Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz admitted in an interview with British Q Magazine that he suffers from manic depression and has been on medication for the disorder since he was 18. He says he had a lot of emotional problems after his parents divorced while he was 6:

He says, “I have manic depression. I obsess over everything. When I am depressed, I can’t get out of bed. But right now, it’s sunny and 65 in my head, so it’s OK!”

Wentz, 28, goes on to reveal he has been on medication for depression and anxiety problems since he was 18, revealing the trauma of his parents’ separation on his sixth birthday left him emotionally scarred and unable to express his feelings.

He adds, “I turned my emotions off like a faucet.

[From SFGate]

You have to admire the guy for coming out with the news that he suffers from a stigmatizing mental illness. That takes a lot of courage. I used to think Wentz was a douche but I have a lot of respect that he was able to open up like this.

In February, 2005, Wentz had a possible suicide attempt after overdosing on Ativan, an anxiety drug. He spent a week in the hospital and moved in with his parents afterwards. Of the incident, Pete said “I was isolating myself further and further, and the more I isolated myself, the more isolated I’d feel. I wasn’t sleeping. I just wanted my head to shut off, like, I just wanted to completely stop thinking about anything at all.” [Details from Wikipedia]

When celebrities talk about their struggle with mental illness and other personal problems, it helps the rest of us realize that we’re not alone and that there’s no shame in what we go though.

I didn’t publish anything other than a link yesterday about Thandie Newton admitting that she suffered from bulimia, although the story really moved me. That was something that hit a little too close to home for me, and even my family doesn’t know about it. They probably do now.

Pete Wentz is shown with his girlfriend Ashlee Simpson at Kanye West’s 30th birthday on 6/7/07. Thandie Newton is shown on 7/11/07 at the summer party for Serpentine Gallery in London. Thanks to PR Photos.