Actress and singer Demi Lovato stepped into the mental health advocacy role in 2014 by openly discussing her struggles with bipolar disorder.
“I want to show the world that there is life — surprising, wonderful and unexpected life — after diagnosis,” she says.
In September, Lovato headlined the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ “Call to Action” day, telling the audience she will fight for comprehensive mental health reform. She also launched what she calls the Mental Health Listening and Engagement Tour to meet others struggling with mental health issues.
“Those of us here today,” she told NAMI supporters, “know that mental illness has no prejudice. It affects people of every race, age, gender, religion and economic status. … We need to send the simple message to our nation’s leaders: Mental health matters and must be taken seriously.”
The 22-year-old singer of smash hits “Let It Go” and “Give Your Heart a Break” struggled with depression and feelings of helplessness. “I’d medicate myself with drugs and alcohol in an effort to feel normal — not better, just normal.”
“I had very low periods that were so emotionally draining that I couldn’t find the strength to crawl out of bed.”
Her diagnosis of bipolar disorder was a “relief in so many ways.” It helped make sense of the desperation she had felt for years.
“Even with access to so much,” she told the NAMI crowd, “my journey has not been an easy one.”
The former Disney Channel star’s recovery was aided by a comprehensive approach: seeing a therapist, getting proper medication, sticking to a treatment plan, being honest with herself and taking better care of her body.
“Doing better with bipolar disorder takes work, and it doesn’t always happen at once.”
Mental health advocates say trying to reach America’s youth is one of the toughest things in overcoming stigma, and that Lovato’s star power helps bridge that divide. She says she’s proud of her recovery and that she got the “help that I need.”
“You can have that, too.”
2. Fred Frese
Fred Frese stands as the epitome of successful recovery from mental illness. At 25, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a Marine Corps officer, and over the next decade he cycled in and out of military, state, county, Veterans and private hospitals.
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“Suddenly the two of us were thrown headlong into the maze of contradictions, disparities and Catch-22s that make up America’s mental health system,” Earley writes.
Since going public with his family’s story, Earley has traveled the country and the world discussing the need for better care.
9. Creigh Deeds
Virginia State Sen. Creigh Deeds survived being stabbed multiple times by his 24-year-old son in November 2013. His son, Gus, suffered from bipolar disorder and had been turned away by a mental health center because a psychiatric bed could not be found.
Shortly after returning home, Gus stabbed his father with a knife and then shot himself.
Creigh Deeds has turned the tragedy into action. A state lawmaker for more than two decades, he was “always ashamed by Virginia’s abysmal ranking” when it came to mental health care. Yet he admits it was never his priority.
Seeing his son decline — even turned away when he sought treatment — was the lawmaker’s wake-up call.
“I promise you I would give anything to not be in this position today,” Deeds said at this year’s annual National Alliance on Mental Illness conference.
NAMI honored Deeds with the Richard T. Greer Advocacy Award for his efforts to reform Virginia’s mental health laws. “Who knows whether the cure for cancer or the next big idea to save the Earth or to unlock the secrets of the universe is locked in the mind of someone who now struggles with a disease of the brain?” he said. “How many of those bright minds are locked away in our criminal justice system?”
Deeds signifies a valiant father seeking to make a difference. He says he owes it to his son’s legacy and for the millions of others who need proper treatment in America. The Washington Post ran a stellar profile of Deeds and his recovery in November.
“My son was unbelievable,” he told NAMI. “He remains, in every respect, a hero. Gus was exactly what I wanted to be. He was smart, handsome, strong, inquisitive, confident. …
“He could do anything he wanted to do, and do it well. His life was just not long enough.”
His reform efforts, he says, have just begun. “I’m not finished.”
