Jim Carrey Goes to Bat With New Article; Blasts CDC, Drug Companies

On July 14, 2015 The California Office of the Attorney General gave the green light for a referendum of Senate Bill 277 (SB277). The referendum gives communities initially activated by SB277’s thinly veiled attack on their children and medical rights a new target to aim their massive numbers towards. Amidst the run-up to SB277 in California activists, doctors, nurses and politicians all became mobilized daily to voice disapproval and disbelief. As the wave of unpopularity gathered major momentum, media blackouts increased. However the unlikely megaviral moment came from the Twitter account of actor Jim Carrey. Carrey’s "Tweets heard around the world" blasted California Governor Jerry Brown, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), pharmaceutical companies and known toxic vaccine ingredients. A hero was born for medical choice.

The attention Carrey generated was too much too fast for a mainstream media with deep ties to vaccine manufacturers. His Twitter messages were simple and posed a direct threat because they pointed to the truth. The potential revenue to be generated by the passing of SB277 by drug companies was instantly threatened and now at stake. Carry’s 14.8 million Twitter followers were sizable adversaries easily dwarfing the readership of most media outlets combined. The mainstream word went out quickly to counter his stance. Attack the man, spin the story, muddy the waters do it all so his message doesn’t stick in the consciousness of the people.

The limited creativity of a soulless, pathetic journalism machine went into motion sputtering hot air and bellowing black smoke in a fruitless attempt to counter the simple, common sense of Carry’s words. The next few days saw thoughtless, dull headlines poorly attempting to assassinate the character of one of the top actors and comedians in the world. Bought and paid writers churned out dribble with titles like:

“Why Jim Carrey is Wrong About Vaccinations” -CNN
“Why Jim Carrey is Wrong About Vaccines” -ABC *
“Jim Carrey, Please Shut Up About Vaccinations” -TIME
“Scientists Debunk Jim Carrey’s Anti-Vaccination Tweets” -Huffington Post
“Carreyed Away” -Slate
“How Jim Carrey’s Anti-Vaccination Rant Totally Backfired” -Think Progress

*Yes ABC and CNN essentially ran the same headline. 

On July 17, Carrey released his first article on medium.com. Well researched and on point, the piece contains information the mainstream purposefully ignores. He touches on the major, irrefutable points that many in the medical choice and vaccine community are aware of. Carrey spotlights the existence of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program by stating:

“There is also no question that vaccines can and do injure people as the hundreds of millions of dollars awarded in vaccine court have proved.”

He speaks to the continuous sidestepping of the Nuremberg codes on medical experimentation, the American Medical Association’s code of ethics and countless others laws, treaties and agreements on medical consent by stating:

“…for centuries, the bedrock ethical principle of “informed consent” has dominated the medical field. Medical decisions have always been based on personal choice made in consultation with a trusted doctor. Upholding this basic principle is dependent on the ability to choose and give consent, a fundamental right that is being taken away by legislation such as SB 277 in California.”

Carrey hits on the widespread political corruption, fraud and influence directed by pharmaceutical companies by writing:

“Over the past 20 or so years, pharmaceutical companies have given nearly $300 million to candidates for federal office, spent almost $200 million influencing California state elections, and have amassed over $3 billion in fees for high-powered lobbyists in Washington. I don’t think its crazy to be suspicious when these companies receive guaranteed revenue streams from politicians they have spent billions trying to influence.”

Rounding off his piece, Carrey acknowledges the whistleblowing statements by senior scientists Dr. William Thompson of the CDC:

“Dr. William Thompson, who admitted that he and other officials at the agency fabricated and intentionally omitted data from a 2004 study that claimed there was no link between vaccines and autism”

Integrity is plummeting for mainstream media and influenced politicians who speak at the public with old talking points from a previous timeline when vaccines were thought to be harmless. The “vaccines are safe and effective” conversation is over having proved to be nothing more than drug company spin for maximum profit gain. The real truth appears to hit closer to home as the public has awakened to a frontal attack on their children, on the future of their medical consent and on the natural health of humanity.

Jim Carrey Biography

Jim Carrey, Canadian-born and a U.S. citizen since 2004, is an actor and producer famous for his rubbery body movements and flexible facial expressions. The two-time Golden Globe-winner rose to fame as a cast member of the Fox sketch comedy In Living Color (1990) but leading roles in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Dumb & Dumber (1994) and The Mask (1994) established him as a bankable comedy actor.

James Eugene Carrey was born on January 17, 1962 in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, and is the youngest of four children of Kathleen (Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, an accountant and jazz musician. The family surname was originally "Carré", and he has French-Canadian, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. Carrey was an incurable extrovert from day one. As a child, he performed constantly, for anyone who would watch, and even mailed his résumé to The Carol Burnett Show (1967) at age 10. In junior high, he was granted a few precious minutes at the end of each school day to do stand-up routines for his classmates (provided, of course, that he kept a lid on it the rest of the day).

