Depression in the Rich and Famous
Recently I was involved in a conversation regarding rich celebrities and why they never seem to seek the treatment they need when ill. Some involved in the discussion couldn't even understand how someone like Owen Wilson could possibly even be depressed enough to want to commit suicide (as rumors have it). There is this impression that celebrities lead an idyllic life. Having never lived the life of a celebrity, I could only speak from speculation, but my thoughts on the matter are as follows.
To be a celebrity and/or sickingly rich puts a person on a completely different social level from the rest of the population. I'm not talking just in the obvious sense, but in the sense that isolation becomes a part of the lifestyle. My son and I were watching one of those E! programs in which they were counting down the wealthiest celebrities. My son wanted to know why Johnny Depp would own a whole island. Instead of saying "Because he can", I told him that he probably bought a whole island in order to isolate himself from the crazies who constantly follow, hound and make various demands on him.
Isolating themselves is a matter of survival. Knowing who to trust, being surrounded by people who may not always have their best interests at heart, having their lives constantly under a microscope and splashed across newstands, has to be a lifestyle that demands caution at every turn. One must be careful of every action, every word uttered, every kind or unkind gesture, not just from themselves but from those who would call themselves friends and partners.
The life of a celebrity is filled with mine fields, and seems to me a very lonely existence. I'm sure one can always stay within the confines of their status and associate with others on the same social level, as many do, but there is something to be said of being able to live a more "normal" lifestyle.
A friend of mine called me today out of the blue and asked me to go with her to lunch. An hour later we were sitting over sandwiches and drinks talking and laughing. Her father recently died and this was our quiet little tribute to him. There was no concern about outwitting paparazzi, or of allowing them to trample through the grounds of the restaurant trying to snap pictures. There was no worry about people recognizing us and intruding on our lunch. Nobody to speculate about this sudden, unplanned excursion.
On the way home from my lunch today I got to thinking about how rich my life is right now. My S.O. and I still live pretty much week to week, but we are surrounded by good friends, loving relatives and the freedom to come and go and do as we please. These are really the things that enrich our lives, not money and power.
Perhaps people like Lindsay Lohan have the money to seek the help they need when faced with an illness like alcoholism or depression, but do they truely live a lifestyle that allows them to overcome these type of illnesses? If Lindsay's choices are isolation from the people who don't want the party to end or to combat loneliness by continuing her association with them, that is a tough choice for anyone to make, let alone a celebrity who will never truely know who is and isn't a friend. Depression is an extremely debilitating illness. We can look in from outside and say we don't understand how someone like Owen Wilson could possibly feel so badly about himself and his life, but do we really understand how much loneliness there must be to live such an isolated life?
I've been on the edge of depression. I've lived in an alcoholic household. I know how difficult it is to overcome the pain that comes with both these illnesses. Having all the money and fame in the world cannot magicly make the pain go away. In fact, I think it only increases the problem, feeding on the pain until it consumes the person within. I am thankful I've muddled through my life and my problems without having to deal with the kind of isolation these celebrities face everyday.
