Pete Davidson Part 3

Since his joining “SNL” in 2014, Pete Davidson has risen to fame for his self-deprecating humor. Often, this includes jokes about his own mental health struggles. He is very candid in sharing his experiences living with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and depression. So much so, that this is the 3rd Speak Out Sunday recognizing his contributions to the conversation of mental health. 

Despite joking about the subject, Davidson is serious about mental health awareness. In using his platform to speak openly about mental illness, Davidson plays a role in destigmatizing mental health.  Davidson shares his diagnosis and even laughs about it, setting an example that mental health isn't something to be embarrassed about or buried. His attitude toward his diagnosis deviates from the typical narrative of BPD being a disease or life sentence. In an interview with Glenn Close, regarding his diagnosis, Davidson said “When somebody finally tells you, the weight of the world feels lifted off your shoulders. You feel so much better.”(Variety’s “Actors on Actors''). Davidson addresses being diagnosed with BPD as a positive moment in his life. In doing so, he shows people struggling with coming to terms with their own mental health that being labeled with a disorder doesn't have to be a burden. It can actually be a relief.

Davidson has a unique talent for being incredibly vulnerable in a way that comes across casual. In an interview with Charlamagne Tha God, Davidson explains that he is always depressed. He explains, “I wake up depressed, but now I know my steps. I have to go outside and be in the sun for a little bit, or go for a walk. It’s all just programming yourself to trick your brain.” His comfortability in speaking about his depression shows his fans that their depression doesn't have to define them. They can find comfort in the fact that there is light on the other side of the tunnel. Like Davidson, they can find the tricks that will change the way they see the world that day, even if it is temporary.