This is the Word version of a talk at Wernersville State Hospital on my experience with mental illness Recovery and Resiliency. I am bipolar 2 and diabetic 2. It is a call for change on how we view "mental illness" and how we move forward.

1. My name is Richard Gardner. I am here todayas someone who has been
gifted with “mentalillness”. I am bipolarand a suicide survivor. Mental
illness does not have to be a disaster any more than breathingdoes.
I am here not to talk about me, but to talk about you (and who you are).
I havehad some formof depression/hypomania as far back as I can remember. I never quite fit
in anywhere, even among my family. I still do not fit in easily unless I am around people gifted
like me or I am using my gift to teach people about their world. For that moment I am freeto
be who I am. This is unfortunately rare. Mostof the time I am either with my dog and/or my
wife. Both appreciate me for who I am, even though my dog is often totally and completely
BORED with me. My wife says sheis never bored with me.
My family history shows thatI was gifted with bipolar fromboth maternaland paternal lines.
My paternalgrandfather was a classic bipolar – extremely gifted and an alcoholic. My mother’s
family has enough personality to fill severalsmall states to overflowing.
I have no issues with whoI am, thankful that I have the gifts I do. (I do not always like me, but
that is okay as we all have bad days and good ones.) I am thankfulfor my highs and lows
becausethey drive my creativity and drive me forward to attempt and achieve more than I am
supposedly capableof.
Resiliency –I gained it through pushing pastmy normal limits athletically; I ran marathons and
ultramarathons. Theeventmay be hard, but training for them event is much tougher. The
commitment to do these events required discipline, planning months if not years ahead, self-
knowledge, not only of my body, but of my mind, the ability to overcomesetbacks such as bad
days, bad weather and injuries. The challenges and discipline of training for an event like this
are the same as the challenges and discipline needed for living a full life. Running the event
was anticlimactic.
I learned much about myself, whatI can do and that the limits are usually inmy head. I
learned how to operate as a team with other people, using my weaknesses and strengths with
the strengths and weaknesses of other people to achieve something much greater than either
of us. At the same time, I learned how to work independently as mostof the time I trained
alone.
This is one of our greatest paradoxes, being independent of and dependent on people at the
same time. Learning to work with other people yet needing to work alone. I am best with one
or two partners, seldommore, who can cooperateand work together. Yet, I need a lot of time
alone time to be healthy.

2. I have eight major concerns with the mental health system (and thousands of
minor concerns. After all, I am bipolar and we are incredibly thorough whenever
we do anything (please laugh)).
1. My firstand greatest concern is that we redothe language of mental health. Words like
illness, disorder, disability and similar define us as disabled, not gifted differently than other
people. I never usethe words “disorder” or “illness” when describing myself. So much has
been given by us, often at a terrible price, that the language weuse does not really describeus
or whatwe have given humanity. Every gift has a price, but still it is a gift. Without "mentally
ill" people our world would not have electricity (Nikola Tesla), nylon (Wallace Carothers), a
huge amount of written literature (Hemingway, Wolfe, Plath), great music (Beethoven, Jerry
Garcia), writers of the American Declaration of independence (Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin
Franklin) ... and much else. Our suiciderates are very high, but so are our contributions. I have
faced down suicide many times as part of what I am, but I havealso contributed at least equal
to the personalcost, hopefully much more.
2. My experience has been that there is very little informationgiventopeople withmental
healthchallenges about their diagnosis (diagnoses). For meit was a struggle to get the
information I needed to understand myself. DSM5 is much more informative, at least for
bipolar, than DSM 4. Itis worth reading.
I know that many in the mental health field fear that we will self-diagnoseourselves and
misusethe information. Perhaps this is true, but lack of knowledgemakes me deaf to who I
am and the reasons for some of my actions, good and bad. However, the more I learn, the
more I understand whatI am and the reasons for much of what I do. With this knowledgeI can
enhance and develop my good aspects while changing my negative aspects and other
circumstances, to make my life richer, more fulfilling and more able to servemy world.
3. Wellness focused life stylesshouldbe the primary way of dealing withmental health
challenges. Medications should be the alternative secondary therapy given only when
necessary. I amunmedicated for bipolar. This requires a disciplined lifestyle of daily exercise
and a healthy whole foods diet withan affectionate, understanding mate as the essential
elements of keeping me healthy. I put a lot of time into exercise, preparing what we eat and
my mate. A physically healthy person will have fewer physicalissues and therefore have fewer
emotional issues. Thatperson will havemore control of their mental health than a physically
unhealthy one and be able to give more of themselves to other people.
4. Our outreaches miss most of the people who needus. Frommy experience, most people
with mental health challenges live in low level crisis, notcritical crisis. They strugglewith
everyday issues common to all of us. We need to reach them by going to the places they are;

