Should We Be Worried About Jim Carrey?

Bizarre tweets, oversharing videos...if you're worried about Carrey's mental health, you've got company

By Leslie Gornstein Sep 09, 2011 1:00 PMTags
Jim Carreywww.jimcarreytrulife.com

Jim Carrey made a weird video for Emma Stone, then spray-painted the side of his house. Should we be worried about him?
—Holio, via the inbox

Right, right. Because anybody who stencils the side of his own property—a studio, mind you, not his house—must suffer some sort of mental disorder. And beware to any aging actor hoping to use YouTube to buy fresh relevance with the kids: If you flop, you must have a serious case of the cray-crays! Still, because I love you, I ran your question past a real live therapist. And what she said surprised me ...

... because you're right. According to Dr. Jenn Berman, a psychologist in private practice in Beverly Hills, if you count yourself as a Carrey fan, worry away.

"This is troubling behavior," she confirms. "When we see outrageous behavior from a celebrity, sometimes we can chalk it up to a brilliant publicity stunt, but other times it's a reflection of a deeper issue.

"This isn't the first time that he has put something out there on Twitter or other social media that has been a little concerning."

Berman refers to May of last year, when Carrey took to Twitter to hold forth on matters of space and time.

"There is no exterior! Welcome to the whole new you/me," he offered on April 25. "Eternity is not a measure of time! It's the depth of this moment! Heaven is here, now! Find it! Feel it!"

Apparently that eternity had a rubbery surface, for the next day, he tweeted the word 'boing' about 100 times. 

As for Carrey's video homage to Emma Stone, most of it seemed pretty harmless, except for the reference to sex.

"Where he crossed the line is the sex part," Berman tells me. "Without that, we could just say it was sweet and endearing."

Berman notes that she cannot diagnose Carrey without having met him, but, in general terms, the actor's behavior indicates "mood swings, impulsivity and lack of judgment."

Carrey himself has revealed a longtime battle with depression: "I was on Prozac for a long time," he has said. "It may have helped me out of a jam for a little bit, but I had to get off at a certain point."

If Carrey does need help, let's hope he gets it. And if he doesn't? More tweets and videos, please.

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