Goldie Hawn Opens Up About Her Mental Health
Your mental health and wellness are important, and you may struggle with them on and off. Celebrities are no exception to these struggles. Goldie Hawn opened up about how she struggled with depression while she was an up-and-coming actress.
Goldie Hawn, most well-known for her role in The First Wives Club, is part of the MindUP initiative. The organization is a part of a school program that encourages students to understand and properly manage their emotions.
She started her work back in 2001 when she witnessed the impact of the 9/11 attacks on families, especially children. Ever since the attacks, she’s been using the organization to equip kids with techniques to help them cope with their mental health struggles.
Goldie Hawn says that she started struggling with her mental health when her career was on the rise. She didn’t expect things to change so quickly because she was new on the scene, and being cast in the spotlight became quite overwhelming.
"I was 21, and I (was) rising to success. I know it sounds terrible, but it's a very, very difficult thing." Goldie Hawn.
It affected her quite a bit, to the point where she felt scared to leave the house. The most she wanted for herself at that point was an ordinary job, one with less publicity, something along the lines of a dance instructor.
She dealt with it responsibly, she acknowledged that her feelings weren’t okay, and she sought help. While helping herself, she became interested in how the brain worked and became an advocate for mental health.
"Don't be embarrassed; mental health is real. If I broke my arm, I would go to a doctor.” She said
She believes that looking after your mental health is just as important as looking after your physical health. We shouldn’t be afraid to raise questions with our doctors and tell them that we're not okay so that they can give us the help we need.
Learning to deal with the issues she faced at the start of her career taught her that happiness is like a choice, but we have to make that choice every day. It may be a difficult choice to make, but that’s why we have support systems to help us through.
"We churn it (happiness) like you churn butter and create butter and cream out of milk. You literally have to understand that happiness is a choice." She said
We may be struggling to face some of our issues, but as someone who has been successful in seeking help, Goldie Hawn is certainly an inspiration to us all. So go out and seek the help you need, so choosing to be happy comes naturally!