3. bars, churches, community serviceorganizations, socialorganizations, hiking groups and
similar. Then we need to assurepeople living in low level crises that they are worthwhile
human beings with a lot to give our world, instead of being garbagekicked into the gutter.
People like us understand being outcasts, feared and kicked into the gutter. Let’s reach these
people and change their lives.
5. The medical community’s way of perceiving and dealing withwhat we are is flawed. In the
medical community literally, everything frombeing conceived to dying is a medical crisis which
needs fixing. We are continually focused on “illness”, not on being whole people with real lives
who, like everyone else, have physicaland mental health issues common to being alive.
6. We needgroups which meet ininformal situations, sowe can learnfrom eachother. The
three question groups (how do I feel – does anyonehave something they wantto talk about –
how do I feel now?) servea purpose. However, I learn morefromtalking casually in social
situations with people like us than any other way. Added to this, our families/significant others
need to be given the sameopportunities as us to meet in casualsocial situations and talk.
7. We needto focus on our strengths, notour perceived weaknesses. By our nature we are
creative people with the ability to find unique solutions to issues facing our world. Itis almost
impossibleto be healthy functioning members of society when all we hear is how sick we are.
Let’s hear how wholewe are and the unique gifts we have.
8. We needphysical contact to be healthy. The mental health systemappears to be more
worried about coercivephysicalcontact than the huge benefits non-coercivephysicalcontact
brings. Everyonehas limits to the amount of physicalcontact they want or need. However, at
least for me, lack of physical(and sexual) contact with other people puts me in an emotional
wasteland. When I am going hypomanic a hug or lying down beside someonecan bring that
episode under control better than 8 hours of mopping floors, vacuuming carpets and doing
dishes.
Other thoughts:
Mental healthconditions suchas bipolar apparently come withtype 2 diabetes. There
appears to be a strong correlation between the two which needs further exploring. I have
been gifted with type 2 diabetes along with bipolar. The combination of the two helps me live
a better life becausethe choices are simple - literally dying by inches or living a healthy life.
The bipolar gives me the drive and creativity to deal with the basic diabetes issues. The
diabetes pushes me away fromthe toxic American diet and life style, which areas much a
mental health issue as a physicalhealth issue, into a healthier and fuller way of living.

4. We are known as Polymaths/Renaissance people, gifted in not only one area of creativity, but
many. I am as comfortable discussing history as I am discussing biology, ecology or politics. I
create art for the joy of it and write poetry when the need in me arises. I have created new
moves on the dance floor, painted murals, written articles for newsletters and developed new
chainsaw techniques when I clear dead trees off the Appalachian Trail. This is what I expect of
me, nothing less.
Social dance - EastCoast Swing in my case, was an importantpart of keeping me healthy. East
CoastSwing was a great place for me to usemy bipolar creativity within the framework of the
structureof the dance. Like all real creativity, it does not exist in a void. Rather it requires
knowing the structureof the dance firstthen adding disciplinedcreativity.Themostimportant
social skills I learned werehow to be a decisive/sensitivelead, how to communicatewith my
partner, how to appreciate people for who they are and how to take apparentrejection. Italso
provided me with the interpersonal emotional contactand human touch I needed to be
healthy.
Creativity does not exist inanundisciplinedvoid. Itis a search for order based on our ongoing
pastexperiences interpreted in new ways; a new aspect of order. Itis expressing whatwas not
yet seen in a way that it can be plainly seen/understood by ourselves and other people. Itis
rarely perfected in one-time inspirations. It is a commitment towork hard torefine what we
sense andfeel intocoherency. I wordsmith fiercely everything to the limits of whatI am
capable of. Others do the same in their art.
We live inparadoxes, which is the sourceof our creativity. Being able to work with opposites
in our lives fuels a creative dialog not only in ourselves, butin society, which can manifestitself
in unique and wonderfulways.
Outreach – Itmay be a surpriseto mostpeople, but an incredible number of people like
ourselves arepartof hiking clubs.
To be psychologically healthy we needtobe physically healthy. A serious walking group
would be great, not easy miles but real walking.
Developing a one or two-mile fitness trail here wouldbe very valuable for everyone, being a
place for us to get healthy and spend active time with our families/friends. A gym is also a
good idea for those who are morecomfortablein that environment and for the days when the
weather is againstus.
I learnmostly by reading, listening inside myself andby talking to people like me casually at
minimally organized socialevents. Itwould be nice if we can havemeetings at restaurants,

5. concerts, dances and other venues, so wecan socializewithout focusing on “our mental health
challenges”.
Use Meetup.comto help us organizeourselves as coherentgroups of people.
Once ina while it would be nice to hear that we are valuedand treasured, withmuchto
give to our families, communities andthe world. We have beengivenmuch and have much
to give.
Bipolar has always beena part of me and always will be. I can embrace and work withit,
accomplishing much. Or can I fight and work against it, living a life incontinual crisis. My
choice is obvious.
The measure of our lives is our successes, not our failures; getting up
after every fall is more important than the number of falls we make.

