May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to fostering open conversations, reducing the stigma, celebrating recovery and highlighting the importance of mental wellness.
Award-winning actor Christian Slater has dedicated himself to mental health advocacy, sharing his story with mental illnesses. Having experienced fame and pressure from a young age as well as addiction, Slater has made it a mission to share his journey through recovery.
Slater began his career as a child actor at just 8 years old, where he first appeared on screen in the soap opera One Life to Live, along with performing in multiple Broadway shows. Throughout his career, Slater has starred in multiple notable films and shows, including Heathers, The Wizard, True Romance and Mr. Robot.
Slater will visit New Albany this May to share his story during The New Albany Lecture Series hosted by the New Albany Community Foundation. He will be interviewed by NPR’s Arts Desk reporter Neda Ulaby for a conversation on mental health.
Success and mental health
Social pressure and comparison, as well as high expectations, can all be detrimental to someone’s sense of self-worth and overall mental health.
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From the spotlight of Hollywood to the pressure of getting into a good school, anyone can feel the weight of societal perfectionism, which has been linked to depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).
“With success, there are potentially many people willing to overlook certain behaviors if financial success isn’t being impeded,” says Slater. “Enabling someone and giving them a permission slip to act out and behave inappropriately can be a death sentence to someone struggling with mental issues.”
The APA emphasizes that while ambition can help create a sense of purpose, meaning and joy, when someone believes they don’t live up to these expectations, it can negatively impact their mental health.
In some cases, people may turn to harmful coping methods such as drugs and alcohol to deal with the pressure.
“I was an alcoholic and a drug addict. Those were the tools I used to cope with my demons. They gave me the ability to escape from myself and my struggles,” says Slater. “They helped me to get over the fears and anxieties I was dealing with and be able to handle a world that I felt very overwhelmed by and unprepared for. But my solution wasn’t sustainable.”
According to the APA, recent studies show that societal perfectionism and high pressure to succeed have increased over the past decade, especially in younger generations, which has contributed to the growing mental health challenges many face today.
Getting help
Whether it is struggling to admit the problem, fear of judgement or simply not recognizing the signs, many factors can prevent individuals from seeking the help they need.
“When I first realized I needed help, group meetings were suggested. I went to some and initially felt like it wasn’t really for me. It took me a long time to accept the fact that I was an alcoholic. It’s not something anyone strives for in life. In my opinion, it was something to be avoided at all costs,” says Slater.
Recognizing there is a problem is often the first step toward recovery.
“I told myself that it was all a big misunderstanding and I’d be more careful in the future. I kept testing the limits and eventually flew too close to the sun and found my way back into the rooms of group meetings. It was within those rooms where I met the people I could finally relate to and feel the understanding that I needed to feel,” says Slater.
There are many types of therapy and approaches, such as group therapy, peer support groups, one-on-one therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy that can improve your mental health. Some people add methods to their daily life, such as exercising, meditation, art and nature therapy, as well as diet and nutrition, to improve their mental health.
While what works can vary from person to person, finding the right support and methods can be lifesaving.
Therapy can help people understand how their mind works, navigate their feelings, build healthier habits and shift their outlook on life. It can also reduce disability, morbidity and mortality, according to Mental Health America.
The organization also states that regular therapy sessions can help improve communication skills, improve interpersonal skills, support stronger relationships and increase self-awareness.
Slater has found several means that work for him. In his free time, he prioritizes simple things such as focusing on friends and family, meditating, cooking, walking his dog, exercising, attending therapy sessions and doing school pickups and drop-offs.
“Today I prioritize my own mental health, and I listen to the people in my life and prioritize their mental health as well. I have people in my life that I love and care for,” says Slater.
Reducing the stigma around mental health
More than 59 million people in the U.S. live with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, many of whom hide what they are going through out of fear of judgment.
A survey by Rethink Mental Illness, a mental health nonprofit in England, found that three in five people living with a severe mental illness worry about how others perceive them, causing them not to seek treatment.
According to the APA, stigma and discrimination can contribute to reduced hope, lower self-esteem, increased psychiatric symptoms, difficulties with social relationships and social isolation.
“I’m in a business that is all about make-believe, looking good and saying the right things. Reality is not always what media shows us. Nobody has it all together. Nobody feels completely secure all the time,” says Slater. “And the more honest we are about those parts of humanity that so many of us want to hide from, the safer and more secure we will all feel with each other.”
The survey by Rethink Mental Illness also found that 93 percent of people living with a mental illness still feel that there isn’t enough awareness surrounding mental health.
Although many believe there is still more education and advocacy needed, in recent years, many organizations have been recognized for their effort in reducing the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health America, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Jed Foundation are dedicated to spreading awareness and resources to help those who may be struggling.
Slater believes that those who are willing to speak openly have played an important role in changing the conversation, something that Slater is now doing himself.
“I believe courage has played a major role,” says Slater. “There have been so many more people with mental health issues willing to speak up and without shame. Having honest and open conversations.”
Korrigan Craddock is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
