Latino celebrities, as perfect and healthy as they may seem, can deal with tough times and struggle privately with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
Studies show that more than 16%, or the equivalent of 10 million people, suffer from some type of mental illness in the Latino community, and only 34% of these have received treatment. Stigma, financial problems, and language barriers prevent everyone from receiving proper diagnosis and treatment.
Mariah Carey is one of the most famous celebrities in the world, with an incredibly successful music career and millions of albums sold around the world. The singer and actress has managed to amass a great fortune and has positioned herself as one of the best in the entertainment industry.
However, success and fame are not the equivalents of wellness and health. The demanding schedules and lifestyle of a superstar can seriously affect mental health. So how has Mariah Carey dealt with the state of her mental health?
In the late 1990s,’ Carey’s career was in one of its best moments after the success of her album ‘Butterfly’ (1997). Everything seemed fine, and after divorcing businessman Tommy Mottola, Carey had a three-year relationship with Mexican singer Luis Miguel that ended in 2001.
This was one of the triggers that led the singer to suffer an emotional and physical collapse, leading her to be hospitalized for severe exhaustion.
That same year Mariah Carey was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type II, one of the forms of bipolar disorder in which people experience depressive episodes and present some form of mania. Carey kept this diagnosis hidden for years. In a 2018 interview, she first went public about her struggle with bipolar disorder, stating that she did not want to carry a stigma that could ruin her career.
Carey’s bravery in speaking out about such a personal and sensitive topic is to be admired. She sought help and has been in treatment ever since. Her efforts were focused on normalizing struggling with mental health and removing the stigmas around it.