6. Famous mentallyill people:
http://www.mskinnermusic.com/home/advocacy-2/famous-people-mental-
health-concern-illness/ (accessed April 2, 2018)
Paula Abdul, Musician. Bulimia.
Lionel Aldridge, Green Bay Packers football player of the 1960’s. Schizophrenia
Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Astronaut. Depression.
Alexander the Great, Monarch. Depression.
Hans Christian Anderson, Author. Bipolar.
Louie Anderson, Comedian, actor. Depression.
Beatrice Arthur, Actress (The Golden Girls, Maude). Depression.
Roseanne Barr, Actress, writer, comedienne. Depression, Agoraphobia.
Rona Barrett, Columnist. Depression.
Syd Barrett, Musician, the band Pink Floyd. Schizophrenia and depression
Lionel Barrymore, Actor (Hamlet). Depression, nervous breakdown.
Drew Barrymore, Actress. Depression.
Kim Basinger Actress (Movie Batman). Panic, anxiety disorder.
Samuel Becket Writer. Depression.
Ned Beatty Actor. Bipolar.
Ludwig van Beethoven Composer. Bipolar.
Menachem Begin Former Prime Minister of Israel. Depression.
Irving Berlin Composer. Depression.
Leonard Bernstein Composer. Depression.
Charles “Buddy” Bolden Schizophrenia.
Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of France. Depression.
Daniel Boorstin Former Presidential Advisor. Bipolar.
Clara Bow Actress in silent movies. Depression.
Kenneth Branagh Actor (movie The Wild Wild West). Depression.
Marlon Brando Actor (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now). Depression.
Willy Brandt German Chancellor. Depression.
Art Buchwald Columnist. Depression.
Tim Burton Movie director (Beetlejuice, Batman). Depression.
Barbara Bush Former First Lady. Depression.
Nicholas Cage Actor (Birdy, Peggy Sue Got Married) Anxiety disorder.
Earl Campbell Football player. Panic disorder.
Naomi Campbell Model. Anxiety disorder.
Jose Canseco Baseball player. Depression.
Truman Capote Writer. Depression.
Drew Carey Actor, comedian. Depression.
Jim Carrey Actor (Ace Ventura, The Mask). Depression.
Dick Cavett Broadcaster. Bipolar.
Ray Charles Musician (Hit The Road Jack, Georgia On My Mind). Depression.
Paddy Chayefsky Writer, movie director. Depression.
Winston Churchill Bipolar.
Eric Clapton Musician (Tears in Heaven, Let It Rain). Depression.
Dick Clark Entertainer (American Bandstand). Depression.

7. John Cleese Actor, comedian (Monty Python). Self-confessed Manic.
Rosemary Clooney Singer. Depression.
Ty Cobb Athlete. Depression.
Natalie Cole Singer. Depression.
Judy Collins Musician (Send in the Clowns). Depression.
Jeff Conaway Actor (TV series Taxi). Depression.
Calvin Coolidge Former U.S. President. Depression.
Francis Ford Coppola Movie director (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now). Bipolar
Noel Coward Playwrite, actor, composer. Depression.
Sheryl Crow Singer (Strong Enough, Soak Up The Sun). Depression.
Rodney Dangerfield Comedian.
Bobby Darin Singer, actor (Mack The Knife, If I Were A Carpenter). Depression
Charles Darwin Explorer. Depression.
Ray Davies Musician (The Kinks). Depression.
King David Israeli King. Depression.
Sandra Dee Actress. Depression.
Ellen DeGeneres Comedienne, actress. Depression.
John Denver Singer/Actor. (Take Me Home Country Roads, Oh God). Depression
Johnny Depp Actor (21 Jump Street, Edward Scissorhands). Anxiety disorder
Charles Dickens One of the greatest authors in the English language (A
Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities). Depression.
Emily Dickinson Poet. Depression.
Tony Dow Actor (Leave It To Beaver). Depression.
Robert Downey Jr. Actor. (Less Than Zero, Chaplin). Bipolar.
Richard Dreyfuss Actor (Jaws, What About Bob). Depression.
Kitty Dukakis Wife of Prominent politician. Bipolar..
Patty Duke Actress. Bipolar.
Thomas Eagleton U.S. Senator. Depression.
Thomas Edison Inventor. Depression.
T.S. Eliot Poet. Depression.
Queen Elizabeth I Monarch. Depression.
Ron Ellis Hockey player. Depression.
William Faulkner Writer. Depression.
James Farmer Civil Rights Leader. Depression.
Jules Feiffer Cartoonist/Satirist. Depression.
Sally Field Actress (The Flying Nun, Norma Rae). Anxiety disorder.
Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York. Depression.
Carrie Fisher Actress and writer (Star Wars). Bipolar.
Eddie Fisher Actor / Singer. Depression.
F.Scott Fitzgerald Writer. Depression.
Jane Fonda. Actress (Coming Home, On Golden Pond). Bulimia.
Betty Ford Former U.S. First Lady. Depression.
Harrison Ford Actor (Star Wars, Working Girl). Depression.
Steven Foster Writer. Depression
Connie Francis Singer. Bipolar.
Aretha Franklin Singer (Natural Woman, Pink Cadilac). Panic anxiety disorder

