Many Celebrities Have Struggled with Depression

The Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition, January 23, 1999

Depression, once referred to as endogenous psychosis, has increased sixfold over the past thirty years, partly due to the stresses of modern society. In recent years, the very definition of “endogenous” is being reexamined.

In English, depression is called “depression”—a word that also means economic downturn. Add “The Great” to it, and it refers to the Great Depression of 1929, a truly bleak era.

The economy and human emotions both rise and fall above and below a baseline; in that sense, they are somewhat alike. Even during economic recessions, there is a mix of optimism and pessimism in market forecasts. But with depression, pessimism dominates. It becomes impossible to believe things will improve. One begins to feel insignificant, and even considers suicide—making it a deeply serious condition.

The great composer Tchaikovsky, who transformed gloom, darkness, and sorrow into art, is said to have suffered from depression. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill reportedly did as well.

While I’ve never seen a film that directly portrays depression, Mr. Jones (1993), starring Richard Gere, depicts bipolar disorder.

The protagonist, a music school graduate, feels euphoric and flaps his arms like wings as he walks along a rooftop, imagining he can fly like a bird—a nerve-racking scene. But when the mood swings the other way, he becomes inconsolable, unable to stop crying. Scenes of him receiving emergency treatment in a psychiatric ward, including injections and lithium therapy, are strikingly realistic.

The psychiatrist is played by Lena Olin, known for The Unbearable Lightness of Being. She discovers that the onset of the illness traces back to a heartbreak during the character’s university years. The story then develops into a romance between doctor and patient—perhaps too unrealistic, as it was unpopular among viewers who were patients themselves.

There are quite a few famous individuals—writers, film actors, artists—who have suffered from depression. It’s not so much that the difficulty of their work caused the depression, but rather that, seen across a long span of life, even with depression, they were able to accomplish great things.

In the United States, many universities offer a system where professors get a sabbatical year off after seven years of work. The idea of working tirelessly and energetically throughout one’s life without rest might be the true fantasy.