Public Spark

Many famous people have suffered from depression and today’s list includes politicians, 41% of whom are prone to higher rates. Also, included are scientists at 33% and those with the highest rate are famous writers. 72% of whom are prone to depression.

POLITICAL/PUBLIC FIGURES

• Princess Diana of Wales

  She was the former wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, known for a variety of her charity works including AIDS. She is believed to have suffered from post-partum depression, after the birth of her first son, Prince William. She also felt pressured in adapting her role as princess, as well as marriage problems including the fact that her husband was still in love with a former girlfriend, Camilla Parker Bowles.

• Abraham Lincoln

  He is the 16th President of the United States who suffered from severe episodes of depression and occasional suicidal ideations.

• Tipper Gore

  She is the wife of former vice president Al Gore. She was diagnosed with clinical depression, following her son’s near fatal car accident. Her mother also suffered from depression. With the help of medication and therapy, Tipper Gore fully recovered.

• Kitty Dukakis

  She is the wife of former presidential candidate and Massachusetts Governor, Michael Dukakis. She has a history of sever depression that led to her beginning Electroconvulsive Therapy. She wrote a book about her experience, entitled “Shock: The Healing Power of Electroconvulsive Therapy.”

• Calvin Coolidge

  He is the 30th president of United States. Calvin Coolidge struggled with deep depression after the death of his son.

• Menachem Begin

  He is the 6th Prime Minster of Israel. Menachem Begin fell into deep depression after the Lebanon War and the death of his wife.

SCIENTISTS

• Buzz Aldrin

  He was one of the astronauts (along with Neil Armstrong) who walked on the moon in 1969. Aldrin talks about his depressive experience in his book, “Return to Earth.” He reports some of his depression to be inherited, as his mother, whose last name was ironically Moon, also suffered from depression and committed suicide. He recovered with the help of psychotherapy and depression medicines.

• Stephen Hawking

  He is a renown physicist, who wrote the best selling book, “A Brief History of Time.” He became depressed after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

• Salvador Luria

  He is a Nobel Laureate microbiologist. Luria discussed his experience with depression and psychotherapy in his autobiography, “A Slot Machine, a Broken Test Tube.”

WRITERS/POETS

• Art Buchwald

  He is a writer, humorist known for his column in “The Washington Post.” Since his hospitalization for depression in 1963 Art Buchwald has talked openly about his depression and the need for treatment.

• William Styron

  He is the author of “Sophie’s Choice,” “The Confessions of Nat Turner.” He wrote about his episodes of depression in his memoir, “Darkness Visible.”

• William Faulkner

  He is the winner of Nobel Prize in Literature (1949) for novels including “The Sound and the Fury,” “As I Lay Dying” and “Absalom, Absalom!” William Faulkner struggled with depression, as well as alcoholism.

• Charles Dickens

  He is one of the greatest authors of the English language, who also suffered from depression.

• Amy Tan

  She is a Chinese American writer who suffers from depression. She is currently taking Zoloft to alleviate her symptoms. Her mother and maternal grandmother also suffered from depression.

• Anne Rice

  She is an American writer, whose depression was triggered by her long-term illness and the loss of her husband.

• Tenessee Williams

  He is an American playwright who battled a decade-long depression after the death of his lover.

• J.K. Rowling

  She is well known for her Harry Potter Series. She revealed that she had once been suicidally depressed.

References:

• Wikipedia

• Depression Guide

• Stampout Stigma

• About.com

• Depression Help Resource