This week has been confronting for most who watch popular or social media. We have woken to the news that celebrity olympian, Ian Thorpe, has declared he is being treated for depression and other conditions, and whether due to depression or not, the world has lost Philip Seymour Hoffman, who, most importantly, was a father of 3 young children. In a society so accustomed to perceive we know people we have never met, to 'follow' and to 'like' complete strangers we seem to be affronted that we are not aware celebrities are in pain or struggling. How many of my patients tell me they would not consider informing friends they are seeing a psychiatrist, let alone reveal they are depressed, anxious and perhaps entertaining suicidal thoughts? If they don't feel comfortable, then how can we expect those in the spotlight can until it is way too late?
Is it living in the spotlight that makes those vulnerable to mental illness fall victim to it? Or is it that they are just like everybody else, with the same chances of developing what are common disorders such as anxiety and depression? And surely, as a society we must remember we don't really know anybody very well, particularly those we like to think we know because we follow them.
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