Celebrities are admitting they have depression. I am not alone!

I subscribe to some pretty awesome blogs.

I have learned a lot about depression and mental illness in general from these talented writers. Their new blog posts appear in my inbox daily.

Yesterday, my jaw dropped as I read the headline for a new blog post by Chelsea Owens.

Celebrities with Mental Health Issues: Dwayne Johnson

I thought I was the only one suffering from concealed depression.

Facing depression after 43 years of concealing it, I have been cautious about who I tell. In group sessions, I hear stories of employers helping and employers discriminating against those with addictive behaviors and/or mental health challenges.

So, having an actor such as Dwayne Johnson publicly admits he suffers from depression is a really big deal.

Here I am worrying about a few dozen close friends, a few hundred acquaintances and what they might think about me if I reveal I suffer from depression. And then I think about “the Rock” admitting to millions of fans around the world that he has depression and that he had concealed it.

That is courage on a whole different level.

Each of us is human. We are all subject to life and what we are dealt. How we choose to look at it and what we choose to do, is what defines us. Dwayne Johnson has taken a stand, he is saying to the world, I have depression, depression does not have me.

In my own life, I am sharing what and how I have done and am doing to keep depression from sending me into relapse. In many of my earlier blog posts, you have read the utter despair and hopelessness I felt as I came face to face with depression. As I finally admitted to having major depressive disorder, I made a promise to myself to never hide it again.

I am pouring out my life without a filter under the name “Depression is not my boss.”

Afraid of what “they will say,” I have not put my real name on my blog. But reading Dwayne Johnson’s story is giving me the courage to be more open about my experience. I appreciate and value his admission on so many levels. My goal is to one day have the strength and confidence to take the cloak off and reveal my true identity.

Until then, I am so thankful for Dwayne Johnson’s strength and his decision to share his experience with others.