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| Carrie Fisher in her iconic role as Princess Leia |
RIP Carrie Fisher, the openly Bipolar, addicted actress who
brought us one of Hollywood’s first, strong female role models in her portrayal
of Princess Leia in the Star Wars series. She was only 60, when she died. In her books, she chronicles her struggles
with mental illness and addiction. I
write about her, because the Star Wars series has figured prominently into my
life (I was 11 years old when the first one came out, and I still can remember
standing in the long line, waiting to get tickets for it with my family), and
because she was one of the first famous people who talked openly about her
struggles with mental health issues.
Mental health stigma is still a problem in today’s society. Though the same judgement is usually not
prevalent with physical health problems (imagine if someone was ashamed to get
treatment for a broken leg), people who seek the help of a therapist are
sometimes seen as weak and in part, to blame for their troubles. This prevents some individuals from seeking
help and even can lead to poorer treatment outcomes. See more about this through Psychology Today,
here.
Carrie Fisher was brave in her open discussion of her mental
health troubles. She was a rebel leader
in film, as in her life. Rest in peace.
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