One week ago, on Easter Sunday, actress and comedian Kathy Griffin posted a picture of herself in the hospital. She wasn’t there to visit a friend or loved one. She was there to get an MRI.
Two days later, Griffin turned to TikTok to explain her diagnosis. She started her video by saying that she has decided to “talk about PTSD.” Then she shared that she had “never talked about it publicly” before and decided to talk about it for the first time on TikTok because she’d “seen a lot of videos” on the same topic.
Before diving into what she really wanted to say, Griffin downplayed what she was about to say by telling her followers, “you can laugh.” Then she proceeded to explain her diagnosis and how she was hoping her followers could help her.
Griffin explained that she has been diagnosed with “complex PTSD.” According to her doctors, she has an “extreme case.” She asked her followers to comment with what they do to “cope” with mental health issues including depression and anxiety.
Griffin explained, “This really started for me about 5 and a half years ago.” She added, “The cancer didn’t help.”
@kathygriffin Never talked about this publicly. I have lots of tools, but it is extremely intense. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my life. If you’re someone who also deals with this, I am sending you lots and lots of #love. ##PTSD##Depression##Anxiety##ComplexPTSD ♬ original sound – realkathygriffin
When Griffin talks about the problems starting “5 and a half years ago,” she is most likely referencing what she considers “an erasure” of her career and lifestyle back in 2017. It all started when she posed with a blood covered replica of the head of the President at that time, former President Donald Trump.
As a result, she was investigated by the Secret Service and put on a “no-fly” list. She was also fired from CNN’s New Year’s Eve special and saw many of her other TV and stand-up opportunities disappear.
She later explained in a Newsweek op-ed that she ended up being scared to leave her house and took “any prescription pill I could get my hands on.”
When Griffin mentioned, “The cancer didn’t help,” she was referencing her 2021 diagnosis with stage 1 lung cancer.
Griffin’s followers listened to her and responded with techniques they have discovered to cope with mental health issues. One person commented, “I was diagnosed with PTSD. I found EMDR therapy combined with medication very helpful.
Griffin responded to the comment, “Yes, I am going to try EMDR.”
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. According to EMDR Institute, Inc., it is “designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories” by the client attending “to emotionally disturbing material in brief sequential doses while simultaneously focusing on an external stimulus.” Often that external stimulus involves “lateral eye movements.”
Does it surprise you that Griffin has been diagnosed with PTSD?
