Depression is not a bad word, nor is it a diagnosis to be ashamed of a diagnosis.

Chances are, every day you encounter a person with a mental health disorder. In fact, depression is the most common mental health disorder in teens. Did you know that:

• Each year, 1 in 8 teens experience depression
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people 10-24, making up 19.2% of all deaths among young people in 2017.

So often, people struggling with depression feel that they are alone. You are not. Take a look at some famous people who admit to struggling with mental health and their advice or insight on it.

Lady Gaga says she’s dealt with both depression and anxiety her whole life. Gaga isn’t ashamed to admit she takes medication for depression. In an interview with Billboard magazine, she said she thinks it’s important for people to talk about their mental health. “If we share our stories and stick together, we’re stronger.”

Kristin Bell, known for voicing the character of Anna in the movie Frozen, says she’s had depression since she was in college. Bell says, “There’s nothing weak about struggling with mental illness.” She says she went public to try to shed more light on the disorder and ease the stigma around it.

Katy Perry said she opened up because she wanted her fans to see her true self. “If people can see that I’m just like them, they can dream just as big.”

Dwayne Johnson, “The Rock” recently opened up about depression. “Struggle and pain is real,” said Johnson. “Depression never discriminates,” he tweeted later. “Took me a long time to realize it but the key is to not be afraid to open up. Especially us dudes have a tendency to keep it in. You’re not alone.”

Jon Hamm, speaks about the benefits of therapy. “We live in a world where to admit anything negative about yourself is seen as weakness when it’s actually a strength. It’s not a weak move to say, ‘I need help’ ”

Michael Phelps, shares that after he sought treatment and started talking about his feelings, he said “life became easy.” Now he understands that “it’s OK to not be OK.”

Bruce Springsteen “The Boss” says “It’s like this thing that engulfs you. I got to where I didn’t want to get out of bed.” He got help for the condition from therapy and medication.

Selena Gomez, advocates that “If you are broken, you don’t have to stay broken,” She even stepped away from social media for a much-needed break.

Justin Bieber, stated, “The pressure of meeting people’s expectations of what I’m supposed to be is so much for me to handle and a lot on my shoulders.”

Jared Padalecki “I say constantly that there’s no shame in dealing with these things. There’s no shame in having to fight every day, but fighting every day you are winning your war,” “You’re here. You might not win every battle. There are going to be some really tough days. There might be several tough times in any given single day, but hopefully, this will help somebody to think, ‘This isn’t easy; it is a fight, but I’m going to keep fighting,’

At Erika’s Lighthouse we want teens to know they are not alone and there is hope. We offer free educational programming for Health Educators and Social Workers that make conversations about good mental health easy. If you are suffering, you don’t need to. Find a trusted adult to speak with. Ask for help. You are worth it, you matter and we care.

Disclaimer: These celebrities are not affiliated with Erika’s Lighthouse. The above quotes have been publicly stated in interviews.

Author: Lisa Honcharuk, Marketing and Engagement Manager