HIGHLIGHTED BIOGRAPHIES OF FAMOUS PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS
Michael Babcock
For many people, being diagnosed with a mental illness is a death sentence because they are told that recovery is impossible. People diagnosed with mental illness confront discrimination and stigma on a daily basis, which results in a class of second-rated citizens in America. By compiling a list of famous people with mental illness, we intend to show that recovery from mental illness is not only possible, but one can live a productive life. In The Politics of Experience, British psychiatrist R. D. Laing argued, �Madness need not be all breakdown. It may also be break-through. It is potential liberation and renewal as well as enslavement and existential death.� The famous people listed here have publicly acknowledged their condition, with the exception of the historical figures. Many in this list have become mental health advocates to assist in breaking through the stigma associated with mental illness, share their personal experiences, and encourage people to seek help.
ANXIETY DISORDERS
Ricky Williams

Ricky Williams is a former Heisman Trophy winner and a premier
running back in the NFL. After joining the Miami Dolphins,
Williams was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, which
manifested in his inability to speak with fellow teammates
or remove his helmet to give brief interviews. In 2003,
Williams spoke before the American Psychiatric
Association�s annual meeting to help raise public awareness
of mental illness, by sharing his own experiences. During
this same time period, Williams toured the country with
former Pittsburg Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw
(diagnosed with depression) as part of the National Mental
Health Awareness Month.1
John Mellencamp

Mellencamp is a musician and social commentator with such hits as Hurts So Good, Jack and Diane, Pink Houses, and Scarecrow. He remains an advocate for the plight of farmers in America. Mellencamp organized Farm Aid
with Willie Nelson and Neil Young. Mellencamp continues to experience stage fright and high anxiety while performing in public.2
John Madden

Madden is the former head coach of the Oakland Raiders,
which never had a losing season in the 10 years under his
tenure. When Madden retired he had the best win-loss
percentage of any NFL head coach. Currently, Madden is a
broadcaster for CBS, Fox, and ABC Sports. The Madden
Cruiser, the bus on which he travels, is widely recognized in
the world of sports. Madden has not boarded a plane since
1979 and he travels more than 80,000 miles during the NFL
season. Madden is standing by his fourth Madden Cruiser
donated by MCI.3
BIPOLAR DISORDER
Kay Redfield Jamison

Jamison is a Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, a leading researcher on
Bipolar Disorder, and a noted author. She has been awarded
the Best Doctors Award in the United States, and Time
magazine awarded her Hero of Medicine. In Jamison�s
memoir, An Unquiet Mind, she revealed her own experiences
with manic depression, which included psychotic features.
Jamison has appeared on television programs and given
public interviews to bring more public awareness to mental
illness.4
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