Mental illness, also called mental health disorders, refers to a wide range of mental health conditions – disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behaviour. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviours. Some of our favourite celebrities are among those numbers, working towards bettering their mental hygiene, just like the rest of us. Here are a few celebrities who have opened up their platforms to create awareness, de-stigmatise mental illnesses and encourage others who are struggling.

KeKe Palmer

The actress and singer wrote about dealing with depression and anxiety in her book, I Don't Belong To You: Quiet The Noise & Find Your Voice. She wrote about how therapy and self-care rituals like meditating helped her to reach a healthier place. In the PSA video, she says, “we all have our trials and errors with different things in our lives. Everything is not the end of the world. I realised, as I got older, I would love to have told myself that. Give yourself some time. Be patient with yourself and you'll learn how to cope with these different things. As long as you're able to acknowledge them, as long as you're able to consciously be aware of them, you can move past them.”

Demi Lovato

The former Disney star turned pop singer who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and bulimia entered rehab in order to cope with her mental illness. Demi is now the spokesperson for a new campaign Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health. While many celebs try to keep their personal health issues out of the press, Demi is using her platform to raise awareness and help others in need. One of the major ways Demi maintains her mental health and sobriety is through working out for an hour every day. “I actually exercise as much as possible because there’s something that it does – it just helps,” she says. “I used to meditate every day, as well. I don’t do that as often [anymore] because I feel like exercise is kind of a form of meditation for me – what it does to me spiritually and physically.”

Prince Harry

Prince Harry revealed during an episode of The Telegraph's podcast "Mad World" that losing his mother took a toll on him that he didn't deal with until 20 years after her death. He struggled with aggression, grief and anxiety at public appearances. The prince took up boxing and therapy as a part of his healing process. He says of his counseling visits, “I've now been able to take my work seriously, and take my private life seriously, as well, and be able to put blood, sweat and tears into the things that really make a difference.”

Princess Diana

A very specific image of Princess Diana comes to mind as she is generally remembered as the “people’s princess.” She walked through fields of landmines, embraced an AIDS patient, introduced us to the vicious tenacity of the tabloid press and embodied the most glorious aspects of 1980s fashion. But what is often forgotten is that Diana was also a paradox: under the magnificently poised image she presented to the world, she struggled with bulimia, self-harm and lingering feelings of worthlessness. Diana was suffering from bulimia for a number of years, but began using exercise as a coping mechanism for the disorder. Exercising helped her to continue to better herself and feel more and more empowered and made the eating disorder a thing of the past.

Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen, an American model, penned an open letter in Glamour magazine about her battle with postpartum depression. She wrote, “I had everything I needed to be happy. And yet, for much of the last year, I felt unhappy. Getting out of bed to get to set on time was painful. My lower back throbbed; my -shoulders – even my wrists – hurt. I didn't have an appetite.” To heal, she took antidepressants and also discussed her plans to see a therapist at the time of publication.

Coping with a mental illness is challenging. It can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life. A mental illness, like many chronic illnesses, requires ongoing treatment. Fortunately, much progress has been made in the last two decades in treating mental illnesses. As a result, many mental conditions can be effectively treated with medication, counseling or both.