Carrey's early adolescence took a turn for the tragic, however, when the family was forced to relocate from their cozy town of Newmarket to Scarborough (a Toronto suburb). They all took security and janitorial jobs in the Titan Wheels factory, Jim working 8-hour shifts after school let out (not surprisingly, his grades and morale both suffered). When they finally deserted the factory, the family lived out of a Volkswagen camper van until they could return to Toronto.

Carrey made his stand-up debut in Toronto after his parents and siblings got back on their feet. He made his (reportedly awful) professional stand-up debut at Yuk-Yuk's, one of the many local clubs that would serve as his training ground in the years to come. He dropped out of high school, worked on his celebrity impersonations (among them Michael Landon and James Stewart), and in 1979 worked up the nerve to move to Los Angeles. He finessed his way into a regular gig at The Comedy Store, where he impressed Rodney Dangerfield so much that the veteran comic signed him as an opening act for an entire season. During this period Carrey met and married waitress Melissa Womer, with whom he had a daughter (Jane). The couple would later go through a very messy divorce, freeing Carrey up for a brief second marriage to actress Lauren Holly. Wary of falling into the lounge act lifestyle, Carrey began to look around for other performance outlets. He landed a part as a novice cartoonist in the short-lived sitcom The Duck Factory (1984); while the show fell flat, the experience gave Carrey the confidence to pursue acting more vigorously.

Carrey also worked on breaking into film around this time. He scored the male lead in the ill-received Lauren Hutton vehicle Once Bitten (1985), and had a supporting role in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), before making a modest splash with his appearance as the alien Wiploc in Earth Girls Are Easy (1988). Impressed with Carrey's lunacy, fellow extraterrestrial Damon Wayans made a call to his brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans, who was in the process of putting together the sketch comedy show In Living Color (1990). Carrey joined the cast and quickly made a name for himself with outrageous acts (one of his most popular characters, psychotic Fire Marshall Bill, was attacked by watchdog groups for dispensing ill- advised safety tips).

Following his time on In Living Color (1990), Carrey's transformation from TV goofball to marquee headliner happened within the course of a single year. He opened 1994 with a starring turn in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), a film that cashed in on his extremely physical brand of humor (the character's trademark was talking out his derrière). Next up was the manic superhero movie The Mask (1994), which had audiences wondering just how far Carrey's features could stretch.

Finally, in December 1994, he hit theaters as a loveable dolt in the Farrelly brothers' Dumb & Dumber (1994) (his first multi-million dollar payday). Now a box-office staple, Carrey brought his manic antics onto the set of Batman Forever (1995), replacing Robin Williams as The Riddler. He also filmed the follow-up to his breakthrough, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995), and inked a deal with Sony to star in The Cable Guy (1996) (replacing Chris Farley) for a cool $20 million--at the time, that was the biggest up-front sum that had been offered to any comic actor. The movie turned out to be a disappointment, both critically and financially, but Carrey bounced back the next year with the energetic hit Liar Liar (1997). Worried that his comic shtick would soon wear thin, Carrey decided to change course.

In 1998, he traded in the megabucks and silly grins to star in Peter Weir's The Truman Show (1998) playing a naive salesman who discovers that his entire life is the subject of a TV show, Carrey demonstrated an uncharacteristic sincerity that took moviegoers by surprise. He won a Golden Globe for the performance, and fans anticipated an Oscar nomination as well--when it didn't materialize, Carrey lashed out at Academy members for their narrow-minded selection process. Perhaps inspired by the snub, Carrey threw himself into his next role with abandon. After edging out a handful of other hopefuls (including Edward Norton) to play eccentric funnyman Andy Kaufman in Man on the Moon (1999), Carrey disappeared into the role, living as Kaufman -- and his blustery alter-ego Tony Clifton -- for months (Carrey even owned Kaufman's bongo drums, which he'd used during his audition for director Milos Forman). His sometimes uncanny impersonation was rewarded with another Golden Globe, but once again the Academy kept quiet.

An indignant Carrey next reprised his bankable mania for the Farrelly brothers in Me, Myself & Irene (2000), playing a state trooper whose Jekyll and Hyde personalities both fall in love with the same woman (Renée Zellweger). Carrey's real-life persona wound up falling for her too--a few months after the film wrapped, the pair announced they were officially a couple. By then, Carrey had already slipped into a furry green suit to play the stingy antihero of Ron Howard's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000).

