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#MentalHealthMonday – A list of Famous People who have experienced Mental Illness

By Health, Inspiration, ThinkingNo Comments

Below are a list of famous people who have experienced mental health illness (in alphabetical order and by condition):

Anxiety and depression often coexist. Bipolar is characterised by episodes of mania which can include anxiety and episodes of depression. So although many of these people could fit under more than one mental illness, I have placed them in the condition that I feel bet fits.

Anxiety

MI-Charles-Darwin

Charles Darwin, Naturalist & Geologist [Deceased] According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © Wikipedia.

MI-Heath-Ledger

Heath Ledger, Actor [Deceased] According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © HeathUltimate on Tumblr.

MI-Matt-Haig

Matt Haig, Author
According to his own book Reasons to Stay Alive
Image From & Copyright © Matt Haig

MI-Vincent-van-Gogh

Vincent van Gogh, Painter [Deceased] According to Brain Pickings
Image From & Copyright © Wikipedia.

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Bipolar

MI-Ben-Stiller

Ben Stiller, Comedian & Actor
According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © Vulture.

MI-Britney-Spears

Britney Spears, Singer
According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © Celebmafia.

MI-Carrie-Fisher

Carrie Fisher, Advocate & Actress [Deceased] According to Hannah Parkinson at The Guardian
Image From & Copyright © The Wall Street Journal.

MI-Catherine-Zeta-Jones

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Actress
According to Express
Image From & Copyright © Wikipedia.

MI-Isaac-Newton

Isaac Newton, Mathematician & Physicist [Deceased] According to Famous Bipolar People
Image From & Copyright © Wikipedia.

MI-Russell-Brand

Russell Brand, Comedian
According to Wikipedia
Image From & Copyright © Letters Live.

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Depression

MI-Abraham-Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, Politician & Former President of the USA [Deceased] According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © bio.

MI-Alanis-Morissette

Alanis Morissette, Singer
According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © Alanis Morissette on Twitter.

MI-Anne-Rice

Anne Rice, Author
According to Your Dictionary
Image From & Copyright © The Daily Beast.

MI-Charles-Dickens

Charles Dickens, Writer [Deceased] According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © bio.

MI-Denise-Welch

Denise Welch, Actor & Presenter
According to Denise Welch in the Mirror
Image From & Copyright © Daily Star Sunday.

MI-Dolly-Parton

Dolly Parton, Singer
According to Dolly Parton in the Mirror
Image From & Copyright © Syedammaralavi1 on Pinterest.

MI-Drew-Barrymore

Drew Barrymore, Actress
According to Caroline Bologna on The Huffington Post
Image From & Copyright © Drew Barrymore on Twitter.

MI-Emma-Thompson

Emma Thompson, Writer & Actress
According to Roya Nikkhah at The Telegraph
Image From & Copyright © Hamilton Hodell Talent Management.

MI-George-Michael

George Michael, Singer [Deceased] According to People Music
Image From & Copyright © Lynn Allaway on The Huffington Post.

MI-Harrison-Ford

Harrison Ford, Actor & Film Producer
According to living in stigma
Image From & Copyright © QUEERTY.

MI-J.K-Rowling

J.K Rowling, Author
According to The Mighty
Image From & Copyright © MTV.

MI-Jim-Carrey

Jim Carrey, Comedian & Actor
According to Mental Health Daily Blog
Image From & Copyright © AngelicView.

MI-Kylie-Minogue

Kylie Minogue, Singer
According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © Mirror.

MI-Princess-Diana

Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, Princess [Deceased] According to depression-guide.com
Image From & Copyright © Dr. Rebecca Hains.

MI-Robbie-Williams

Robbie Williams, Singer
According to The Independent
Image From & Copyright © Robbie Williams Store.

MI-Robin-Williams

Robin Williams, Comedian & Actor [Deceased] According to The Independent
Image From & Copyright © DAVID LANZILAO/REDUX on Daily Beast.

MI-Ruby-Wax

Ruby Wax, Comedian, Actress & Writer
According to herself in her autobiography How Do You Want Me? and in her two books about mental health: Sane New World & Frazzled
Image From & Copyright © MindBodySpirit.co.uk.

MI-Stephen-Fry

Stephen Fry, Presenter & Writer
According to Stephen Fry himself on his blog
Image From & Copyright © Stephen Fry.

MI-Stephen-King

Stephen King, Author
According to Stephen King himself in an interview with The Guardian
Image From & Copyright © eddymarchini on Pinterest.

MI-Trisha-Goddard

Trisha Goddard, Presenter
According to Amanda Green
Image From & Copyright © Alchetron.