8. Sigmund Freud Psychiatrist. Depression.
Peter Gabriel Musician. (In You Eyes). Depression.
Judy Garland Actress (The Wizard of Oz, A Star Is Born). Depression.
James Garner Actor (The Rockford Files). Depression.
King George III Monarch. Depression.
Mel Gibson Actor/director. (Mad Max, Lethal Weapon). Depression.
Kit Gingrich (Newt’s mother). Depression.
Tracy Gold Actress (Growing Pains). Anorexia.
Tipper Gore Public Figure. Depression
Phil Graham Owner of the Washington Post. Depression.
Cary Grant Actor. Depression.
Peter Green Guitarist for the band Fleetwood Mac. Depression.
Shecky Greene Comedian. Bipolar, Panic Disorder.
Alexander Hamilton Politician. Depression.
Linda Hamilton Actress (The Terminator, TV series Beauty and the Beast). Bipolar
Mariette Hartley Actress (Goodnight Beantown). Bipolar.
Nathanial Hawthorne Writer. Depression.
Ernest Hemingway Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. Bipolar, Anxiety disorder
Margaux Hemingway Actress. Depression.
Audrey Hepburn Actress (My Fair Lady). Depression.
Sir Anthony Hopkins Actor (The Elephant Man). Depression.
Howard Hughes. Movie producer, multi-millionaire. Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder, Paranoia, recluse.
Victor Hugo Author (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Depression.
Jack Irons Musician from group Pearl Jam. Bipolar.
Andrew Jackson Former U.S. President. Depression.
Thomas Jefferson Former President. Depression.
Jeremiah Biblical leader. Depression.
Job Biblical Leader. Depression.
Billy Joel Musician (Allentown, Uptown Girl). Depression.
Elton John Musician (Crocodile Rock, Sad Songs). Depression.
James Joyce Author (Ulysses). Panic Disorder.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Former President. Depression.
Ashley Judd Actress. Depression.
Naomi Judd Musician (No One Else On Earth). Panic disorder.
Karen Kain Prima Ballerina. Depression.
Danny Kaye Entertainer. Depression.
John Keats Poet. depression.
Margot Kidder Actress (Superman, The Amityville Horror). Bipolar
Larry King Talk show host. Depression.
Joey Kramer Musician from group Aerosmith. Depression.
Kris Kristopherson Actor, singer (Mask, Blade). Depression.
Veronica Lake Actress (The Glass Key). Schizophrenia.
Jessica Lange Actress (Tess, King Kong remake). Depression.
Frances Lear (Ex-wife of All in the Family creator Norman Lear). Bipolar
Robert E. Lee U.S. General. Depression.

9. Vivien Leigh Actress (Gone with the Wind). Bipolar, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
John Lennon Musician (The Beatles). Depression.
Meriwether Lewis (Explorer of Lewis and Clark fame). Depression.
Abraham Lincoln One-time US President. Depression, nervous breakdown.
Mary Todd Lincoln Wife of Abraham Lincoln. Depression.
Jack London Writer. Depression.
Greg Louganis U.S. diver and Olympic gold medallist. Depression.
Courtney Love Musician. Depression.
John Madden Football coach. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Howie Mandel Actor, comedian (St. Elsewhere). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Martin Luther Protestant leader. Depression.
Robert McFarlane Former United States National Security Adviser. Depression
Sarah McLachlan Singer, Lilith Fair creator. Depression.
Kristy McNichol Actress (TV series Family). Depression.
Burgess Meredith Actor (Rocky, Grumpy Old Men, TV Batman) Bipolar.
Michelangelo One of the world’s greatest artistic geniuses (The Sistine Chapel) Depression
Carmen Miranda Dancer, actress.
Alanis Morissette Musician (Ironic). Depression, anxiety.
Sir John A. MacDonald Britain Prime Minister
Ann Margaret Actress. Depression.
Marilyn Monroe Actress (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes). Depression.
J.P. Morgan Industrialist.
Claude Monet Artist. Depression.
Edward Munch Artist (The Scream). Schizophrenia.
John Nash Mathematician, Nobel Prize Winner, “A Beautiful Mind”. Schizophrenia
Isaac Newton Scientist. Manic-Depression.
Stevie Nicks Musician (Fleetwood Mac). Depression.
Friedrich Nietzsche Philosopher. Dementia.
Vaslov Nijinsky Dancer. Schizophrenia.
Florence Nightingale British nurse. Depression.
Richard Nixon Former U.S. president. Depression.
Deborah Norville Television journalist. Depression.
Ralph Nader Advocate. Depression.
Nebuchadnezzar Biblical figure. Depression.
Eugene O’Neill Playwright. Clinical Depression.
Sinead O’Connor Musician (Nothing Compares To You). Depression.
Rosie O’ Donnell Comedian, actress, talk show host. Depression.
Laurence Olivier Actor. Depression.
Tony Orlando Singer (Knock Three Times, Tie A Yellow Ribbon). Manic, depression
Donny Osmond Musician. Panic-anxiety disorder.
Marie Osmond Musician. Depression.
Ozzy Osbourne Musician. Depression.
Dolly Parton Singer. Depression
General George Patton Military leader. Depression.
Jackson Pollock Artist. Depression.
Charlie Pride Singer. Depression.