Although Carrey maintains a foothold in the comedy world with films such as Bruce Almighty (2003) and Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), he is also capable of turning in nuanced dramatic performances, as demonstrated in films like Tia Nang Vinh Cuu Cua Tam Hon Tinh Khiet (2004) and the drama/comedy Yes Man (2008). In 2013, he costars with Steve Carell in The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013).

Carrey has one child with his first wife, Melissa Carrey, whom he divorced in 1995. He married actress Lauren Holly in 1996, but they split less than a year later.

Jim Carrey’s Battle with Depression and How He Overcame It

Perhaps you grew up watching comedy movies and enjoy the comedic talents of the actor Jim Carrey. He is in many extremely funny movies including: Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty, etc. Jim Carrey’s acting pedigree is considered top-notch, and he is one of the top 25 actors of all time in terms of box office earnings – his films average just under $100 million in sales.

It’s pretty safe to say that Jim Carrey is considered elite when it comes to acting, especially in the genre of comedy. Although you may not know it, Jim Carrey has dealt with major depression for a significant portion of his life. In fact, at one point, his depression became so debilitating, that he didn’t know how he would overcome it. Like many people, he sought out help from a doctor and was prescribed Prozac.

You are probably wondering, how on Earth could such an impressive actor end up depressed? On the surface he seems to be funny, happy, and be making lots of money. So shouldn’t it be a natural consequence that he feels extremely happy on the inside too? Although some people believe that celebrities are superhuman in that they don’t feel sad, it is important to realize that even actors like Jim Carrey can fall victim to serious depression.

Jim Carrey’s Battle with Depression

Depression is a condition that can affect anyone – regardless of socioeconomic status, intelligence, or talent; it does not discriminate. Early in Jim’s career, nobody would have ever guessed that he had been severely depressed for many years of his life. It wasn’t until 2009 that the extremely successful Carrey decided he had nothing to lose by talking publicly about his battle with depression.

In the eye of the public, Jim Carrey may seem like the ultimate quick-witted comedian. His ability to come up with jokes under pressure is impressive. However, many people are unaware that he has had bouts of depression in his past, and not just occasional “sad days.” Jim Carrey at one time was so depressed that he went in for treatment and was given Prozac. Although he is no longer on an antidepressant medication, it doesn’t mean that his depression wasn’t severe.

What may have caused his depression?

Since everyone is different, determining the cause of Jim Carrey’s depression is highly difficult. It was likely due to a range of complex factors such as: environment, relationships, predisposition, lifestyle, and life perspective. Due to his difficulties in childhood, some have inferred that these increased his vulnerability to experiencing major depression.

• ADHD: In addition to having depression, Jim Carrey was also diagnosed with ADHD. This is a diagnosis that sometimes goes hand-in-hand with depression. People with ADHD may exhibit certain slow brain waves that make them more prone to mood swings as well as depressed mood.
• Comedian: The fact that Carrey is a comedian may be associated with depression and/or some sort of trauma. Many comedians have admitted to going through significant trauma and that comedy was the only escape. In the case of Carrey, it seems as though the comedian aspect helped him cope with his difficulties.  This is more of a correlational factor rather than causation.
• Family problems: When Carrey was 15, he dropped out of high school so that he could work to help support his family. This meant he was not getting an education like most other kids, but he wasn’t getting as much interaction with other kids his age. He ended up growing up faster than usual, having to get a job as a janitor. When he got the job, he was quoted as saying, “I’d have a baseball bat on my janitor cart because I was so angry I just wanted to beat the heck out of something.”
• Financial troubles: At one point, his dad lost his job and Carrey’s family went from “low middle class” to “poor” in regards to socioeconomic status. They were noted as living out of a van. For many people, having a lack of finances contributes to significant depression.
• Lack of spirituality: For many people, not having any sort of spirituality in their life can lead to depression. Lack of faith in some sort of spirituality can lead to an existential crisis and also make a person believe that all of their actions are void of purpose. It was mentioned that Carrey overcame his depression with the help of a spiritual experience.

Note: Keep in mind that the above factors are merely speculations of what may have caused depression based off of public knowledge of Jim Carrey’s life.

Jim Carrey’s Depressive Symptoms: What he experienced…

Jim Carrey experienced several major symptoms of depression including, difficulties with anger, feelings of despair, and mood swings. Some speculate that many of these symptoms may be a result of negative experiences during his upbringing – particularly during his childhood years.

