ME, MYSELF AND PSYCHOSIS

When the Hollywood actor was in his early 20s, he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act – twice. Here, David Harewood explains how the experience shaped him and why our conversations about mental illness are still leaving many behind

BY DAVID HAREWOOD

You’ve probably noticed that, in recent years, more high-profile people are talking openly about mental health. Everyone from Naomi Osaka to Adam Peaty and Simone Biles has discussed the importance of preserving their mental wellbeing, with many opening up about their struggles with anxiety and depression. I applaud this wholeheartedly. You only have to look at Instagram to know that the conversation around mental health is shifting – we’re told we shouldn’t be ashamed to need time off, to talk to each other, to seek professional help. Yet mental health is an umbrella term that covers numerous complex illnesses, many of which remain shrouded in shame and spoken of only in hushed tones. One of these is psychosis; a subject close to my heart. Thirty years ago, fresh out of…

You're reading a preview of

Red UK (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2021

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.