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Raleigh Magazine sat down with Marie Osmond to talk motherhood, mental health and finding hope amid hardship.
Just a few weeks ago, an eighth-grader hanged himself in a Wake County middle school—and it’s certainly not the only instance of a suicide by a school-aged child across the country this year. There’s no question that mental health is a nationwide crisis. The stats are staggering, with nearly 1 in 5 Americans living with a mental illness, according to the National Institute of
Mental Health.
Leading the fight locally is Foundation of Hope founder and Angus Barn owner Van Eure by “investing in groundbreaking scientific research and mental health initiatives.” Its annual Evening of Hope charity dinner and auction in September featured award-winning singer, actress and mental health advocate Marie Osmond as its 2022 guest speaker—and Raleigh Mag got the honor of chatting with her before the event.
Osmond has been a huge player in spearheading the conversation about mental health. She’s talked at length about her battle against bulimia and anorexia, and was the first celebrity to pen a book detailing her experience with postpartum depression. She’s also been at the forefront of destigmatizing mental health and depression—and fighting to raise awareness—after losing her 18-year-old son to suicide a little over a decade ago.
“Depression is depression is depression,” says Osmond. “It feels the same however it is put into your life, and for somebody who has always been able to find something to laugh about or some reason to be positive, I couldn’t find that—and it was terrifying.”
While mental illness is remarkably common in adolescents—and adults for that matter—it can be hard to diagnose. Osmond urges parents to listen to their children, especially with many dealing with coming out of isolation from the pandemic. “Listening is a really important thing,” she says. “I know with the issues facing the world, our children are dealing with some big issues.”
Both Osmond and the Foundation of Hope believe just talking about mental illness is a significant way to fight rising mental health issues and suicide rates. “I believe by sharing, we stop competing—and we start completing,” says Osmond. “We all go through similar things in life, and it’s nice to know you’re not alone.” walkforhope.com
To learn more of our conversation with Osmond, tune into Office Talk w/ Raleigh Magazine episode 28.
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