You Are Not Alone - Zach Braff, Comedian, Actor, Director, Depression
Best known as Dr.John Dorian, Zach Braff is a famous American writer, director and screenwriter. Braff first became known in 2001 for his role on the television series Scrubs, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award in 2005.
In 2004, Zach Braff made his directorial debut with Garden State. The film made over $35 million at the box office and was praised by critics, leading it to gain a cult following. Zach Braff wrote the film, starred in it, and compiled the soundtrack record. He won numerous awards for his directing work, and also won the Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album in 2005.
Zach Braff’s sensitive but wacky character J.D in Scrubs continue to bring joy to people’s lives whilst negotiating difficult and challenging subjects within the show. However, Zach Braff has tragically suffered from Depression. “I think I suffer from some mild Depression,” Zach Braff told Parade magazine. His troubled soul was seen in ‘Garden State’ in which he plays a struggling young man who returns home for his mother’s funeral. Zach Braff admitted, ”To have millions of people go, ‘I watched your movie and related’ was the ultimate affirmation that I’m not a freak.” This touching sentiment shows that by sharing your troubles and speaking out, sharing your thoughts and uniting with those who understand, Depression can be beaten. Braff doesn’t hide under any celebrity image and isn’t afraid to be himself, he says, even if that self is very emotional and wears sweatpants all day. Zach Braff says that he stands out in Hollywood – and he doesn't mind. "I don't have any famous friends other than the guys I work with on Scrubs, he says. "I don't care about image and all that nonsense. I'm in sweat pants every day. I don't play the game at all."
In the past he has talked candidly about suffering from Depression. Uncertain as to why so many creative people battle with the illness, he quips that he thinks it makes for good art, but then offers a more serious explanation. "Maybe some people's Depression comes from a realization that this life is it. What am I doing with it? Am I using my time wisely? And that's an incredibly intimidating thought process."
Perhaps this is why he ensures that his career is never static. Zach Braff admits to having a lot of ideas. "I was so blessed to have the TV show for so many years and now I want to explore these ideas and ways of performing that I wasn't able to do before."
Zach Braff, 36, is just the kind of guy you hoped he’d be: quirky, real, funny and outrageously free-spoken. “Nothing in my life has ever gone the way I thought it would,” begins Braff. “Some of it’s been better, a lot of it’s been worse, but the crazy thing is that even when stuff went well for me, I still wound up being kind of scared or depressed."
“Right after I got the show, before it went into production, was the darkest time I ever went through in my life. You’re loved and healthy and got the dream job and you’re still depressed. I don’t know if it’s chemical, I don’t know if it’s genetic, I don’t know what it f--king is, but I know I needed to look at it. I later found out there were thousands of people out there my age who felt the same way. They call it ‘the quarter life crisis.’ A weird post-collegiate sadness. Malaise, apathy, doom. And no one was articulating it.”
– Zach Braff
Young men, Society & Depression
As hard as it is to get women to seek treatment for Depression, with men (especially young men) it's like trying to move a mountain.
This is a grave concern, as Depression puts sufferers at a far greater risk of self-harm and suicide. It is well known that male suicide is nearly 4 times that of women, however recent data has shown a sharp increase in the rate of suicide by young men [1]. Society tells men that asking for help or admitting they have any mental illness is a sign of weakness, when nothing could be further from the truth. Mental illness is not something you can just will away, like a physical disease, professional treatment is always the best option. If you have a broken leg, it isn’t a sign of weakness to go to a doctor and get a cast put on it; in fact failing to seek treatment can often lead to serious problems. Mental illness is no different to physical illness, and leaving it untreated only delays the problem for your future self. The difference between a broken leg and low grade Depression (Dysthymia) is that you suffer tremendous pain if you try to walk on a broken leg, but many people with Dysthymia will continue living their lives without considering treatment.
People with low grade Depression (dysthymia) will often say to themselves ‘well, I’ve always been this way’ and it can become a personality trait or lifestyle, leaving the condition untreated. If left untreated, Dysthymia can develop later in life as Major Depression. It is better to seek treatment now, then to push that problem down the road. If you feel that you may have some issues with Depression, it is ok to seek help; we here at AB Consultation and Counselling Services are here to help you on your road to recovery.