Many people living with mental illness have made major contributions to society. Some of the most prominent include:

Ludwig van Beethoven, who overcame hearing loss and bipolar disorder to become a world renowned classical musician and composer.

Abraham Lincoln, who led the country through the Civil War as the 16th president of the United States despite severe depression.

Tennessee Williams, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award–winning playwright of A Streetcar Named Desire, who wrote about his clinical depression in his memoirs.

Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss, U.K. singer Robbie Williams and actress Carrie Fisher (a.k.a. Princess Leia), who were among the celebrities featured in a documentary about people living with bipolar disorder, The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive.

There are countless more examples—all of whom show that mental illness doesn’t have to keep you down.