Comedian Martin Lawrence became a household name during the 1990’s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably in films like House Party, Bad Boys, Blue Streak and Big Momma’s House. Lawrence’s numerous film roles came after his own highly-rated, long-running television series named after him, “Martin.” And now with the latest and final film of the Bad Boys series, Bad Boys for Life, Martin is living the good life!
But in 1996, comedian Martin Lawrence suffered a nervous breakdown. Lawrence was picked up by police for standing in the middle of a busy, mid-day Los Angeles intersection and screaming at cars. Although initially, he said it was due to exhaustion and dehydration, his behavior was symptomatic of a mental breakdown from stress attributed to relationship allegations and legal issues.
A nervous breakdown is a generic term used to describe someone who experiences a bout of mental illness that is so severe, it directly impacts their ability to function normally. The specific mental illness can span ranges of severity and include depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, among others. It is basically observed as a sign that one’s ability to cope with life or mental illness has been overwhelmed or “stressed out” by their normal life events, work or relationship issues. Often, people who suffer from the affliction are no longer able to maintain their social relationships with others and find it difficult to work.
As a matter of fact, in his comedy special, Runteldat, Martin addressed the breakdown and those who used it to spread rumors. In response, he said “No one is immune to the trials and tribulations of life. No one.”
In the video below, Martin goes into detail about what he’s doing now to stay in shape and why his blood pressure is important to him now:
The stress of remaining a top comedian along with possible drug use were also attributed to the meltdown, but the legend…
… didn’t stay down long. After checking himself into a hospital, Martin was better than ever a few short weeks afterward.
The funnyman now says he’s living a life with a lot less stress. And why not? His show “Martin” is still a top running syndicated show, he’s still doing movies, has a new TV show with Kelsey Grammar called “Partners” (2014) and has a loving beautiful daughter.
“I’m so not that guy from the sitcom,” says Martin. “That guy from the sitcom is boisterous, and he’s got bravado and he’s big and no-nonsense. But even the Martin from the show is a loving Martin. The way he loves his lady, Gina [played by Tisha Campbell], and his friends. And the real Martin is like that.”
SEE How to Fight Stress With Your Plate
After going through what he went through, Martin shared a few tips to for others, not just celebrities, to prevent nervous breakdowns:
1. Give Yourself A Break – take some time off. Stress can build up over time. Give yourself time to breathe
2. Take Charge of Your Mindset – own up to what happened to you. Take control.
3. Find Humor in Everything – comedy can heal too. Have a real good laugh one day
It doesn’t matter if Martin is playing one of his many characters, or cracking jokes with Tommy or Payne, Martin is sure to keep us laughing…stress free. And in the words of the comic himself, “see ya when I see ya!”