The Morning Show star Mark Duplass is opening up about his mental health and how he manages to work while navigating both depression and anxiety.
“It’s a really complicated system of making sure you get enough sleep, making sure you get exercise every day, making sure I’m being really careful about the medication I take, never to miss it,” Duplass, 48, told Page Six in an interview published on Sunday, June 8.
The actor went on to explain that he has been using the same medication for nearly two decades in order to treat his mental health conditions, adding that prescription medicine is “a very fundamental, critical part of my system.”
“I feel like I gotta make sure I keep showing up and working and it’s exhausting sometimes, but what choice do I have?” he added.
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Duplass has made it something of his mission to be unapologetically open and honest about his mental health via social media.
On Saturday, June 7, Duplass gave fans an update on his mental health via Instagram, writing that he’s been “feeling stronger lately.”
“A little lighter, more inspired, more energy,” he wrote via the post’s caption, along with a smiling selfie. “Better in social situations and with my work capacity. Overall, just ‘happier.’ For those of you who deal with depression, it’s like most moments when the mood fog lifts and you think ‘oh, right’ THIS is what it’s like. I forgot.’”
He added, “Because I do forget. It’s amazing how the herculean daily struggle to keep yourself from descending (exercise, diet, medication, therapy, meditation, journaling, etc) can become so routine. All just to keep yourself from drowning in the darkness. It can be exhausting and you don’t even realize how hard you’re working just to stay vertical.”
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The producer said that moments when he does feel better are “bittersweet,” adding that realizing “how hard I normally have to work just to get some sort of baseline” leaves him feeling a “little sad.”
“I’m also deeply grateful to have these calmer, more pleasant days when I’m not furiously kicking just to keep my head above the waterline,” he continued. “These days are awesome. And I wanna honor them.”
He concluded his post by sharing a hope that his followers are able to also find the “silver linings of hope and joy,” as well as the “small things” like “morning coffee,” “pet snuggles” and “a favorite song in your headphones at the grocery store.” He then shared the 988 Lifeline information for anyone who needs a reminder that help is just “a text/call/chat away.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and/or substance use, you are not alone. Seek immediate intervention — call 911 for medical attention; 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; or 1-800-662-HELP for the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline. Carrying naloxone (Narcan) can help reverse an opioid overdose.
