|
|
Since making his first appearance on screen in the MTV comedy Failosophy in 2013, Pete Davidson has become one of the best-known names in comedy, appearing in numerous shows and movies.
Thanks to his candidness about his mental health, Davidson’s experience with mental illness is almost as renowned as his comedy. Throughout his career, he’s talked openly about topics such as depression, drug use, and suicidal thoughts, playing an important role in overcoming the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Davidson has been “in and out” of inpatient treatment facilities since he was nine. He also has managed to incorporate some of this experience into his comedy acts.
In this article, we take a look at Davidson’s experiences and insights into his mental health journey.
Background on Pete Davidson
Early Life
Pete Davidson was born in 1993 in New York City’s Staten Island borough. There, he lived with his mother, father, and younger sister.
Davidson said the seeds of his mental illness might have been sown by the death of his firefighter father, Scott Davidson, in the terrorist attacks of September 11 when he was seven years old. Davidson, well-known for his many tattoos, has his father’s badge number, 8418, tattooed on his left arm.
After losing his father, Davidson began to act out in school. In an interview with The New York Times, he stated that at one point, he’d ripped out his hair until he was bald. Additionally, he said his father’s death made it very hard for him to trust people,. While he’s close to his mother and sister, he has trouble learning to trust others.
“My big thing is trust,” he explained. “One day [my father] was here, and the next day he was gone.”
Rise to Fame
Despite his early trauma, Davidson aspired to be a comedian from a young age. His first experience with stand-up came when he was 16 when his friends dared him to take the stage at a local bowling alley.
After high school, Davidson completed a semester of college before shifting his focus and deciding to pursue a full-time comedy career. His career took off quickly, and he appeared in several shows and movies. His most prominent movie role came in the film King of Staten Island, which he co-wrote with Judd Apatow (based on his early life). He’s also been a regular on “Saturday Night Live” since September 2014. On top of this, Davidson is a popular topic on social media for his relationships with some of the best-known celebrities in Hollywood.
Pete Davidson’s Mental Health Journey
Diagnosed Conditions
Davidson’s mental health problems began when he was young, shortly after his father’s death. As a result, he had behavioral issues at school, and he began using recreational drugs while still a teenager. According to a 2018 interview with Variety, he talked about how he’d been in and out of mental health facilities since he was 9. However, it was years before he was properly diagnosed.
In 2016, he started having episodes of intense emotions like anger and rage, then forgetting what had happened. He was also experiencing bouts of severe depression. Davidson believed that his drug use—he uses medical marijuana to help manage his Crohn’s disease—affected his behavior.
Davidson sought help in rehab and was first diagnosed with bipolar disease. However, quitting marijuana use and the medications doctors prescribed didn’t seem to help. Finally, in 2017, when Davidson was 23, a therapist diagnosed him with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and post-traumatic stress disorder. (BPD and its symptoms can often be misdiagnosed. Some of the signs can include an intense fear of abandonment, lack of confidence, and a history of unstable personal relationships.)
Coping Mechanisms
Along with medication, Davidson uses practical strategies for managing the difficult days. In an interview with radio host Charlemagne Tha God in February 2020, Davidson candidly discussed how he deals with depression and suicidal thoughts.
“I’m always depressed, all the time. I have to constantly bring myself out of it,” he said. “I wake depressed, but now I know my steps. I have to go outside and be in the sun for a little bit or go for a walk. It’s all just programming yourself to trick your brain.”
Davidson’s BPD can scare his family and friends. However, those same people are the ones who help him cope with his mental illness.
My rock bottom is when people are scared for my life and I have to go away, and then I have to bring myself back up again. I think I’ve hit it a few times. As long as you’re around good, supportive people, and if you’re strong enough, you’ll be able to get out of it,” Davidson said.
Public Statements and Advocacy
Interviews and Public Appearances
In many of his interviews, Davidson talks about mental health and the importance of seeking treatment, at one point saying that the diagnosis of BPD changed his life.
“I got diagnosed with BPD a few years ago, and I was always just so confused all the time, and just thought something was wrong, and didn’t know how to deal with it,” Davidson said in a conversation with actress Glenn Close, then an interview for Variety magazine’s “Actors On Acting.” “Then, when somebody finally tells you, the weight of the world feels lifted off your shoulders. You feel so much better.”
His reaction was a common one. Regardless of whether they’re celebrities or not, people often feel better when they’re finally diagnosed and understand what’s happening to them, their bodies, and their minds.
Advocacy Work
Davidson has been publicly supportive of people who have mental health issues and who need therapy. He stated, “My therapists are really on the ball, and I’m really lucky to have them in my life. I recommend that everyone go to therapy.”
For many of his fans, Davidson’s openness about his mental health and the medications and coping strategies he uses has helped make the subject less taboo and the idea of going to therapy less intimidating.
Challenges and Criticisms
Navigating Public Scrutiny
While most of Davidson’s fans have been supportive of his mental health journey, his openness has garnered a considerable amount of criticism. Rather than letting the critics discourage him from sharing his struggles, he simply eliminated one of the main avenues that exposed him to negativity.
Considering how popular he is on social media, Davidson said quitting social media in July 2018 has helped him a great deal. In one interview, he stated, “Everybody is different, and there are a lot of treatments for mental illnesses and I have done/am doing all of them,” he wrote when he decided to leave online. “And I encourage those who struggle to seek help as well; it has changed my life for the better. I just think it’s f**ked up to stigmatize people as crazy and say that they are unable to do stuff that anyone can do. It’s not their fault, and it’s the wrong way for people to look at things.”
Critiques of Celebrity Mental Health Discourse
Celebrities such as Pete Davidson have used their platforms not only to entertain but also to tackle real issues that they and their fans experience. While this is beneficial, it’s not without potential downsides.
Davidson has been uniquely transparent about his mental health journey. However, it’s important to remember that the image he and other celebrities present to the public is carefully curated. An increased awareness of mental health issues is beneficial, as the majority of people living with mental illnesses never seek treatment. However, there’s still a need for deeper conversations around wellness that go beyond surface-level awareness.
Celebrities have access to support and resources that most people don’t have. In fact, nearly a quarter of Americans with mental illnesses report not being able to receive necessary treatment. While Davidson’s story is inspirational for many, for others, it can make professional help seem even more out of reach.
Although celebrity advocacy can pave the way for meaningful conversations and reduce stigma, it’s important to highlight the barriers that keep many people from accessing care. This includes addressing issues such as the availability of affordable services and the need for more providers, especially in rural areas. By acknowledging these challenges, we can pursue a more inclusive approach to mental health care that works for everyone, regardless of celebrity status.
Conclusion
Many people think happiness comes with being a celebrity, but Davidson’s comments about his struggles with mental illness undermine that fallacy. His willingness to openly deal with how depression and suicidal thoughts have impacted his life and how he’s learned to deal with them are examples of the positive impact celebrities can have on these critical issues. If someone who struggles with depression or BPD sees a celebrity like Davidson openly discussing his struggles and how he deals with them, they can be motivated to seek help.
If you think you have BPD or some other mental illness affecting your interactions with your family, friends, and coworkers, we can help. Contact us today to learn about our programs.