10. Jimmy Piersall Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox. Bipolar.
Charles Parker Musician. Depression.
Dolly Parton Singer (Here You Come Again). Depression.
Teddy Pendergrass Musician. Depression.
Edgar Allen Poe Author (The Raven). Depression.
Cole Porter Composer. Depression.
Theodore Roosevelt President of the United States. Bipolar.
Bonnie Raitt Musician (Something To Talk About, Thing Called Love). Depression
Lou Reed Singer (Take A Walk On The Wild Side). Depression
Joan Rivers Comedian. Depression.
Norman Rockwell Artist. Depression.
Axel Rose Musician. Bipolar.
Winona Ryder Actress (Mermaids, Beetlejuice). Depression.
Axel Rose Musician (Guns and Roses). Depression.
Charles Schultz Cartoonist (Peanuts). Anxiety.
Willard Scott. Newscaster. Panic disorder.
Monica Seles Tennis player. Depression.
Ally Sheedy Actress (The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire). Bulimia.
Robert Louis Stevenson Writer (Treasure Island, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) Depression
Howard Stern Talk show host. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Donna Summer Singer (Last Dance, Heaven Knows). Depression.
Gordon Sumner (Sting) Musician (The Police). Depression.
Rod Steiger Actor (Movie In The Heat of the Night). Depression.
Mary Shelley Author (Frankenstein). Depression.
Richard Simmons Exercise guru. Anorexia, Bulimia.
Carley Simon Musician (Anticipation, You’re So Vain). Social phobia, panic disorder
Neil Simon Playwrite (The Odd Couple, The Sunshine Boys). Depression.
Paul Simon Musician (Sounds of Silence, Mother and Child Reunion). Depression
Diane Spencer One-time Princess of Whales. Depression.
Rick Springfield Musician and actor (General Hospital). Depression.
Darryl Strawberry Baseball player. Depression.
George Stephanopoulos Political analyst. Depression.
Ben Stiller Comedian and actor (Analyze This). Bipolar.
Barbara Streisand Singer, actress (A Star Is Born, Evergreen). Social phobia, anxiety
Leo Tolstoy Author (War and Peace). Depression.
James Taylor Musician (Fire And Rain, Your Smiling Face). Depression.
Livingston Taylor Musician (Brother of James). Depression.
Mike Tyson Boxer. Depression.
Jean Claude Van Damme Actor. Bipolar.
Dylan Thomas Poet. Depression.
Spencer Tracy Actor (The Bells of Saint Mary). Depression.
Ted Turner Businessman. Bipolar.
Mark Twain Author (Huckleberry Finn). Bipolar.
Tracy Ullman Actress, comedian, singer). Bipolar.
Jean-Claude Van Damme Actor. Bipolar.
Vincent Van Gogh Artist. Bipolar.

11. Vivian Vance Actress (I Love Lucy). Depression.
Ben Vereen Actor, dancer. (Roots). Depression.
Queen Victoria Monarch. Depression.
Sol Wachtler Judge. Depression.
Tom Waits Musician. Depression.
Mike Wallace Television Journalist. Depression.
George Washington First U.S. President. Depression.
Damon Wayans Comedian, actor, writer, director, producer. (In Living Color, Scary Movie). Depression
Walt Whitman Poet. Depression.
Frank Lloyd Wright Architect. Depression.
Robin Williams Actor (Mork and Mindy, Moscow on the Hudson). Bipolar,
Attention deficit, hyperactivity.
Tennessee Williams Playwright. Depression
Brian Wilson Musician (The Beach Boys). Depression.
Oprah Winfrey Actress, talk show host. Anxiety.
Jonathan Winters Comedian. Depression.
Thomas Wolfe Writer. Depression.
Ed Wood Movie director (Plan 9 From Outer Space). Depression.
Natalie Wood Actress (Miracle On 34th Street, West Side Story). Depression
Virginia Woolf Novelist. Bipolar.
Tammy Wynette Singer. Depression
Boris Yeltsin Former President of Russia. Depression.
Robert Young Actor (Marcus Welby). Depression
https://www.namikenosha.org/famous-people-with-mental-issues.html (accessed May 2, 2018)
300 Famous Individuals with MentalHealth issues, illnesses, anddisorders
Whatever the cause of it is, mental illness can happen to anyone. Whether you're rich or poor, tall or short, black
or white, famous or not, you have just as equal a chance of getting it. If you become aware of it, you'll see it's as
common as night and day. You probably have a friend, relative, co-worker, or acquaintance who has depression
right now; who is experiencing difficulty from a loss in their life be it a job or loved one. Or it could be that
they are having trouble in school, like being bullied which could in fact cause them to contemplate sucide. Or
maybe they're all of a sudden experiencing too much stress and feel like they're having some sort of emotional
breakdown.
Here is a list of famous individuals and cultural creatives who have also lived life with mental illness.
1. Paula Deen Agoraphobia and panic attacks
2. Billy Joel alcohol and depression
3. Craig Ferguson alcoholic
4. Karen Carpenter anorexia nervosa
5. Sandra Dee anorexia nervosa
6. Tracey Gold anorexia nervosa, attention deficit disorder;
7. Richard Simmons anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa;
8. Kurt Cobain attention deficit disorder and bipolar depression
9. Michael Phelps attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
10. Doug Flutie, Jr. autism
11. Bill Oddie bipolar disorder
12. DMX bipolar disorder

