As we all know, Gillian rebelled as teenager: she acted out, did drugs, and got into all kinds of trouble. When she went into therapy, however, everything changed. Today, Anderson is a successful actress, writer, producer, and director who believes it's vital to start tackling mental illness and mental health at a young age.
That's why she's pledged her support to MQ — a nonprofit organization working to improve mental health awareness and treatment for young people.
1 out of every 4 to 5
young people meet the criteria for a mental health disorder that will
affect them their entire lives. 8.1% of young people ages 12 to 17 will
have at least one depressive episode, and 13.8% ages 10 to 24 will
seriously consider suicide.
Despite these statistics, mental heath research has remained underfunded and under-prioritized. MQ is determined to do something about that.
MQ's mission is "to create a world where mental illness is understood, effectively treated, and ultimately prevented." The first step on that path is awareness. And what better way to raise awareness than a bunch of celebrities swearing their support by actually, literally swearing it?
While it's great that more and more celebrities are opening
up about their own experiences with mental illness and mental health
treatment, celebrity stories like Gillian Anderson's are the tip of the
iceberg.
MQ
also shares the stories of everyday people to show just how difficult
getting mental health treatment can be — and how dramatically people's
lives improve with the right treatment.
Text: Up Worthy
Photo: Gillian Anderson - Twitter