MI-Winston-Churchill

Winston Churchill, Politician and Former Prime Minister of the UK [Deceased] According to Paul Foley at the Black Dog Institute. Winston Churchill famously called his depression the black dog.
Image From & Copyright © ITV News.

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I know there’s loads of famous people who have experience of mental illness who are not on these lists. If you feel compelled to tell me whom I’ve missed off, please leave a comment below.

The point of this blog post is to show someone experiencing mental illness that they are not alone. That they are among the great and the good.

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Last year I wrote a series of blog posts with a Mental Health Focus. You can read them here: 5 Brilliant TED Talks About Mental Health, I’ve Been One of the 1 in 4, A List of Common Conditions and Treatment & Recovery.

Write soon,

Antony



I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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A List of Famous People with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and/or Dyscalculia

By Education, The Web, Thinking12 Comments

Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia all affect the way people learn. Some people may have one of these conditions diagnosed, whereas others may have two or even all three of these conditions diagnosed.

I have been diagnosed primarily with Dyspraxia, with some Dyslexia and more than a touch of Dyscalculia. But with determination, support and self-belief I have overcome adversity to be relatively successful. I am not alone. Many famous people have Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and/or Dyscalculia and have managed to be successful at what they do.

Below is a definition of Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, along with a list of famous people (in alphabetical order) with each condition:

Dyspraxia is:

…a form of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults…DCD is a lifelong condition, formally recognised by international organisations including the World Health Organisation…[DCD] occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. Individuals may vary in how their difficulties present: these may change over time depending on environmental demands and life experiences.

(From: Dyspraxia Foundation – About Dyspraxia, Last accessed: Sunday 31st July 2016.)

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A List of Famous People with Dyspraxia

albert-einstein

Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist [Deceased]According to The Blog With (More Than) One Post….
Image From & Copyright © Wiki Media.

bill-gates

Bill Gates, Philanthropist and Founder of Microsoft
According to Auckland Dyspraxia Support Trust.
Image From & Copyright © The Telegraph.

daniel-radcliffe

Daniel Radcliffe, Actor
According to The Blog With (More Than) One Post….
Image From & Copyright © NBC.

isaac-newton

Isaac Newton, Physicist and Mathematician [Deceased]According to Auckland Dyspraxia Support Trust.
Image From & Copyright © Wiki Media.

pablo-picasso

Pablo Picasso, Artist/Painter [Deceased]According to Auckland Dyspraxia Support Trust.
Image From & Copyright © The Art Story.

richard-branson

Richard Branson, Business Man and Philanthropist
According to The Blog With (More Than) One Post….
Image From & Copyright © bio.

robin-williams

Robin Williams, Comedian and Actor [Deceased]According to The Blog With (More Than) One Post….
Image From & Copyright © DAVID LANZILAO/REDUX on Daily Beast.

stephen-fry

Stephen Fry, Comedian, Writer and Presenter
According to Auckland Dyspraxia Support Trust.
Image From & Copyright © Stephen Fry.

*

* Apologies for the lack of females on this list. No famous females found to have Dyspraxia online. Know a famous female with Dyspraxia? Leave a comment below.

Dyslexia is:

…a common learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling.

It’s a “specific learning difficulty”, which means it causes problems with certain abilities used for learning, such as reading and writing. Unlike a learning disability, intelligence isn’t affected.

(From: NHS Choices – Dyslexia Introduction, Last accessed: Sunday 31st July 2016.)

A List of Famous People with Dyslexia

agatha-christie

Agatha Christie, Writer [Deceased]According to Disabled World.
Image From & Copyright © bio.

cher

Cher, Singer and Actress
According to Understood.
Image From & Copyright © Cher.com.

eddie-izzard

Eddie Izzard, Comedian, Writer and Actor
According to Dyslexia Association of Ireland.
Image From & Copyright © SBS TV.

keira-knightley

Keira Knightley, Actress
According to: The Power of Dyslexia.
Image From & Copyright © IndieWire.

leonardo-da-vinci

Leonardo da Vinci, Inventor, Artist and all-round Genius [Deceased]According to: The Power of Dyslexia.
Image From & Copyright © Leonardo da Vinci.net.

orlando-bloom

Orlando Bloom, Actor
According to: The Power of Dyslexia.
Image From & Copyright © TimeInc.

steve-jobs

Steve Jobs, Inventor and Apple Co-Founder [Deceased]According to: The Power of Dyslexia.
Image From & Copyright © 9to5Mac.

steven-spielberg

Steven Spielberg, Film Director
According to: Understood.
Image From & Copyright © Slate Magazine.

thomas-edison

Thomas Edison, Inventor [Deceased]According to: The Power of Dyslexia.
Image From & Copyright © bio.

tom-cruise

Tom Cruise, Actor
According to: Disabled World.
Image From & Copyright © TomCruise.com.

whoopi-goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg, Comedian, Actress and Activist
According to: Understood.
Image From & Copyright © Teacup Puppies Store.

winston-churchill

Winston Churchill, Politician and Former Prime Minister of the UK [Deceased]According to: Disabled World.
Image From & Copyright © ITV.

