8II449:03:43;<00
%('!"$;B"("(
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 ?$""%('"%>
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 "%       '!+$     +
('''++(
'>+7 >      
++"$ '+ $

""()!!'">)
"(!>('! !!
  '   ! '%'$
  '!+    ?#$
=% (  ! ! !   " " ( !! ")+ 
 "(()$'#
#!')!+"$;)!!"'$
#!!!!('!!+
 "('( 
''
>+( %>"'$
; % "%       ( '! '+  ' "
%  '   " (' $ %"   "% " 
!!!! "+()''
)' )"%('$
'  7("('"%
( ! "  " !!+(  (  " 
$ %      '%  !! >  ! 4
! >     ( $   
 > (  + %  >  %" ( ( )
!   ''$ ;  # " '
% ' ( '   "" $  ' '
'(' ( !!
 !"$'!"$)
' !! " "      +"
  +$  ((  
!!  >'(" ('("
    + >   ( '  $   " 
)"&'''! '! ?
+( ((++ $
%+   %!'(" %    "
!!   '''!$  !
'!>  !(> "
 "  "  + $ ; "(   57 9'  
Jurassic Park "' +!'!!'
 & =(" B "$)  &(B"$)
"' 
8I,8I8449:03:43;<00
 !+!" !"( ! (
'$"!+ '!((
"''" )"!"
(  "    '  !$  "   ' 
("+)!++"+"
()' '' '+$
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""'("($
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3% "    7   !   &  $
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)!$;''!!!  
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'  ! " ))  "$4" "%()
    "$"
8I@8I.449:03:43;<00
 !!'!) ")"")
$   %     ) + '  
+ '""" !!
   !  ($ ) !    
  ( "   % (  "  > % B  
F  >%$
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' ""
      $;  ' ! (( 
#+' "(' $5
"  ( "  '   '! %"
($$$   " !''!'$$ $ )   ( 
()!((" $"
!(! !  ' ""
''+"
$
 ' "     ' $ 
> %"" >
 !'" (' ' !$
"?"! $"
+ ' ('  0#"   +! 
   (   !   '" !   $
L+     E  "  '   
!$??%>") ("((
 >   " #N!! 
%('$!('(("
%(> '
3%!">%'(   $
3?  + + " '    Nature
Cure '  !!$ +  ! (  
'  "  & %   ( +  ! 
!  ) %  '  % ( 7 (  !
"$!(!'!
' )!!)+ 
+ !  ! "     "$ 3 
!"'!B "%
""$!!"!
('7!(  ! '
!$%)+' '&
+ +(''''($
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'()$% "'#( *
! ( ( %!"  (' '%
%!$3(")''
('  $  ( %!  % 
(+!%!!+' (('(+((
''  ('('($''(!
"('('$"'''!$!
%"?+ >'(
+ ' ( >    ! "  
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#! " ($
8IG8IA449:03:43;<00
  !( '''(+ "'  
!%"$
!!)('((''"!
 (  +       " )+  
('$"''  ''')!
 >"  !>''*
     "  !) #   ! (
!!) # ""' (') ' ' "
) '($  (   ( '(( ' 
'! + #!")(+(
 +('$3 (+ 
'' '($'' (+!'
""%>""%((> 
(('"$;F !  (Nature Cure$
Nature Cure (*!%)'')"!!'$
%"!"( )%"
'! "' $)'
>&"+>''
( 7F$(&%
!! )!('()  '$
"%(!$'('
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$
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... This fails to acknowledge that this group is particularly vulnerable to victimisation (Victoria Police, 2017), with females with mental health problems being 10 times more likely to be assaulted than those without (Pettitt et al., 2014). Moreover, statistics on mental health in the general population in the UK tell us that one in four people will have a mental health problem in any given year, which rises to one in two over the course of a lifetime (Gekoski and Broome, 2014). Thus, if every complaint of rape from an individual with mental illness was taken to be false, most cases would never proceed. ...
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Despite an increase in the reporting of rape, convictions in England and Wales have fallen significantly in recent years. Previous research has found high rape myth acceptance among police officers. Given that the police act as gatekeepers to the criminal justice system, subscribing to rape myths may have significant effects upon victim attrition and conviction rates. This study explores police officers’ use of rape myths and how these may impact investigations and prosecutions. A total of 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted with police officers from a large English police force. The interview data were analysed using the qualitative method of thematic analysis. Although there were instances where officers demonstrated some awareness of the need to dispel or counter rape myths, rape myths were employed by most officers, with the most common relating to (1) victim fabrication (‘women lie’) and (2) victim precipitation (‘women ask for it’). Recommendations are made around screening and training for police officers.
... Another example is celebrity disclosures about mental health disorders. Recently, many celebrities have talked about their experiences with mental illness, and through their public advocacy, helped to educate the public about misconceptions people may have of mental illness, increase awareness, reduce stigma, and influence public policy related to improving mental health (e.g., Francis, 2018;Gekoski & Broome, 2014;Wong et al., 2017). Studies show celebrity mental health disclosures may improve public health outcomes through promotion of greater public discourse because mental illness is often a taboo topic not discussed with others (Corrigan & Kosyluk, 2014). ...
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The current study examined social media content from celebrity influencers during the early stages of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Given the inchoate governmental and media response to the crisis, this paper argues for the importance of celebrity influencer voices. This study utilized a constant comparative method to analyze Instagram posts from 20 celebrity influencers over a two-month period. Findings suggest celebrities demonstrated and normalized the practice of “staying home,” whereby the public used social distancing to mitigate the virus spread. Celebrity influencers also demonstrated “we’re all in this together” by using their platforms to call for action.
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Grounded in work on health narratives of public figures, an online survey (N = 305) explored amplification of Carrie Fisher’s mental health advocacy following her death through sharing about mental health on SNSs. Parasocial relationship (PSR) to Fisher and grief in response to her death both predicted greater sharing about mental health on social network sites, but parasocial grief fully mediated the influence of PSR on social sharing. Prosocial motivations (pleasure, pressure) moderated the relationship between parasocial grief and social sharing. In a separate analysis, parasocial grief predicted greater exposure to both media about mental health and media that mourned/celebrated Fisher. Mental health-related media exposure mediated the influence of parasocial grief on social sharing, but this mediation occurred only among people who were not aware of Fisher’s mental health advocacy prior to her death.
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This study explores responses to the death of actor/comedian Robin Williams, focusing on the role of celebrity attachment and exposure to media coverage following his suicide. A total of 350 respondents recruited on Mechanical Turk completed an online survey. Participants who had a stronger parasocial relationship with Williams reported lower social distance from people with depression, greater willingness to seek treatment for depression, and more frequent outreach to other people with depression or suicidal thoughts following his death. Exposure to media coverage of suicide/depression - both informational and stigmatizing - was associated with more frequent outreach to others, but only informational coverage was related to greater willingness to seek treatment. Stigmatizing media exposure was related to greater depression stereotypes. Seeing more media stories celebrating Williams' life and career was associated with reduced depression stigma but also with less willingness to seek treatment for depression and less outreach to others. Implications of the findings for media and mental health are discussed.
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