Why Actors Win My Heart Through Mental Health Struggles?

Today I got to see Zachary Levi at C2E2, it was a very fun panel, and I am glad I went (since I did not know much of his work, and only had seen the first Shazam like a week ago LOL) One thing that was touched on was his pervious mental health struggles. Including a break down that included suicidal ideation when he was 37 and the importance of therapy and loving yourself. So of course that means he won my heart and now I am off to see some of his other work like something called "Chuck"?

But this got me thinking how the best way to my heart if you are an actor is to talk about mental health or neurodivergence. Right now it is Shazam Dude, but I remember a past C2E2 where Will Wheaton talked about mental health and I now follow him on Facebook, and of course one of many reasons I love my Wentworth Miller is he has talked about mental health and now neurodivergence (though it doesn't hurt that I love his character Captain Cold too.) 

This pattern has led me to ponder the question Why? 

While I am not going to magically answer this question at 10pm on a Friday, since I am not magic. LOL Here are some ideas that pop into my head:

• Having signposts for the difference between everyday mental health struggles and more serious mental health challenges.
• The classic knowing that someone else has had a similar experience to me always feels comforting. 
• The classic seeing someone on the other side of their mental health struggle/break down is comforting.
• The classic hearing what worked for them to get ideas of what might work for me and my mental health.  
• Being able to add people to the choirs inside my head that works as my therapist can also be very helpful

(I have to say Thank You to all the characters, actors, writers, creative people who spend time in my head, and sometimes even my dreams, providing wisdom, understanding, and comfort. I want to say Thank You and that you have been more helpful in helping me possess than the 4-5 therapists I have tried for short stints over the years in part because you get my references, you understand me even if words don't come, and I know you will never judge me because you are already inside my head LOL)

I will continue to seek wisdom from those who have gone before when it comes to mental health/ burnout/ autistic burnout etc. I will continue to be wooed by actors who talk about their mental health struggles. I will continue to gain strength, wisdom, and comfort from the collective unconscious and all the stories that collective unconscious contains.