Perhaps by now you’ve heard the news that Catherine Zeta-Jones recently sought treatment for bipolar II condition which is a mental illness that involves both prolonged periods of depression along with short periods of manic episodes. When I watched the report on the Today Show this morning, I was inspired to share that I too have suffered from depression and anxiety. I’ve had around five bouts of high grade depression and anxiety that have brought my ability to function and enjoy my life pretty much to a grinding halt. One of the reasons I am so passionate about seeing the lighter side of life is because I have experienced the darkness – I have gone through many weeks at a time when I can’t face getting out of bed, I avoid my work, I withdraw from my friends and family, and can’t for the life of me keep breakfast down.Weirdly enough, most of my depressions took place in the spring so hey, at least I got thin for bathing suit season…ah, the good ol’ crisis diet…I’m an emotional wreck, but damn I look good.

Catherine and I are not both rich and famous…we’re not both married to a man who is rich and famous…and we’re certainly not both gorgeous,voluptuous brunettes, (the difference is that I’m blonde), but we do both have a mental illness that we’ll be managing for the rest of our lives. Catherine and I have a very sensitive chemical make-up that can go off-balance when we view and think about things in a negative/fearful way for a sustained period of time. Catherine and I will be managing our conditions for the rest of our lives – she will be doing it in some mansion tucked away in the Hollywood hills mind you, but we will both be managing mental illness nonetheless.

Actually, I bring up the fact that she is a well-off celebrity to inject this post about mental illness with a bit of comic relief, but there is a point to be made with that fact that she is indeed wealthy and famous. Here we are living very different lives, and yet, we both have been in the “jaws of the black dog” as my friend Liz so appropriately stated on Facebook the other day. No matter what the external circumstances are (in Catherine’s case, lots of fame/tons of moolah/good looks, etc.), if someone is sending a message to their brain day after day that they are in danger, stress hormones go one the rise. Our brains aren’t that swift when it comes to being trigger-happy with the stress response – it can’t tell the difference between real danger and perceived danger – or in other words, our stressful thoughts. For example, reacting to your house catching on fire versus freaking out over your manager’s never-ending lack of leadership skills sends the same messages to the brain that there is danger. When our brains sense real or perceived danger, cortisol is released into our system and the result reminds me of the the time many years ago when my father came home unexpectedly one night while I was having a wee get-together with a few friends…it really wrecks the party.

Catherine’s experience with mental illness amidst her apparent “good life” goes to prove that no matter how good someone has it in the external sense, if they are seeing things and thinking about things in a way that tells their body they’re in danger and triggers the release of cortisol day after day, there won’t be enough endorphins and calming neurotransmitters to keep them feeling BALANCED to enjoy said “good life”. It’s important for me to mention that her husband, Michael Douglas, has faced throat cancer over the past couple of years, so Catherine has probably had a perception of being in great danger for many months on end. Life’s changes and challenges sometimes just gets the best of us and fear takes its mighty hold…that’s the bumpy ride called the human experience.

As I mentioned earlier in this post, Catherine and I will be managing our own, unique versions of mental illness for the rest of our lives. Just like the risk of heart disease can be lowered by the CHOICES one makes in terms of lifestyle habits, lowering the risk of mental illness can be lowered by CHOOSING to see and think about challenges in a way that tells one’s body that despite the $#@! hitting the fan, we’re going to be okay and hence, the chemical balance remains unaltered.

Even though most of my experiences with mental illness occurred while I was in my twenties, I’m still not immune to it. In fact, I experienced both depression and anxiety (they tend to go hand in hand which is really neat) once again back this past winter. I got thin again, but recovered way too early to look any better on the beach this summer…damn winter depressions. I now see with great clarity that each time I have gotten sick, it has stemmed from what I was telling myself day after day about the certain challenges that were unfolding in my life. Yes, thank goodness medication exists and yes, I’m a huge promoter of all things wellness, but the true healer of any form/level of depression lies within our ability to BE AWAKE…to be aware of how we’re viewing and thinking about the stuff that comes our way in life.

Strong mental health can be Catherine’s, mine, and perhaps yours if you too have a sensitive chemical balance in your brain, if we consciously choose to see the lighter side of life and keep that stress response at bay for one more day.

Big Love,

susan

*my next post will offer some specific ways of seeing changes and challenges in ways that can keep one’s stress hormones at bay…these acts of mindfulness have helped me greatly…stay tuned!