The Me You Can’t See

If you pay attention to entertainment-related media, you’ve probably seen headlines today proclaiming Prince Harry’s ongoing journey toward healing or Lady Gaga’s recovery from past abuse and trauma. The timing of these pieces coincides not only with May’s focus on Mental Health Awareness Month but also with the Apple TV+ of the new multi-part series The Me You Can’t See.

Synopsis:

The Me You Can’t See is a new docuseries co-created by Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry, that explores mental health and emotional well-being with stories from people around the world. With storytelling at its core, this timely series gives a voice to stories that aim to seek truth, understanding and compassion. It’s about people, our experiences, and why we feel the way that we do.

Source: Apple TV+

As I sat this week screening the first three episodes, I was struck not only by the honest and transparent ways in which Oprah, Harry, and Stefani (Lady Gaga) shared their private stories but also by the many other accounts shared by men and women of every age and stage in life. Having not yet finished the full series, I can’t provide a full “review” just yet. But I can share that for me, the series is both timely and intensely personally nurturing.

Join @LisaHendey for a look at the @AppleTV docuseries #TheMeYouCantSee with Prince Harry, @Oprah, @LadyGaga and other brave souls who tell their stories. It's time to address our national mental health crisis and seek healing. Share on X

While this show is not for all audiences and I feel compelled to offer a “trigger warning” for people who are currently in the midst of or have not fully recovered from past mental health crises, there is so much good in finally lifting the veil that has for too many years been cast over these issues. From OCD to PTSD to anxiety and depression, mental health diagnoses have been hidden away or left untreated for too long. Many of us face our own struggles or the battles of our loved ones with an odd embarrassment that we would never harbor if the diagnosis were breast cancer or diabetes. Science points to the validity of mental illness as a condition that impacts millions of us each year. But for too many families, care goes unsought, or worse yet actively avoided.

Shows such as The Me You Can’t See remind us that you can “have it all” in the eyes of other people and still have conditions that require support, care and treatment. The gift of a royal family member or an Oscar winner who openly seeks help is that in normalizing diagnosis and treatment, we acknowledge the breadth and depth of the tragedy we face as a nation and begin to actively seek healing.

If you are able, watch The Me You Can’t See and openly speak with others about how it makes you feel. If you need help, please do not hesitate to speak to your doctor or call for practical help. The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., ET. at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or by email to info@nami.org.