About mental illness and addiction
Selma Blair has built a successful acting career while privately carrying struggles that began long before Hollywood. In her memoir Mean Baby and subsequent interviews, Blair opened up about alcoholism, childhood trauma, anxiety, physical pain, motherhood, and her eventual decision to live without alcohol. She has said she became sober in 2016. Her story demonstrates … Read more
Halle Berry’s story highlights an often-overlooked impact of addiction: a person does not have to struggle with substance use themselves to be deeply affected by it. Berry has spoken openly about growing up with an alcoholic father and witnessing domestic violence within her family. These painful childhood experiences left emotional wounds that influenced how she … Read more
Addiction rarely develops because of one emotion or one difficult relationship. Substance use disorders are influenced by a combination of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. However, powerful emotions such as envy, jealousy, resentment, rejection, and anger can become triggers for substance use—especially when a person has learned to use alcohol or drugs to escape … Read more
People living with addiction are often told to “just quit,” “try harder,” or “have more willpower.” Although motivation and determination are valuable parts of recovery, overcoming addiction involves much more than simply choosing to stop drinking or using drugs. Substance use disorders can affect brain systems responsible for reward, motivation, learning, stress, and self-control. Over … Read more
Aaron Hernandez was once one of professional football’s most recognizable young players. The former New England Patriots tight end appeared to have a promising athletic career, but his life eventually became associated with serious legal problems, imprisonment, and his death by suicide at age 27. After his death in 2017, examination of his brain revealed … Read more
“Why can’t you just stop?” is a question many people struggling with addiction hear, yet it overlooks the challenges involved in changing compulsive behaviors. To someone on the outside, quitting alcohol, drugs, nicotine, gambling, or another addictive behavior may seem like a matter of making a firm decision and sticking to it. When negative consequences … Read more
Nicole Kidman’s journey through love, marriage, divorce, and personal growth offers insight into the challenges of letting go of idealized expectations about relationships. After marrying Tom Cruise at 23, Kidman became deeply invested in their life together and later described the end of their marriage as painful and unexpected. She has reflected on how spending … Read more
Infidelity can cause profound emotional pain, leaving individuals questioning the trust, intimacy, and security they once felt in their relationship. Physical infidelity involves sexual or intimate contact with someone outside the agreed-upon boundaries of a committed partnership, while emotional infidelity occurs when a person develops a secretive or deeply intimate emotional connection with someone else. … Read more
Brooke Shields has become an important public voice in conversations about postpartum depression after openly discussing the severe depression she experienced following the birth of her first daughter, Rowan, in 2003. In her memoir Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression, Shields described feelings of sadness, disconnection, fear, and difficulty bonding with her … Read more
P!nk, born Alecia Moore, is known for her powerful voice, fearless performances, and outspoken personality. Behind that confidence, however, she has also spoken publicly about experiencing mental health challenges, including panic attacks. By sharing her experiences, P!nk helps challenge the assumption that successful, confident people are protected from emotional struggles. In a Child Mind Institute … Read more