Comedians are supposed to be happy. They tell funny stories and jokes, whilst many are famous and make a considerable amount of money. So why is there such a high suicide rate amongst these apparently happy people who give the world so much laughter?
It seems that if you look behind the laughter, you are probably going to find someone who has faced many difficult challenges. Comedians often use comedy to cope with these challenges. Not every comedian is depressed, but it is a fact that there are more mood disorders associated with comedians than other performers.
Actor Jim Carrey has battled with depression since he was just a child. He became a comedian in order to ease this pain, but tried to commit suicide twice. In both instances he took large doses of sleeping pills. Carrey has said that he used to take Prozac to stabilize his mood, but now focuses on spiritual treatment and abstaining from alcohol or smoking because he feels it helps him manage his depressive symptoms.
Comedian Drew Carey has admitted to using food and alcohol to help him cope with depression. Actor Owen Wilson's attempted suicide made headlines in 2007, after his break up with Kate Hudson. It was later revealed that Wilson has been battling depression and taking anti-depressants for years. These are just a few high profile comedians who have admitted to depression and sometimes even attempted suicide.
Dr. Amy Alpine, who is a comedian and also a psychotherapist, believes that both depression and Bipolar Disorder are common among comedians. She goes on to state that some comedians who have Bipolar Disorder do not usually wish for it to be treated. They can't operate as comedians without their manic episodes. Jonathon Winters, Ben Stiller, and Robin Williams all reportedly have this disorder.
The other side of the Bipolar Disorder coin is the fall into deep depression. Chris Farley and John Belushi are just two examples of victims who fell too far. They both added drugs and alcohol to the mix, which no doubt accelerated their depression.
Another contributing factor is that the loneliness of fame can isolate comedians. In many ways, comedians use their comedy as a survival mechanism, but when the laughter dies, the lights go down and the crowd goes home, the comedian is left with just their own thoughts and demons. He can't even laugh at his own jokes – he has heard all of them before. It would seem that depression wears many masks.