12. 13. Frank Bruno bipolar disorder
14. James Dean Bradfield bipolar disorder
15. Jane Pauley bipolar disorder
16. Macy Gray bipolar disorder
17. Ozzy Osbourne bipolar disorder
18. Rosemary Clooney bipolar disorder
19. Sinead O’Connor bipolar disorder
20. Tony Slattery bipolar disorder
21. Mel Gibson bipolar disorder
22. Britney Spears bipolar and postnatal depression
23. Stephen Fry bipolar depression
24. Alonzo Spellman bipolar disorder
25. Art Buchwald bipolar disorder
26. Axl Rose bipolar disorder
27. Ben Stiller bipolar disorder
28. Bert Yancey bipolar disorder
29. Bill Lichtenstein bipolar disorder
30. Brian Wilson bipolar disorder
31. Burgess Meredith bipolar disorder
32. Dimitrius Underwood bipolar disorder
33. Francis Ford Coppola bipolar disorder
34. Gaetano Donizetti bipolar disorder
35. J.P. Morgan bipolar disorder
36. Jack Irons bipolar disorder
37. Jean-Claude Van Damme bipolar disorder
38. Jimmy Piersall bipolar disorder
39. John Gibson bipolar disorder
40. John Mulheren bipolar disorder
41. Joshua Logan bipolar disorder
42. Kate Millett bipolar disorder
43. Kristy McNichol bipolar disorder
44. Larry Flynt bipolar disorder
45. Linda Hamilton bipolar disorder
46. Ludwig van Beethoven bipolar disorder
47. Margaret Trudeau Kemper bipolar disorder
48. Murray Pezim bipolar disorder
49. Ned Beatty bipolar disorder
50. Patty Duke bipolar disorder
51. Pierre Péladeau bipolar disorder
52. Robert Boorstin bipolar disorder
53. Robert Campeau bipolar disorder
54. Robert Lowell bipolar disorder
55. Robert Munsch bipolar disorder
56. Spike Milligan bipolar disorder
57. Ted Turner bipolar disorder
58. Alvin Ailey bipolar disorder (aka “manic depression”)
59. Abbie Hoffman bipolar disorder (speculated)
60. Isaac Newton bipolar disorder (suspected)
61. Vivien Leigh bipolar disorder after miscarriage
62. Kitty Dukakis bipolar disorder, alcoholism; substance abuse;
63. Patricia Cornwell bipolar disorder, anorexia nervosa, anorexia bulimia;;
64. Carrie Fisher bipolar disorder, substance abuse;

13. 65. Shecky Greene bipolar disorder, with severe panic attacks
66. Charley Pride bipolar disorder; alcoholism
67. John Daly bipolar disorder; alcoholism, gambling addiction;
68. Jaco Pastorius bipolar disorder; alcoholism; substance abuse
69. Winston Churchill bipolar disorder; dyslexia
70. Frances Lear bipolar disorder;, substance abuse
71. Catherine Zeta Jones bipolar II
72. Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard) bipolar disorder
73. Doug Ferrari borderline personality disorder
74. Marsha Linehan borderline personality disorder
75. Adam Rickett bulimia nervosa
76. Barbara Niven bulimia nervosa
77. Herb McCauley bulimia nervosa
78. Jane Fonda bulimia nervosa
79. Ally Sheedy bulimia nervosa; substance abuse
80. Sir Elton John bulimia nervosa; substance abuse, alcoholism;
81. Princess Diana Bulimia nevosa, depression and multiple suicide attempts
82. Paula Abdul bullimia nervosa
83. Alanis Morissette clinical depression
84. Alma Powell clinical depression
85. Anne Sexton clinical depression
86. Ben Vereen clinical depression
87. Benjamin Disraeli clinical depression
88. Billy Joel clinical depression
89. Boris Yeltsin clinical depression
90. Buzz Aldrin clinical depression
91. Carmen Miranda clinical depression
92. Cary Grant clinical depression
93. Charles Schulz clinical depression
94. Charley Pell clinical depression
95. Clara Bow clinical depression
96. Connie Francis clinical depression
97. Damon Wayans clinical depression
98. Darryl Strawberry clinical depression
99. Diane Arbus clinical depression
100. Dick Clark clinical depression
101. Dolly Parton clinical depression
102. Dorothy Day clinical depression
103. Drew Carey clinical depression
104. Dwight Gooden clinical depression
105. Eminem clinical depression
106. Emma Thompson clinical depression
107. Eric Clapton clinical depression
108. Ernest Hemingway clinical depression
109. Eugene O’Neill clinical depression
110. F. Scott Fitzgerald clinical depression
111. Frank Lloyd Wright clinical depression
112. George Eliot (Marian Evans) clinical depression
113. Georgia O’Keeffe clinical depression
114. Harrison Ford clinical depression
115. Hermann Hesse clinical depression
116. Hunter Tylo clinical depression

