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Bill Hader Discusses His Struggles With Anxiety in a Special Conversation With the Child Mind Institute
The HBO Produced Conversation Coincides With World Mental Health Day on October 10th
New York, NY – To mark World Mental Health Day on October 10th, an international day for mental health education, awareness and advocacy, the Child Mind Institute is sharing an exclusive conversation between Bill Hader, star and co-creator of HBO’s award-winning Barry, and Child Mind Institute president, Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz. The conversation was produced in kind by HBO and taped in Los Angeles in early March 2020.
During this intimate, informative, and humorous discussion, Hader speaks with Dr. Koplewicz about his own struggles with an anxiety disorder, including during his time on Saturday Night Live, and his hope that children and families around the world will know that there are ways to find help.
“It can be hard to be honest and candid around such a difficult topic,” says Dr. Koplewicz. “Bill did not hold back when speaking about his experiences with anxiety. During these unprecedented times that we are all facing it is more important than ever for children and young people to know that they are not alone.”
When asked what advice he would give to kids, Hader said: “I think the biggest thing that I wish I had known was that you are going to make a mistake and you’re going to be fine… Once you can accept it about yourself and don’t see yourself as a nuisance, you can actually use it to your advantage. You can use that energy and that voice in your head. You can somehow use it to propel yourself into things that you never thought you could ever do, because the voice in your head is wrong.”
Hader is an outspoken mental health advocate and has actively supported the Child Mind Institute in many of its efforts. In 2019, he participated in the institute’s #MyYoungerSelf video campaign and accepted the 2020 Child Mind Institute Change Maker Award.
The Child Mind Institute is grateful to HBO and WarnerMedia for their support producing this conversation. The conversation aligns with HBO’s efforts to normalize discussions about mental health. HBO in 2019 launched the It’s OK campaign, an initiative that aims to destigmatize mental illness and encourage conversation about mental health issues.
About the Child Mind Institute
The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Our teams work every day to deliver the highest standards of care, advance the science of the developing brain, and empower parents, professionals and policymakers to support children when and where they need it most. Together with our supporters, we’re helping children reach their full potential in school and in life. We share all of our resources freely and do not accept any funding from the pharmaceutical industry. Learn more at www.childmind.org
