Well played, Catherine Zeta-Jones

I don’t usually pay much attention to celebrity news, but the announcement that Catherine Zeta-Jones has checked herself into the hospital to treat her bipolar disorder made me sit up and take notice. Yes, yes, it’s probably posh, since that’s how movie stars roll, and she doesn’t have to worry about how much it costs, ditto. But she’s not telling the world that she’s going to a spa. She’s not even pretending that she’s going to rehab — which these days is not only barely stigmatized, it’s practically a noble gesture. No, she’s being right up front about it: she’s been voluntarily admitted to the psych ward, because she’s had a shitty year and she’s slipped into a crippling depression. To be specific, she says she has Bipolar Disorder, which used to be called Manic Depression — she’s got Bipolar II, which is more about the depression, as compared to Bipolar I, which is more about the manic, but they both suck. Mood disorders do that. They suck.

Here’s the thing: what she’s got is treatable. In fact, it sounds like she’s had it for a while and knows exactly what she needs to do to manage it. And what she’s got is more common than most people realize. Not as common as unipolar depression, the common cold of mental illness, but still, it’s out there. And if it takes a glamorous actress saying, “Yeah, I’ve got this, and it sucks, and I’m going to get it taken care of” to take some of the mystery and fear out of it and encourage other people to get diagnosed and treated, hand that woman another Oscar for playing the most important role of her life.

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