14. 117. Irving Berlin clinical depression
118. Jack Farrell clinical depression
119. James Forrestal clinical depression
120. James Garner clinical depression
121. Janet Jackson clinical depression
122. Jessica Lange clinical depression
123. Jim Carrey clinical depression
124. Joey Kramer clinical depression
125. Joey Slinger clinical depression
126. John Kenneth Galbraith clinical depression
127. John Quincy Adams clinical depression
128. Jose Canseco clinical depression
129. Jules Feiffer clinical depression
130. Karen Kain clinical depression
131. Kendall Gill clinical depression
132. Larry King clinical depression
133. Lawton Chiles clinical depression
134. Leonard Bernstein clinical depression
135. Leonard Cohen clinical depression
136. Mark Rothko clinical depression
137. Meriwether Lewis clinical depression
138. Mike Wallace clinical depression
139. Morrissey (S.P.) clinical depression
140. Natalie Cole clinical depression
141. Neil Simon clinical depression
142. Norman Mailer clinical depression
143. Pablo Picasso clinical depression
144. Pat Lafontaine clinical depression
145. Patrick Kennedy clinical depression
146. Paul Gascoigne clinical depression
147. Paul Simon clinical depression
148. Pete Harnisch clinical depression
149. Peter Gabriel clinical depression
150. Queen Victoria clinical depression
151. Ray Charles clinical depression
152. Rick Springfield clinical depression
153. Robert McFarlane clinical depression
154. Rod Steiger clinical depression
155. Rodney Dangerfield clinical depression
156. Sarah McLachlan clinical depression
157. Scott Donie clinical depression
158. Sheryl Crow clinical depression
159. Sigmund Freud clinical depression
160. Sir Anthony Hopkins clinical depression
161. Sting (Gordon Sumner) clinical depression
162. Susan Powter clinical depression
163. Sylvia Plath clinical depression
164. Tennessee Williams clinical depression
165. Theodore Dreiser clinical depression
166. Thomas Eagleton clinical depression
167. Tipper Gore clinical depression
168. Tracy Thompson clinical depression

15. 169. Walker Percy clinical depression
170. William Styron clinical depression
171. Yves Saint Laurent clinical depression
172. Calvin Coolidge clinical depression (speculated)
173. Elizabeth Hartman clinical depression (speculated)
174. Tiberius clinical depression (speculated)
175. Vincent Foster clinical depression (speculated)
176. Edgar Allan Poe clinical depression (speculated); alcoholism
177. Richey James clinical depression, anorexia nervosa;;alcoholism
178. Robin Williams clinical depression, learning disability;
179. Marie Osmond clinical depression, post-partum
180. Jack Kerouac clinical depression, substance abuse, severe alcoholism;
181. Tammy Wynette clinical depression, substance abuse;
182. Ann-Margret clinical depression; alcoholism
183. Hart Crane clinical depression; alcoholism
184. Robert Young clinical depression; alcoholism
185. Spencer Tracy clinical depression; alcoholism
186. Drew Barrymore clinical depression; alcoholism, substance abuse;
187. Cole Porter clinical depression; alcoholism; paranoid delusions; obsessive-compulsive disorder
(speculated)
188. Winona Ryder clinical depression; anxiety
189. Daniel Johns clinical depression; anxiety disorder;eating disorder
190. James Taylor clinical depression; bipolar disorder
191. Vincent van Gogh clinical depression; bipolar disorder (speculated)
192. Charles Dickens clinical depression; bipolar disorder (suspected)
193. Joan Rivers clinical depression; bulimia nervosa
194. George S. Patton clinical depression; dyslexia
195. Audrey Hepburn clinical depression; eating disorders
196. Leo Tolstoy clinical depression; hypochondriasis; alcoholism; substance abuse
197. Donny Osmond clinical depression; social phobia
198. Jackson Pollock clinical depression; substance abuse
199. Kris Kristopherson clinical depression; substance abuse
200. Judy Garland clinical depression;,substance abuse
201. Kurt Vonnegut clinical depression/bipolar
202. Phil Spector clinical depression/bipolar
203. Richard Dreyfuss clinical depression/bipolar
204. Marilyn Monroe clinical depression/suicide
205. David Bowie crying but not diagnosed but lots of family mental health issues
206. Alastair Campbell depression
207. Ben Moody depression
208. Fiona Phillips depression
209. Graeme Obree depression
210. Hugh Laurie depression
211. Keisha Buchanan depression
212. Kylie Minogue depression
213. Lenny Henry depression
214. Lord Bragg depression
215. Meg Mathews depression
216. Mel C: depression
217. Melinda Messenger depression
218. Neil Lennon depression
219. Robbie Williams depression

16. 220. Ruby Wax depression
221. Russell Grant depression
222. Sarah Lancashire depression
223. Trisha Goddard depression
224. Uma Thurman depression
225. Jack Dee depression
226. Dick Cavett depression – found electro shock therapy helpful
227. Delta Burke depression and compulsive hoarding
228. George Michael depression and fear
229. Patsy Palmer depression and panic attacks
230. Angelina Jolie depression and self harm/OCD
231. Dame Kelly Holmes depression and self harm
232. Mike Tyson depression and severe insecurities and anger
233. Heath Ledger depression, anxiety and sleep depravation
234. Herschel Walker dissociative identity disorder
235. Roseanne dissociative identity disorder (aka “multiple personality disorder”); obsessive-
compulsive disorder; clinical depression; agoraphobia
236. Courtney Love drub abuse, clinical depression
237. Sophie Anderton drug addiction and depression
238. Alexander Graham Bell dyslexia
239. Alfred Taubman dyslexia
240. Charles Schwab dyslexia
241. Craig McCaw dyslexia
242. David Boies dyslexia
243. David Murdock dyslexia
244. Edward McVaney dyslexia
245. John Chambers dyslexia
246. Lewis Preston dyslexia
247. Nelson Rockefeller dyslexia
248. Richard Branson dyslexia
249. Thomas Alva Edison dyslexia
250. Tom Cruise dyslexia
251. Walt Disney dyslexia
252. Whoopi Goldberg dyslexia
253. William Hewlett dyslexia
254. Woodrow Wilson dyslexia
255. Albert Einstein dyslexia (speculated)
256. Margaux Hemingway dyslexia; alcoholism; clinical depression (speculated)
257. Justine Bateman eating disorders
258. Amy Heckerling eating disorders; obsessive-compulsive disorder
259. Danny Glover learning disability
260. George Washington learning disability
261. Harry Andersen learning disability
262. Henry Winkler learning disability
263. Caroline Aherne major depressive disorder
264. Margot Kidder manic depression (Bipolar) and paranoia
265. Denise Welch nervous breakdown
266. Howard Stern obsessive-compulsive disorder
267. Howie Mandel obsessive-compulsive disorder
268. Marc Summers obsessive-compulsive disorder
269. Howard Hughes OCD (clinical depression and psychosis both speculated
270. Jessica Alba OCD and eating disorder

