She’s a comedian who’s appeared on everything from “The Tonight Show” to “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” but for years she struggled with a darker side of her life.
Cathy Ladman’s mental health issues led to anorexia. The comedian headlining a benefit in Ventura County this weekend to combat mental illness...
Ladman can joke about her battle with anorexia, and depression now. But, for a long time, it was no laughing matter.
She says it started when she was 19, and a combination of issues in her life sent her on a weight loss spiral from around 120 pounds to just over 80 punds. Ladman says her body literally started to shut down on her. Finally, friend and her boss intervened, convincing her to go to a doctor.
Because it was the 1970’s, awareness about anorexia wasn’t as prevalent as it is now, but she was fortunate to end up with a physican who immediately diagnosed the issue. Ladman say therapy was key to her mental health issues, as well as overcoming fears which kept her living at home, and trying the things she really wanted to do. One of them was standup comedy, which she finally pursued.
Ladman’s career in comedy soon skyrocketed. She has had an HBO comedy special, did standup multiple times on “The Tonight Show,” appeared on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Mad Men,” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and was a writer for “Roseanne” and “King of Queens.” Here’s a clip from one of her standup appearances on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson.”
This weekend, Ladman is hosting a variety show in Ventura County this weekend to raise money for the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Ladman is headlining Ventura County’s “Celebrate Recovery” event.
It will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, at Newbury Park High School’s Performing Arts Center.
NAMI Benefit: http://namiventura.org/httpnamiventura-orgwp-contentuploads201706celebrate-recovery-flyer-2017-1-pdf/
