After more than a decade of hugely successful mental health awareness campaigning, 2020 is the time to focus our efforts on more complex problems such as schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder (BPD).

In my role as CEO of a mental healthcare charity, I work closely with patients who live with these incredibly complex mental health problems. Their experiences can be both debilitating and life changing. For many, ongoing care and rehabilitation is a necessity. But hope is also important – it’s the difference between surviving and living. That’s why we need to open up conversations around mental health, in particular a discussion of our response to patients who are struggling with these conditions.

Thanks to the success of mental health awareness campaigns – including those run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness – we have made great leaps in dismissing unhelpful prejudices surrounding conditions such as anxiety and depression. In fact we are in a completely different place today, compared to where we were in 2007, when such campaigns began.

But I think as a society we need to understand what it’s like living with more complex conditions such as psychosis, schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.

16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Show all 16 1 /16 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Stormzy Stormzy told Channel 4 in 2017 that by opening up about his depression he hoped to help others. "I think for them to see I went through it would help," the BRIT-award-winning musician said. "For a long time I used to think that soldiers don’t go through that. You know? Like, strong people in life, the bravest, the most courageous people, they don’t go through that, they just get on with it...and that’s not the case." Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Robert Pattinson Twilight star Robert Pattinson told The Telegraph he struggled with depression for a period of time. “'I had a bit of a struggle at first because my life really contracted and I couldn't do a lot of the stuff I used to be able to do." He advised aspiring Hollywood actors to "take care" of your mental health. "If you get as famous as quickly as I did, your personal growth stops suddenly.” Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Michael Phelps Former American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, experienced periods of depression and suicidal feelings. He told Today in 2018: "After years and years and years of just shoving every negative, bad feeling down to the point where I mean, I just didn't even feel it anymore...and for me, that sent me down a spiral staircase real quick and like I said, I found myself in a spot where I didn't want to be alive anymore." Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Zayn Malik Zayn Malik told The Sunday Times Style magazine about suffering with an eating disorder and anxiety. "We’re all human. People are often afraid to admit difficulties, but I don’t believe that there should be a struggle with anything that’s the truth," said the former One Direction singer. "If you were a guy, you used to have to be really masculine, but now expressing emotion is accepted and respected.’ Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Will Young Singer Will Young has spoken about his experience with suicidal thoughts. "There's a part of my brain that is telling me that you're about to die, [so] you either shut down, freeze or you run. The only thing I can do is go to bed." He said that without the help of his therapist he probably would have been successful in his suicide attempts. “I have so many mental thoughts in my head: ‘You’re never going to sing again’. ‘That was a s*** dance move.’ ‘They’re hating you.’” Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Professor Green After his father took his own life in 2008, rapper Professor Green started speaking openly about his mental health problems and the pressure on men to be strong. “We have to figure out a way that men can talk to one another and figure out how to make themselves feel better,” he told theiNews. Although he is pleased to "start conversations" Green warns how becoming a mental health spokesperson can be high pressure. “It’s difficult because sometimes you’re having a great day, then someone comes up and tells you something absolutely horrific; I’m not a psychologist and it’s really hard." Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Donald Glover American actor, comedian, writer and musician Donald Glover, who performs under the name Childish Gambino told Vice in 2013 he'd been through periods of depression following the end of his tour. "I was just super depressed. I mean, I tried to kill myself. I was really fucked up after that [tour], because I had this girl that I thought I was going to marry and we broke up. I didn’t feel like I knew what I was doing. I wasn’t living up to my standard, I was living up to other people’s standards, and I just said ‘I don’t see the point'.” Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Shawn Mendes Shawn Mendes told People magazine that talking about his mental health problems was the "scariest" thing he's ever done. "I still struggle with it but just remember every day that everyone deals with some level of anxiety or pressure; we're all in it together." He told The Sun in 2018: "All pain is temporary, and the thing is with anxiety, and why it's such a hard thing for people who don't have it to understand." Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Jim Carrey Comedian and actor Jim Carrey told iNews that he had struggled with depression throughout his life. “At this point, I don’t have depression. I had that for years, but now, when the rain comes, it rains, but it doesn’t stay. It doesn’t stay long enough to immerse me and drown me anymore.” Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Pete Wentz Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz has spoken openly about his bipolar disorder diagnosis and other mental health problems. He said that it took him to reach breaking point before asking for help. "My best piece of advice, more than anything, is that there's other people out there that feel [suicidal], or are feeling that right at that time," he said. "Maybe your favorite actor, or a guy in a band, or whoever, there are people who feel that exact same thing and have made it through that. I would say more than anything, you're not alone in it." Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Jon Hamm "I struggled with chronic depression," Mad Men star Jon Hamm told The Guardian in 2010. "I did do therapy and antidepressants for a brief period, which helped me." Hamm said medication helped change his "brain chemistry" enough so he could get out of bed. "I don't want to sleep until four in the afternoon. I want to get up and go do my shit and go to work," he says. Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Rob Delaney Catastrophe actor and comedian Rob Delaney, who lost his son Henry to brain cancer in January 2018, said he has long struggled with depression and encouraged others in the same position to seek help. "Asking for help is strong because it leads directly to staying alive," he says. "Not asking for help is as fear-based a decision as a human being can make and can lead you swiftly in a bad direction. It's not exaggerating to say that path can end in death." Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Dwayne Johnson has spoken on numerous occasions about mental health. On ITV's Lorraine Kelly he said: "Depression doesn't discriminate, and I thought that was an important part of the narrative if I was going to share a little bit of my story of the past. Regardless of who you are or what you do for a living or where you come from, it doesn't discriminate, we all kind of go through it. If I could share a little bit of it and if I could help somebody, I'm happy to do it." Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Ryan Reynolds "I have anxiety, I've always had anxiety," the Deadpool actor told the New York Times in 2018. "Both in the lighthearted ‘I’m anxious about this’ kind of thing, and I’ve been to the depths of the darker end of the spectrum, which is not fun.” Reynolds said he went through a period of partying to try and make himself "vanish" in some way and would frequently suffer with anxiety-related insomnia. Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Bruce Springsteen Bruce 'The Boss' Springsteen told Esquire magazine in 2018 that although he wouldn't describe himself as being mentally unwell, he has "come close enough" and takes medication to cope. "I’m on a variety of medications that keep me on an even keel; otherwise I can swing rather dramatically and the wheels can come off a little bit.” Rex Features 16 male celebrities who have spoken about mental health Prince Harry Prince Harry has been a vocal supporter of mental health campaigns like 'Time To Talk'. He also has spoken openly about his own problems following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. He told The Telegraph: “I have probably been very close to a complete breakdown on numerous occasions when all sorts of grief and sort of lies and misconceptions and everything are coming to you from every angle." Harry said there was "huge merit" in talking about your issues and keeping quiet only makes things worse. Rex Features

