8 Idols Who Have Been Diagnosed With Psychological Illnesses
Idols always have to put on a bright and smiling face, but deep down inside, they may be struggling with their own personal demons.
These are just a few of the many idols that have begun to open up about their mental health struggles.
1. BTS‘s Suga
Suga has spoken openly about his depression. He first revealed his battle with depression during a radio interview in 2014 while discussing his on-going body image issues. The rapper talked about how hard he had worked lose weight and stated that he has battled depression since his pre-debut days.
In his 2016 interview with Grazia magazine, Suga discussed his deeply personal mixtape, Agust D, which dealt with several mental health issues, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety. In the track “The Last”, Suga shared his own personal experience with seeking professional help.
2. IU
IU revealed her battle with bulimia while filming an episode of Healing Camp in 2014. She said that her heart felt empty and anxious due to her fear that she was not a talented enough singer. To fill the void, IU would eat until she vomited. IU eventually sought treatment and is believed to have since overcome her disorder.
3. Nam Taehyun
During a broadcast on Casper Radio, a fan told this former WINNER member that they were struggling with insomnia and depression. In response, Nam Taehyun revealed that he was also suffering from both insomnia and depression as well. He told the fan that he has trouble managing his anger and has been receiving professional help, and finished by encouraging the fan, saying he believed they could both overcome their disorders.
4. Suzy
Korea’s sweetheart Suzy has beauty, fame, wealth, and the love of a nation. But she has also struggled with depression.
In 2013, Suzy burst into tears during a Gu Family Book press conference. Later, on Healing Camp, she said that her outburst was the result of feeling crushed under the weight of so many people’s contradictory expectations. She was treated as though she was too young, yet was also expected to act like an adult. Suzy’s stress led her to develop symptoms of depression, such as suddenly starting to cry in the middle of a conversation with her friend.
5. SHINee‘s Key
Key’s history of self-harm came to light after the singer commented on a fan’s Instagram post. This fan would self-harm herself. Key offered her words of encouragement by revealing that he too had had a “bad habit” while he was growing up and still has the scars from it. The fan ultimately stopped her negative actions, thanks to the encouragement of Key.
6. Lee Haein
This former Produce 101 contestant and member of project girl group I.B.I left her agency, HYWY, due to a panic disorder. On her personal Instagram, the singer stated that she developed a panic disorder after experiencing trauma at her former agency, SS.
Due to her mental and physical health, she found herself unable to keep up with her other members as they trained for their debut. She took the hospital recommendation for rest seriously and withdrew from the debut team in order to recover.
7. Super Junior-M‘s Henry
Henry is known for his erratic yet charming personality, but in 2014 fans gained further insight into his behavior. Henry opened up on Real Men struggles with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which he suffered with until middle school.
8. Lee Joon
On March 30, Lee Joon’s agency announced that the singer-actor would be finishing the remainder of his mandatory service as a public service worker, due to his panic disorder.
Lee Joon originally enlisted as an active-duty soldier in the hopes of fighting his panic disorder. However, since his condition had not shown improvement, the military’s screening procedures deemed him unfit to continue with active duty.