• Anger: The anger that Jim felt stemmed from the fact that his family barely had enough money to stay afloat. He was extremely mad that he had to get a job as a janitor to help support himself and the family. The fact that he dropped out of school at age 15 to pursue a job is something many people would be angry about.
• Despair: When your family doesn’t have much money, you drop out of school, and nothing seems to be going your way, there’s a good chance you’ll feel some sort of despair. This is what Jim Carrey likely experienced during his depression.
• Mood swings: It has been suggested that Jim may have dealt with mood swings that are common in depression. These aren’t the bipolar mood swings, rather just feelings of irritability, anger, and other various negative emotions.
• Relationships: Some speculate that his relationships with significant others have been somewhat rocky over the years. Dealing with tough break-ups can make even the most upbeat people feel depressed for awhile.
• Stress: Everyday stressors such as not having enough money, not having an actual home (he lived out of his van), dropping out of school, etc. – likely all contributed to his depression. When you are under significant amounts of stress, especially during teen years, some depression is likely.

How Jim Carrey overcame his depression

For Jim Carrey, overcoming depression wasn’t easy and took some time for him to change as a person. Not everyone will have the same luck of overcoming their depression like Carrey, in part because everyone is different. His specific depression was overcome through spirituality, perceptual changes of life, maintaining a sense of purpose, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. Although he tried an antidepressant medication (Prozac), he found that it didn’t help, and was actually making him feel worse.

• Acceptance: In an interview, he talked about life having “peaks” and “valleys” but ultimately being beautiful. He has accepted that his life will have challenges and times where he feels low, and needs questions answered, but that’s alright. The fact that he accepts life for what it is and realizes the beauty in the good and the bad has helped him cope.
• Acting: Some speculate that his acting career taking off may have helped his depression. It sure doesn’t hurt to be praised as a great actor and become more confident in your skills with each new film. Acting can also be a great way to escape your own emotions and play the role of another “character” which can be a beneficial distraction.
• Avoiding alcohol / drugs: Jim Carrey has noted that he makes an effort to keep his body free of alcohol and other drugs. He has gone as to far as to say that he doesn’t even drink coffee because he doesn’t need any substance to feel good about life.
• Channeling: Sometimes when you’re really depressed, the best way to cope with it is by using it for fuel. Although he had a tough time coping with how he felt, he also had a knack for comedy. He has admitted to channeling his depressive emotions to improve his comedy.
• Perceptual changes: For Jim a major turning point occurred when he had a spiritual experience. This changed his entire perception and in large part, how he thought about life. When he was depressed, he felt despair. However once he was able to shift his perception, he realized that his life was beautiful so there was no reason to be depressed.
• Purpose: Even when Carrey was severely depressed, he always enjoyed making people laugh. He knew his purpose was to enter comedy and share his talents as an actor. By focusing his energy on his purpose (e.g. comedic acting), he was able to overlook some feelings of depression.
• Spiritual experience: A major antidepressant for Jim Carrey has come not in the form of a pill, rather in the form of a spiritual connection. Jim had mentioned that when he embraced his spiritual nature and found a “loving place,” he became happier. He has specifically referenced a time when he was up in the Arizona mountains with Lakota Indians, saying that he truly connected with his spiritual side. He does not subscribe to a particular belief system, but believes that invisible forces are at work in the world. Finding his spiritual connection has made him happier.
• Staying busy: Not only is this guy a talented actor, but he maintains a high work ethic. He is constantly starring in new movies and working on others. When he’s not acting, he’s keeping up with his family. Although staying busy can be stressful, for some people it helps take them focus on things other than their own depression.

Jim Carrey publicly shared his experience with depression

In the past, most notable actors would have never shared their experience with depression. Many people who don’t adequately understand depression view the illness as just the occasional feelings of sadness. In reality, depression is significantly more extreme than the occasional lows associated with life – it is a debilitating “low” that a person cannot shake.

Jim Carrey is an actor that deserves some praise (not only for his brilliant comedic acting), but for being open about his experience with depression. It takes a significant amount of courage to share personal battles with the general public – especially those related to mental health. When Carrey shared his experience, it showed people that although a person may appear extremely happy, funny, and upbeat – it doesn’t mean they can’t feel depressed on the inside.

Jim Carrey has shown people that just because a person is successful and appears happy, doesn’t necessarily indicate that they haven’t had hardships or dealt with severe depression. The fact that he was able to share his experience has helped change public perception of the illness by reducing stigma and validating depression as a “real” condition. Prior to his success, speaking out about depression may have resulted in people thinking he’s crazy and that he shouldn’t be considered for certain jobs, but now people realize that it’s a common illness.

Final thoughts: Applaud Jim Carrey for sharing his experience

The fact that Jim Carrey shared his battle with depression and triumph with the general public should be applauded. Not only have people (including myself) gained a newfound respect for Jim Carrey, but his story has helped reduce some societal stigma associated with being depressed.

Not only does Carrey’s openness make him more relatable to the general public, but the fact that he was able to overcome his deep depression (and unfavorable life circumstances) to embody the pinnacle of acting success, serves as an inspiration.  It can only be hoped that other celebrities (and everyday people) with mental disorders make similar efforts to be open with others to further reduce the stigma associated with depression.