17. 271. Shayne Corson panic attacks
272. Nicole Kidman panic attacks on the red carpet
273. Earl Campbell panic disorder
274. Kim Basinger panic disorder
275. Donald Trump possible OCD
276. Gail Porter post natal depression
277. Katie Price/Jordan post natal depression
278. Julie Krone post-traumatic stress disorder; clinical depression
279. Brooke Shields postpartum depression
280. Charles “Buddy” Bolden schizophrenia
281. Charles Faust schizophrenia
282. John Nash schizophrenia
283. Peter Greene schizophrenia
284. Syd Barrett schizophrenia
285. Vaslav Nijinsky schizophrenia
286. John Forbes Nash schizophrenia (paranoid-type)
287. Lionel Aldridge schizophrenia (paranoid-type)
288. Veronica Lake schizophrenia; alcoholism
289. Abraham Lincoln severe clinical depression
290. Charles Darwin severe panic disorder
291. Barbra Streisand social phobia
292. Carly Simon social phobia
293. Ricky Williams social phobia
294. Steve Blass social phobia
295. Steve Sax social phobia
296. John Madden specific phobia (flying)
297. Elton John substance abuse and bulimia
298. Halle Berry suicide attempt
299. Tulisa’s mum Tulisa’s mum had scizoaffective disorder
300. Emily Carr various speculations, neurasthenia; hypochondriasis; clinical depression;
conversion disorder; schizophrenia:

18. GRMHA/Mental Health America isdedicatedtopromotingmental health,preventingmental andsubstance use
conditionsandachievingvictoryovermental illnessesandaddictionsthroughadvocacy,education,researchandservice.
1234 Penn Avenue
Wyomissing, PA 19610
610-775-3000
info@GRMHA.org
NAMI, the National Alliance onMental Illness,is the nation’s largest grassrootsmentalhealth
organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental
illness.
CALL THE NAMI HELPLINE
800-950-6264
IN A CRISIS? TEXT NAMI TO 741741
NAMI PA, Lehigh Valley
802 W Broad St
Bethlehem, PA 18018-5225
(610) 882-2102
info@nami-lv.org
http://www.nami-lv.org
NAMI PA, Schuylkill County
PO Box 1305
Pottsville, PA 17901
(570) 668-6394

19. Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Our Vision
DBSA envisions wellness for peoplelivingwith depression and bipolar disorder.
Our Mission
DBSA provides hope, help, support, and education to improve the lives of people who have mood disorders.
Our Values
1. Community 2. Inspiration 3. Wisdom 4. Responsibility
Ephrata
DBSA Lancaster County
Contact 1: Bob Peiffer
Phone: (717) 925-6520
Contact 2: Thaddeus Line
Additional Phone: (717) 381-0459
Email: rpeiffer55@gmail.com
Harrisburg
DBSA Harrisburg
Contact 1: Susan
Phone: (717) 557-4477
Contact 2: Gary
Additional Phone: (717) 343-7726
Email: dbsaharrisburg@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.dbsaharrisburg.weebly.com
The mission of Service Access& Management,Inc. isto helppeople throughoutourservice areaenhance the qualityof
theirlivesbyeffectivelyandefficientlymanagingand/orprovidingneeded,accessibleandindividually satisfyinghuman
services.
Berks County
19 N. 6th Street Reading, PA 19601
Phone: 610-236-0530 or 877-236-4600
It isthe visionof the BerksCountySuicide PreventionTaskForce tosave livesbyeliminatingsuicideaswell asactively
workingtoreduce the stigmaof mental illnessinBerksCounty.BerksCountywill becomeacommunitythatis
compassionate andwillingtoembrace andsupportindividualswhoare affectedbymental healthconcerns.The task
force will accomplishthesegoalsthougheducation andadvocacytothe community.
The Berks CountySuicide PreventionTaskForce wasdevelopedin2015. The task force is a group of community
memberswithcommongoalswhohave come togethertofocuson the needsof ourcommunitysothat we can
eliminatestigmaof mental illnessandputan endto suicide.
Text ruOK to call 484-816-7865