Photo by: tanakawho

Back in January, I wrote about whether celebrities should reveal an illness or whether to keep it a secret . Looks like this issue strikes again: British actress, Samantha Morton, revealed that she suffered a stroke two years ago and chose to keep her illness a secret.

After suffering from head injuries when part of the ceiling in her home fell down on her, she suffered a stroke. She pulled out of a movie called "Transsiberian" with little explanation and took a year-and-a-half break from filmmaking.

With the help of friends and family this Minority Report star was able to keep her illness and recovery a secret. Two years after the fact, the actress has chosen to reveal that she was near death, after her stroke.

Since then, she has had to learn to walk again. She has made a full recovery and she recently gave birth to her second daughter, Edie, in January.

It seems that there is a huge amount of pressure on celebrities to keep their illness and life challenges a secret. Facing a serious health setback would be challenging to anyone, but for those in the public eye, it's particularly difficult, because they have to garner the strength to put on a good face, even when they are struggling.

Ms. Morton said that she confided in Jason Price, singer for the indie group, "Spiritualized". Says Morton, "he was the only person I knew who understood what that was like, being near to death. He's just an incredible person. He's very courageous, and he helped me get through it all."

Pierce and his girlfriend, Juliette Larche looked after Morton after her stroke.

It helps to reveal your secrets to someone, especially someone who has been through a similar experience. Learning to open up and let go, even anonymously can be a great help and comfort in difficult times.