Ashley Judd

     A few weeks ago, ETSU hosted the actress and inspirational speaker Ashley Judd as she spoke about her childhood, the effects that her past has had on her mental health, and how she thinks we can all work together to ensure that the stigma surrounding mental illness, stops now.

     Growing up, Ashley Judd was one of my favorite actresses to watch. From Home is Where the Heart Is and Double Jeopardy, to her new appearances in the Divergent series, I have seen almost every one of her films. Therefore, I was so excited to find out that she was coming to speak at my University, and I made sure to arrive early to get a good seat. Many times, when hearing about celebrities, we are told that they are so much different in person than what you would expect after seeing them on television. We hear about how cold and rude they are to their fans, and how so many people do not even like working with them because they feel that they are so much better than everyone else. This, however, was not the case when Ashley Judd walked into the auditorium. She was so friendly and personable to everyone in attendance. She even hugged a member of the audience before taking her place on the stage. Even as she began speaking, she made sure that we were all engaged in this ongoing conversation that she was having. She asked the audience questions and made jokes. She truly wanted to make sure that we were getting something out of her being there.

     The main purpose for the event was for her to talk about her mental illness, and how it is ok to ask for help and take it when it is given. More importantly, she wanted to talk about the stigma behind mental illness and try to take away any misconceptions that may be clouding the visions of those who are, or know someone who is, affected by a mental illness. There are so many opportunities for people with physical illnesses to get help, but sadly this is not the case when it comes to mental illnesses. Many times, people with mental illnesses, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, stress disorders, eating disorders, etc., are told they are “crazy” or are not believed when they try to reach out to others. Sometimes, they do not even reach out at all for fear of what may be thought about them if they admitted they needed help. The point of this series that this talk was a part of is to bring awareness to mental illnesses and teach others how to broach the topic of mental illness in the hopes of showing that it is not something to be scared of, but rather something that is quite common and is nothing to be ashamed of.

     From an outsider’s point of view, it is easy to assume that celebrities live these wonderful lives where they never get hurt and never have to suffer the pains that “normal” people face. Especially when they come from such a famous and prominent family such as the Judd family. However, Ashley Judd spoke specifically about her childhood, and how she was neglected by her parents, and was sexually assaulted, and how so many people knew what was going on and did absolutely nothing about it. She talked about how her childhood nightmares manifested themselves into depression and anxiety as she became older, and how she was asked to stay at a rehabilitation facility in Texas after visiting her sister there because the people who ran it saw the pain inside her and wanted to help her overcome it. She described how much being in this safe place helped her to come to terms with what she had gone through and taught her how to cope with the anger she felt inside. She proceeded to give tips to the audience for how to calm themselves if they felt anxiety or anger beginning to take over. All in all, she wanted to make everyone who has ever been afflicted by mental illness know that they are not alone.

     College is a very stressful time and mental illness is more prominent at this period in most people’s lives than at any other. Students are on their own for the very first time and they do not know how to cope with everything they are feeling by themselves. Being able to hear someone like Ashley Judd speak, someone that so many people look up to and respect and who has made something of her life even when so much seemed to be against her, is an absolute honor. She is no longer afraid of where she comes from and what has happened to her, and she is not embarrassed to talk about it. With everything she said she wanted to convey her empathy with anything that could be going on in the lives of the audience because she understands what feeling alone and vulnerable can feel like.

     Overall, she, along with everyone who took part in the event, helped me to see how common mental illnesses are and how I can help those around me receive the aid they need in their most desperate times. HHHaving the opportunity to hear her speak was absolutely amazing and I would love to sit in on another one of her events.