What Anne Heche Teaches Us About Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Actress Anne Heche was involved in a fiery car crash on August 5, 2022, when her vehicle collided with a house, causing structural damage while narrowly missing out on hitting the owner. Heche, who sustained major burns, slipped into a coma and remains in one at the time of writing.

People were quick to come to the aid of the owner, who lost her home and almost all her possessions. In this time of distress, where she has lost almost everything except her pets, it has been reassuring to see the level of support and love sent her way.

Anne has also received support from the likes of Rosana Arquette and Alec Baldwin through social media platforms. Most netizens, however, have been quick to chastise the actors for showing support to someone who was most likely driving while under the influence. After all, drunk drivers cause countless accidents and multiple deaths every year.

While netizens do have a fair point, it begs the question - where is the support for Anne?

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What Caused Anne Heche's Mental Health Problems?

Saying Anne Heche had a tragic childhood would be putting it lightly. Born into a fundamentalist methodist family, her family had to move 11 times due to strained finances. Her elder sister passed away before she was born due to an abnormality in infancy.

Anne reported that she was s*xually abused by her father and consequently contracted genital herpes as a child. When Anne was thirteen, he passed away due to Aids. Three months later, her elder brother passed away in a car crash, although, till date, Anne believes it was suicide.

Anne was estranged from her mother after coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and publicly announcing her relationship with Ellen DeGeneres. She is also estranged from her sister Abigail, who has denied that their father was involved in anything abusive.

The actress soon turned to drugs and alcohol. Her mental health deteriorated as a result of her childhood, which was supplemented by the pressure of being an actress in Hollywood.

She once revealed that she believes that she has a personality called Celestia, who is a being from another world.

As she burst into popularity, her struggles became well known. To add to her injury, she broke up with partner Ellen at this point. Yet, comedians and the broader media took the opportunity to pile on and make jokes at her expense. Her ridicule was turned into an experimental artform for aspiring comedians. At no point was there a mass swell of support, online or otherwise, for someone spiraling so quickly and publicly.

As Anne battles for her life, the question has to be asked - did the people around her do enough to help with her substance abuse issues, or was she left to her own devices?

There are countless examples of celebrities failing to battle against their mental health and substance abuse. So was Anne expected to recover on her own, while people around her took repeated jabs at her affliction?

Alec Baldwin supporting Anne makes sense, in some regard. After all, he worked on his own sobriety and mental health, so who better than him to sympathize with the situation?

Suffering is not always physical. Anne's mental health suffered throughout her childhood and adult life, yet she was pointed at and jeered. Though the past cannot be changed, improving how mental health is viewed, even today in 2022, can go a long way in saving someone's life.