Dyscalculia is:

…is usually perceived of as a specific learning difficulty for mathematics, or, more appropriately, arithmetic.

Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) is a specific learning disorder that is characterised by impairments in learning basic arithmetic facts, processing numerical magnitude and performing accurate and fluent calculations. These difficulties must be quantifiably below what is expected for an individual’s chronological age, and must not be caused by poor educational or daily activities or by intellectual impairments.

(From: British Dyslexia Association – DYSCALCULIA, Last accessed: Sunday 31st July 2016.)

A List of Famous People with Dyscalculia

cher2

Cher, Singer and Actress
According to Dyscalculia Blog.
Image From & Copyright © Cher.com.

benjamin-franklin

Benjamin Franklin, A Founding Father of the United States of America [Deceased]According to Dr Linda’s Blog.
Image From & Copyright © Wikimedia.

bill-gates2

Bill Gates, Philanthropist and Founder of Microsoft
According to Dr Linda’s Blog.
Image From & Copyright © The Telegraph.

thomas-edison2

Thomas Edison, Inventor [Deceased]According to: Dr Linda’s Blog.
Image From & Copyright © bio.

*

* According to Dyscalculia Blog, Dyscalculia is rarer than Dyslexia. Dyscalculia is not as well known as Dyspraxia or Dyslexia. This means that it’s likely that less people are assessed for Dyscalculia and therefore less people diagnosed with it. This would go someway to explaining the lack of famous people with Dyscalculia on the list above.

Write soon,

Antony

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I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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The Life of David Bowie

By Music & Radio, ThinkingNo Comments
david-bowie-gif

David Bowie Gif, click to activate (From eBaum’s World).

On Sunday 10th January 2016, the iconic, undoubtably talented and inspirational David Bowie sadly died. But rather that mourn his death, I wanted to celebrate his life and above all his music.

I didn’t grow-up with David Bowie. I’m nearly thirty, so a bit young. Instead, I discovered him as an adult.

My all-time favourite song of his is Under Pressure. I particularly love this rendition from Madison Square Garden in 1997:

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I like many of his other tracks including:
Heroes:

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Dancing In The Street:

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Let’s Dance:

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Changes:

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Starman:

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Life on Mars:

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Young Americans:

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Rebel Rebel:

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Day In Day Out:

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Blue Jean:

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Jean Genie:

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Space Oddity:

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Ashes To Ashes:

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Absolute Beginners:

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Never Let Me Down:

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Golden Years:

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Blog soon,

Antony

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Robin Williams Tribute Video & My Thoughts About Poor Mental Health

By Health, Thinking2 Comments

Robin Williams, the Actor & Comedian recently committed suicide after suffering from severe depression undiagnosed Dementia with Lewy bodies (see Blog Correction: Robin Williams’ Cause of Death). Like people around the world, I was shocked and saddened by the news.

Here’s a brilliant Tribute video to Robin Williams; that’s just 1 minute long:

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1 in 4 people will suffer from poor mental health at a least one point in their lives. And it is said that poor mental health runs in families. When I’ve talking about poor mental health, I’m thinking about the following conditions: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, bipolar, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, personality disorders and suicidal thoughts.

I have suffered from poor mental health in the past. Looking at my close circle of family and friends, I know that most of them have as well. Yes to varying degrees of severity, but their poor mental health has effected their life. So I think the 1 in 4 statistic must be at best conservative. Yet there’s still a stigma attached to mental health, which seems to make it a taboo topic of conversation.

It’s time that things changed. We should talk about mental health. We should know how to look after our own mental health and how to best support our loved ones that are experiencing poor mental health. Too many people die because of their poor mental health. Robin Williams was one of these too many people.

If you are experiencing an episode of poor mental health, two useful websites are: Mind and SANE. If you are feeling suicidal please visit your nearest A&E Department for crisis support, before putting your thoughts into action.

Take care,

Antony

Edited: Monday 5th February 2024 at 07:00.

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