Elena Kong’s 11-Year Battle with Mood Disorder
There is a lot of pressure living in Hong Kong’s fast-paced society, and mood disorders are becoming increasingly common. Within the entertainment industry, many artistes bear the burden of extreme pressure and easily fall into depression. There have also been unfortunate cases of some surrendering to their hopelessness and even taking their own lives. Speaking out about her own 11-year struggle with mood disorder, Elena Kong (江美儀) reveals how she has learned to manage her extreme emotions.
Notable for her stellar acting skills, the 48-year-old actress shined in Death by Zero <殺手> as a sex worker who fell into the occupation to pay for her husband cancer treatment. Like her onscreen character, Elena shouldered the responsibility of financially supporting her family at an an early age. Though she had ascended to leading status at ATV in the 1990s, she did not always have job offers. This led to her questioning her abilities and affected her emotionally.
Though her TVB dramas often receive praise, there was also a time when Elena had to deal with public backlash. In 2013, Elena came under scrutiny for her bed scene with Kenneth Ma (馬國明) in Triumph in the Skies 2 <衝上雲霄II>. Due to their older-woman-younger-man pairing in the drama, many viewers ridiculed her for being a cougar. She refused to succumb to the bullying remarks and retaliated by saying, “If you get to my age and you still look as good, then you can talk.” As the drama continued its broadcast, Elena eventually won over viewers with her great acting skills.
The biggest test would come in Elena’s personal relationship with Sandra Ng’s (吳君如) brother Ng Kwan Cheung (吳君祥). When they were dating, it was rumored that he had cheated in their relationship when he had to travel to China for business reasons. However, the couple continued to stay together for 11 years, so it was a surprise to many when she suddenly announced their breakup in 2016. Ng Kwan Cheung’s father, Kenneth Ng (夏春秋), later disclosed that the couple had secretly married many years ago.
When prompted as to why she kept her marriage a secret, Elena apologized and said she was under a lot of stress. Disclosing that she suffers from a mood disorder and has been taking medication for 11 years, Elena was afraid she would have a mental breakdown if she had to elaborate further on the details of their breakup.
Currently enjoying her single life, Elena is taking time to invest in self-care. Plagued by her mood disorder over an extended time frame has made Elena more resilient in finding ways to deal with destructive emotions and negativity.
Source: Yahoo HK
This article is written by Kiki for JayneStars.com.
