Robert Munsch Recovering from Alcohol and Drug Addiction

Robert Munsch has been delighting children the world over with his humorous stories and larger than life performances for more than 30 years. But while Munsch was writing hits like The Paper Bag Princess, Thomas' Snowsuit, and Love You Forever he was also struggling with mental illness and addiction.

"My public person was so crazy and my private person was so depressed and unhappy," said Munsch in an exclusive interview on the Global News show 16:9 The Bigger Picture.

Munsch has previously spoken frankly about mental illness, but his recent admission of living with alcohol and cocaine addictions has come as a surprise. He says he has been clean for four months now, and has been fortunate for the support of loved ones, as well as help from Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Born in Pittsburgh, Robert Munsch moved to Canada in the 1970's. The Guelph-based author has now become Canada's best known author. His 40 million sales have surpassed those of even Margaret Atwood. He is a member of the Order of Canada, and last year was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

Munsch says he lived an unhappy childhood, and really only felt happy once he began telling children's stories in the daycare where he worked and later, writing them down. For many years he didn't understand the source of his sadness, only seeking help for his depression when he was close to 50. Once treated with therapy and antidepressants, Munsch says his depression and related alcoholism were much better. And contrary to the popular image of the tortured artist whose creativity is inhibited by medications, Munsch functions better with treatment than without it. "Taking antidepressants didn't interfere with my creativity, the depression interfered with my creativity." A 2007 book, Purple, Green and Yellow, is Munsch's take on depression.

According to David Goldbloom, senior medical adviser at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, there is some evidence that creative individuals are more susceptible to mental illness. However, he is quick to state that research shows very few of these artists will lose their creative ability when treated.

What did interfere with Munsch's ability to write and perform is an August 2008 stroke that left him with an occasional stutter, and sometimes unable to find the words he wanted to say.

Munsch continues to face the everyday challenges of his life, and in a poignant message to parents he encourages us to help our children do the same. "My mental health and addiction problems are not a secret to my friends and family," he says in the announcement. "They have been a big support to me over the years, and I would not have been able to do this without their love and understanding. I hope that others will also understand. I hope that everyone will talk to their kids honestly, listen to them, and help them do their best with their own challenges."