Hong Kong celebrities shared the mental health stories

Hiya! Welcome back to Healthy Mentality!

In our last blog post we discussed the devastating news about Ellen Joyce and her battle with mental health. For us, this post was extremely difficult to write, as the thought of another individual feeling so helpless is tragic. We have mentioned on numerous occasions, our goal at H.M is to prevent any member of our community from entering a similar state of mind. It is essential we discuss these hard topics, in order to remind our audience to speak up! We must remove the stigma surrounding mental illness through conversation!

We believe the following celebrities; Sammi Cheng, Fiona Sit and Vincent Kok, are great role models and advocates for mental health. They have all revealed their personal struggles and offered their audiences with strategies, to deal with similar hardships. Here is a glimpse into their stories:

• Sammi Cheng

Sammi Cheng has coped with depression for more than three years. Sammi discussed her battle with depression in the promotional video of World Health Day 2017, where she proclaimed,“If you’re struggling with yourself in depression, speak to your friends and family, they can help you feel listened to and calm down.” She finds exercise, through the form of running, is her preferred method to release negative feelings and relax her body/mind. She said “Recovery is possible as long as we can identify the symptoms and seek help. If you found yourself or people around you are feeling upset at all times, it is important to get help or help them.”

An inspirational figure, for more information about Sammi click here.

• Fiona Sit

Fiona Sit has expressed her personal struggles with depression during her filming of La Comédie Humaine(人間喜劇).  She strongly believes anyone who is experiencing mental health issues must seek professional help immediately.

Fortunately, after receiving ongoing support from friends and family, her mental wellbeing has significantly improved; “I have started to love myself, feel more positive, and act positively.”

An inspirational figure, for more information about Fiona click here.

• Vincent Kok

Hong Kong comedic director Vincent Kok has been devoted to mental health awareness for many years, motivated by his mother’s and nephew’s own battles with depression. He believes “Early Psychosis is the most common problem in young adults.” Speaking with RTHK, Kok believes the best ways to eliminate stress include prioritising exercise as a daily ritual, watch endless comedies and enjoy treats like a gourmet breakfast. Beyond these quite simple tips, Kok strongly advocates for the power of self-expression to his younger audience. He suggests it is imperative Hong Konger’s are supported and feeling comfortable in disclosing their personal struggles, within his statement: “the Hong Kong government and NGOs haven’t done enough in promoting mental health and wellbeing; they still need to reduce the stigma and promote mental health literacy.”

An inspirational figure, for more information about Vincent click here.

We hope our discussion on these celeb figures and their relationships with mental health highlight the importance of seeking professional support. Mental illness has the capacity to affect all individuals regardless of their social status and popularity. We often mask our own pain in belief depression and anxiety are indications of weakness. Hence, by sparking the conversation like Sammi, Fiona and Vincent, we are spreading awareness and abolishing the stigma.

If you find these tips helpful in reducing your stress, let us know by replying on our blog or leaving your comments on our Facebook page and Instagram!

with love, Cilo xx