Exhaustion, Can I Catch It?

Unfortunately, it seems that you have to be a celebrity to be admitted for this one. Since the dawn of the new millennium, this disease has plagued Hollywood's talent. Every year, there are several accounts of a star that has cancelled this job or that, and has been hospitalized for exhaustion. What is this malady?

Research into what exhaustion really is has been the point of many investigative reports, with no success. It seems that there is no scientific explanation for the type of exhaustion that plagues Hollywood star and starlets. One reporter (from MTV of all places) did get to the bottom of some of the most infamous exhaustion cases. What she found was quite startling.

Jennifer Vineyard, author of "The Exhaustion Epidemic", found that only one of the ten most well known cases of the illness was actually exhaustion in its purest form. The actress, Hillary Duff, had a year packed with so much work that she indeed left no time to take care of herself. She ended up canceling part of her world tour to take a rest.

The other nine were cases were covers for the more serious, and scandalous. One was actually was cause for congrats. Gwen Stephani's 2006 claim of exhaustion was revealed to be a cover for a new addition to her family. She later announced her pregnancy during a concert. The scandalous claims included that of Colin Ferrell and Eminem's covers for rehab stays. Lindsey Lohan also used the excuse to hide treatment for an eating disorder, and as did Mary Kate Olsen. The rest were covers from illnesses that were minor enough to stay at home, but not enough to make up for the many appearances the celebrity missed. Hence the hospitalization and diagnosis of exhaustion. (They were, in effect, getting a very expensive doctor's note.)

Reports of Celebrity Exhaustion Syndrome (yes it has a name) should always be taken with a grain of salt. The case of a celeb that really overdid things and really needed to get some rest are rare. The majority are simply taking time to dry out or vacation. The best thing to do, if worried about your fav celeb, who is said to have been afflicted by the illness, is to wait. In time, there will be a shot of them the rehab, the baby bump, or the expensive beach in Maui where they are holed up with the latest beau.