You're in good company: famous achievers throughout history have experienced anxiety and/or depression.

[Jeff1943]

If Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Sigmund Freud were alive today they'd probably be on this forum. They're just three famous movers and shifters who achieved success despite mental disorders. I've listed a few more below.

There's been this feeling that anxiety and depression was a 'weakness' rather than a normal response to anxiety overload. So we hid it from the people we worked for, our friends and neighbours. I know I did, it's only recently I've told people I've known for years.

We thought bosses would think us unreliable and wouldn't want to employ us. But it seems some of the biggest achievers, both historical and contemporary, had the same problems and it never held them back. So it shouldn't hold any of us back either. Am I right or am I right.

Abraham Lincoln, President.

Winston Churchill, War Leader.

Vincent Van Gogh, Painter.

Isaac Newton, Scientist.

Wolfgang Mozart, Music Composer.

Charles Darwin, Scientist.

Michelangelo, Artist.

Julius Caesar, Emperor.

Lord Alfred Tennyson, Poet.

Aretha Franklin, Singer.

Burt Reynolds, Actor.

Charlotte Bronte, Author.

Winifrey Oprah, TV host.

David Bowie, Singer.

Elizabeth Taylor, Actress.

John Steinbeck, Author.

Kate Moss, Supermodel.

Naomi Campbell, Supermodel.

Nicola Tesler, Inventor.

David Beckham, Soccer Star.

Charles Dickens, Author.

I've left a space above for your name to appear in 🤔.

[Hidden]

I read recently that Lincoln had bad anxiety!

[jklm1983 in reply to Hidden]

Lincoln is also thought to have suffered from deep depression throughout his life.

[Tinkynutbug]

Thank you sir.

[Agora1]

We are in good company..

Thanks Jeff1943

[teemo1]

This does make me feel better!

[JAYnLA]

This actually does make me feel better as well. Thank you!

[Calm_mama]

Emma Stone, Dwayne Johnson (the Rock), Michael Phelps, Ariana Grande, LOGIC (Robert Bryson Hall II), Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Adele, Princess Diana, Prince Harry, Brooke Shields, Adam Duritz, JK Rowling, Sarah Silverman, Demi Lovato, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jon Hamm, Johnny Depp, Brandon Marshall, There are more Oh no we are NOT alone- Thank GOD these people in the limelight are talking about this stuff and making it OK to be a human being!! TY for the awesome post Jeff!!

[Jeff1943 in reply to Calm_mama]

Thanks for adding some more contemporary names to the list. One begins to wonder if there's anybody in the public gaze who isn't experiencing anxiety or depression.

[Kkimm in reply to Calm_mama]

Thanks for adding some more to this great post!

[Justbreathe1]

This makes me feel so much comfort!! Thank you for the reminder!

[9everton]

Thank you Jeff

[Kkimm]

Great post Jeff.

Can I add Sylvia Plath poet, Virginia Woolf author........ etc, etc

Kim

[Hidden]

Thank you for sharing ! X

[Hidden]

Ooh I feel good about myself now lol thanks!

[jklm1983]

My dad emailed me just today to say he is reading a book about Harry Truman and Truman suffered from anxiety as a Senator, VP, and President.

Also, the golfer Bubba Watson.

[Gazza01]

Sorry for the resurrection but Spike Milligan had a terrible time with depression and would lock himself away for days. Churchill called his depression 'the black dog'