Demi Lovato as the Poster Child for Bipolar Disorder Might Be Doing More Harm Than Good

Both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Demi Lovato recently came out as bipolar. By virtue of their being in the public eye, that means the two celebrities have become de facto poster children for the illness. And it seems that was their very intention: to decrease the stigma associated with the disorder by being public about having it. However, in the ensuing weeks since the two actresses opened up, the media has jumped on their stories and turned them into feel-good tales of bravery that come packaged with a happy ending, essentially implying that seeking treatment for a problem is the same as being cured of that problem.

Catherine Zeta-Jones came out first via a spokesperson who revealed that the actress had entered a treatment facility for a few days of managing her bipolar II disorder. Demi immediately commended the actress’s bravery on Twitter, but revealed nothing of her own illness until she appeared on an episode of 20/20 a few weeks later. The eight-minute segment began with a description of Demi’s trouble past: thoughts of suicide beginning at the age of seven, a history of cutting and eating disorders, and the violent conflict with a backup dancer that led the young star’s family and management to intervene and send her to rehab. In her interview, Demi explained that while in treatment, she received her bipolar diagnosis:

“For the first time in my life, I started to feel. It was such a humbling feeling to not just push your feelings aside and ignore them. I’m thankful now that I feel them.”

The piece finished with shots of a smiling Demi interacting with fans as her own cheery music plays. Voice over explained that Demi is doing great, and we were then shown her new pair of wrist tattoos: the cursive words “Stay” and “Strong” are etched over the healed scars from Demi’s period of self-mutilation.

The narrative of this segment is this: troubled Disney star went through a rough period, sought treatment, and now everything is sunshine and daisies. The problem is, this isn’t how mental illness works. Seeking treatment is the first step in what is likely to be a lifetime of managing a chemical imbalance. We talked to celeb therapist  Dr. Gilda Carle, who had this to say about Demi’s illness: “I can’t imagine she’s done enough work… It’s a long, hard road and you don’t go into rehab for a couple weeks and then ‘voila, all better.’”

So who does presenting this kind of an “all fixed!” story harm? It harms the person who seeks treatment and doesn’t come out on the other end feeling completely healed — the more likely outcome of dealing with bipolar disorder. If your poster child is presented as having been cured of her illness, then why wouldn’t you expect the same outcome? And what happens when you don’t have that experience, how much more detrimental is that an already troubled person?

It’s no small feat to be be honest about mental illness, and it seems Demi’s heart is in the right place. In a follow-up interview with People, Demi said, “I’ve never been more peaceful or happy in my life. What’s important is to help others get to this place.”

But encouraging people to get help is only the first step. Continuing to be honest when things continue to be rough, as they no doubt will, is the true test of a poster child. And it’s imperative that the media to avoid sugar-coating what happens to be a very serious issue.