Hollywood psychotherapist: "I've never seen this level of despair among creative people"

It appears that Hollywood is under more mental turmoil now than ever before. After COVID, two strikes, and studios looking to turn more towards AI, the entertainment industry simply isn't what it used to be, and people in the business are feeling it.

"I've been doing this for 31 years now, and I've never seen this level of despair among creative people in the industry," Dennis Palumbo, a psychotherapist with patients predominantly in entertainment, told Vanity Fair. "There's a level of depression and anxiety pretty much unparalleled."

"The new normal is that it's not all going to bounce back," said licensed therapist Kara Mayer Robinson. It appears the age of getting one hit show or movie then being able to use that to rocket your career into better places is over. Now, even after finding a modicum of success, people are sent back down to rock bottom.

It seems situations are worse for people who don't have much or any financial wiggle room, as every job is seen as incredibly important. But, even executives are beginning to feel dread. As the entertainment industry continues to change, it seems that a lot of the people inside it are going to have to tackle what they can control, and try not to feel the dread of what they can't.