Living in the limelight for Actors comes with several issues and struggles. It’s not easy to live life with cameras surrounding the person the whole day and showing their true personality in front of millions of people.
For an ordinary individual, the actors are those people with luxuries and enjoyment, but it is a different perspective as actors also struggle with their mental health. They are the ones struggling the most as they have to change their personalities to get accepted by the world.
Actors may seem the happiest people but are the saddest ones behind the curtains. They also have seen hardships because acting is something that needs society’s acceptance and approval. The course of an actor’s career is entirely dependent on ordinary individuals, their acceptance and approval makes an actor renowned in his or her lifetime. Mental health is a very discussed topic in today’s world that plays an important role in an individual’s life.
Good mental health means a person is in a state of well-being where they feel good and function well in the world. Despite being in good mental health, many people overlook the negative state of their health.
The causes that lead to a bad state of Mental health in Actors
1) Audition Rejection
When an actor first begins his or her profession, they are is just a regular person with aspirations to become an actor. The auditioning process is very emotionally draining as it usually leads to rejection much more than success. This leads to lower self-confidence and the person starts to think bad about themselves. Not everyone takes rejection in a positive way many see it as a negative outcome of their efforts.
2) Body image issue
Physical appearance is something that is very much looked at in an actor. As most people like physically attractive individuals, it starts to become a burden for the actors to maintain their profile among the people. Many female actors suffer from body dysmorphia, bad eating habits, and several eating disorders.
They fall into the poisonous diet culture trap to achieve the perfect body, and to become more popular in the populace. They also have the pressure to set high standards in society and must pretend to be attractive to fit in, which can lead to emotional tiredness and worry.
3) Insecurity
The acting profession is highly competitive and there is no proper job security as the actors struggle to find consistent work which can lead to financial instability and poor mental health as they fall into depression and sometimes harm themselves while thinking of their unclear future.
4) Criticism and Scrutiny
Actors are subject to intense scrutiny from both the public and critics. Negative reviews, social media comments, and trolling can be hurtful and damaging to their self-esteem and lead to huge emotional trauma and anxiety in themselves.
5) Balanced Personal Life
The actors find it very difficult to maintain a balance between their personal and work lives as they have very tough schedules for months also, they travel far distances in different locations. This leads to isolation from their family and friends. This separation can contribute to feelings of loneliness and disconnection.
Tips for coping with struggles of being an actor
a) Build a strong support system
Having a strong support system is crucial in an actor’s life as it helps to improve their mental health. They should be surrounded by their family members, colleagues, and close friends. These people are the trusted ones and offer support when they are facing challenges.
b) Taking care of both mental and physical health
The acting profession demands time and while an actor is busy with their tight work schedule, they should take care of their mental and physical health. Proper sleep should be considered important as it helps to rejuvenate the mind from all the stresses.
Taking proper nutritious meals can be beneficial in promoting good physical health and proper functioning of the body and daily exercise reduces the stress and symptoms of various mental health issues. One should practice meditation.
c) Seeking Professional Help
An actor should not hesitate to seek professional help. They rather take the help of therapists and psychologists and open up about their struggles instead of filling them inside them. They also should seek their advice at the time of distress. The therapist and counselor can also provide them with the support actors need to cope up with different challenges.
Actors took up their profession because of their interest in this field. Now remember it is their interest to showcase their talent and come into the limelight and this will cause positive as well as negative effects. They should not feel judged by other people and start prioritizing their mental health. Health should always be the foremost priority of a person. They must open up about their struggles and seek help for better functioning in life. They should be free to show their real self and should have an optimistic approach towards their life.