To find out how big the variance in stigma is, we conducted a public survey – the results of which are significant. It found that despite increased understanding of common mental health problems, complex conditions are still hugely misunderstood. For example, three in five people still believe the adage that schizophrenia means having a split personality, while one in 10 confused schizophrenia with someone who has psychopathic traits.

This misunderstanding of schizophrenia has undoubtedly led to fear and stigma. One in four people admitted they would be nervous if someone they knew was diagnosed with schizophrenia, compared to just one in 20 when asked the same question about depression. Imagine the impact that has on the person living with the illness, particularly if they’re living in the community.

One patient, who was recently in our care, couldn’t have described it better; she explained that schizophrenia is not a choice, just like someone wouldn’t choose to have cancer. She said people’s judgements often come through a lack of knowledge and understanding, rather than anything malicious.

It’s unsurprising that we, as a society, have such views. With a lack of voices emerging about complex mental health conditions, we often rely on Hollywood films to fill the void. But depictions in films can often be unhelpful and tend to perpetuate the notion that mental deterioration leads to violence, which is quite simply misleading, especially when you consider someone living with schizophrenia is more likely to be the victim of violence, than be the perpetrator of it.

You could also argue that depression and anxiety require greater awareness because they are more prevalent in society, but the statistics suggest otherwise. According to Mind, three in every 100 people will experience depression, compared to two in 100 people for BPD or one in 100 for psychosis.

The results from our survey show we should aim to focus the conversation on severe and enduring mental health problems. Educating people and addressing these issues will make it easier for people to live the lives they want to lead in the community, without fear of being judged.

But changing public perception is not something that one charity or one campaign can tackle alone. If we all consistently, and responsibly, challenge myths around complex mental illness and have more open conversations, together we can break the stigma.

Soaps such as Hollyoaks and Coronation Street have gone someway in tackling this already and should be praised for their responsible explorations of experiences such as psychosis. I’d love to see more stories like this being told through characters we know and love, as well as more real-life case studies being featured in the media.

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People living with schizophrenia or BPD can often feel ashamed and isolated. Add that to the impact of their clinical symptoms and life can become quite despairing.

It’s time we saw the person first, and the illness for what it is. Yes, complex conditions can be distressing, but with the right care and support many people go on to live happy and purposeful lives. Let’s open up the conversation and stop being afraid of talking about complex mental health problems.