Silverman, other celebs use social media to talk depression

USA TODAY columnist Steven Petrow offers advice about living in the Digital Age.

Last week, actor and comedian Sarah Silverman penned a deeply moving essay in Glamour about her lifelong struggle with depression, and it went viral. (Not coincidentally, she’s starring in a new film, I Smile Back, as a woman coping with mental illness). Also in recent weeks, the superb podcast "Reply All" told the story of a 23-year-old artist named Jamie Lauren Keiles who has depicted her mental health struggles in a series of what she calls "Depressiongrams" on Instagram.

(Not to forget, October is National Depression Awareness Month, with the National Institute of Mental Health reporting that more than 16 million Americans suffer from this condition.)

Among the millions, too few speak up about their depression. Silence, shame and stigma reinforce this particularly onerous closet, which means it takes a huge dose of courage for self-outings by the likes of Silverman, who joins Jon Hamm, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Owen Wilson on a small list of celebrities lately speaking up.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram may be helping to break down the isolation of depression. Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, told me in a recent interview: “I think privacy is the most overrated virtue around when it comes to matters of this kind. If you don’t tell people, no one will help you. And if you have this condition, you need help.”

Silverman, in New York magazine, highlighted the role of social media in making these kinds of disclosures. “I do think that any form of expression can be positive for someone feeling very alone," she said. "Even if it's a message in a bottle, and sometimes that is how I think of Twitter. If you can just float a Morrissey lyric out there and it makes you feel better, so be it.”

Artist Keiles, meanwhile, chose pictures over words, posting photo after photo depicting the “brutal monotony” of her condition and her “sucking at life itself,” as she wrote on Medium.

At the end of her Glamour essay, Silverman wrote: “But there's one thing I know that I used to not know: It will pass. And it does. Usually after 24 hours or so of wallowing in depressing music and being the Sylvia Plath of social media, a friend will reach out: ‘Are you OK? I saw that tweet.’ And I'll sort of snap to it, brush myself off, and get back to life. I've learned that keeping busy is a good thing for me. Like my mom always said, you just have to be brave enough to exist through it.”

THE TAKEAWAY

-- If you’re suffering from depression, turning to social media can help you connect with others and find support from loved ones. A friend of mine shared this supportive Facebook message he had received after disclosing his condition: “Stay strong...and know that you are truly loved by me and so many other people!”

-- Keep your expectations in check. Many people simply don’t know what to say (and therefore they say nothing) or they say the wrong thing. For those responding, keep in mind that trite replies may fall short.  Be genuine.

-- "If someone you love discloses their struggles with depression either in social media or in real life, the best response is non-judgmental validation, says Kenny Levine, a licensed clinical social worker. “Let them know that you heard them on their terms, that it is meaningful that they shared their experiences with you, and that you are there to listen and be of support."

-- Join a group online. Here are three to consider: Operation Bullyhorn, Turn2me.org, and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance. Therapist Levine cautions, however: "Make a distinction between online support and face-to-face support, and understand that the former is not a replacement for the latter." In other words, get the professional help you may need.

Do you think social media can be help to those suffering from stigmatized conditions, like depression?

Submit your question to Steven at stevenpetrow@earthlink.net. You can also follow Steven on Twitter: @StevenPetrow. Or like him on Facebook at facebook.com/stevenpetrow.