11 famous people you didn't know have bipolar, plus what exactly bipolar is and how it affects behaviour
Trigger warning: biploar.
What is bipolar?
Bipolar disorderis a diagnosis given to people who experience periods of depression as well as periods of mania or hyperactivity. Of course, it is normal for all of us to experience “highs” and “lows” in our mood, but these usually pass reasonably quickly. For people with Bipolar disorder, these episodes can last long periods of time and lead to extreme behaviours.
It is estimated that 1 in 100 people will experience Bipolar disorder and although we don’t know the exact cause it can be brought on by periods of extreme stress or major life changes, notes Jemma Meeson, Systemic Psychotherapist & Founder of The Family Treatment Service, a new private mental health practice offering fast access to specialist, evidence-based therapies in the heart of Wimbledon Village.
How does it affect your behaviour?
During periods of depression, some people may experience feelings of hopelessness, lose interest in things they used to enjoy, notice a difference in their appetite or sleep patterns, and have thoughts of suicide.
During the manic phases, people often feel fantastic, full of creative ideas and bursting with energy. However, this passion and enthusiasm, combined with the feeling of being able to “do anything”, may result in people doing things they may not normally or spending money that they don’t have. There can also be a risk that sufferers stop eating or drinking properly, and find it hard to listen to others around them.
Many people consider this part of their bipolar disorder as helpful to them as it could be when they are at their most creative, and this can be the difficulty with medication as often both sides are dulled, leading people to miss the energy and enthusiasm that comes with manic episodes.
What is bipolar often misdiagnosed with?
Many people are diagnosed first with clinical depression and then experience periods of mania later, leading to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Sometimes when the manic episodes are missed by professionals or by those experiencing them people can be prescribed anti-depressants which can increase the risk of experiencing mania.
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11 famous people inspirational you didn't know had bipolar
Getty ImagesKanye West
Kanye has been open about his mental health struggles, particularly following a nervous breakdown in 2016 which led him to cancel the remainder of his “Saint Pablo Tour” dates in November 2016. Then in 2018, he referred to bipolar as his ‘superpower’ on his 8th album ‘Ye’.
In 2019, Kanye started to open up about bipolar in interviews. Most notably, Kanye detailed his bipolar experience in an interview with David Letterman, saying how everything feels like a ‘conspiracy’ during an episode.
“You feel the government is putting chips in your head… You feel you’re being recorded. You feel all these things.”
Kim Kardashian was also open about Kanye's struggles during their public marital disputes in 2020, followed by divorce in 2021. “As many of you know, Kanye has [bipolar] disorder,” Kim wrote on social media. “Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words [sometimes] do not align with his intentions.”
In the 2022 documentary ‘Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,’ Kanye says there have been 'moments where I felt, like, suicidal, still have moments where I’m addicted to Percocet without even realising it.'
Getty ImagesCatherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine issued a statement in April 2011 confirming she had spent five days in a psychiatric hospital receiving treatment for bipolar disorder after the stress of her partner Michael Douglas's cancer diagnosis. "After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her bipolar II disorder," said her spokeswoman.
Getty ImagesMariah Carey
Mariah was hospitalised for a mental and physical breakdown where she was diagnosed with bipolar in 2001. She finally reached out for treatment after “the hardest couple of years I’ve been through”.
Telling People Magazine in April 2018: “Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me.”
“It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music.”
Getty ImagesMarilyn Monroe
Famous sex symbol Marilyn Monroe sadly suffered manic depression matched with huge mood swings while questions remain around the actress's death remain answered a 2001 documentary Marilyn Monroe: The Final Days shined some light on Marylin's mental health and drug use. “We knew that she was a manic depressive,”, also known as bipolar. “That always meant that there were emotional problems and that she could have big swings in her moods.”
Getty ImagesWinston Churchill
Well known for his speeches during his time as British prime minister during World War 2 and author of 43 books earning himself a Nobel Prize in Literature. Winston suffered his own war in his head battling lack of sleep and suicidal thoughts. Calling them his “black dog”.
Getty ImagesBebe Rexha
American singer, songwriter, and actress Bebe Rexha, first opening up about her mental health on Twitter “For the longest time, I didn’t understand why I felt so sick. Why I felt lows that made me not want to leave my house or be around people and why I felt highs that wouldn’t let me sleep, wouldn’t let me stop working or creating music. Now I know why.” in reference to her bipolar diagnosis.
Telling Self Magazine “That was my worst fear all my life: going crazy,” “I felt like me opening up to my fans was me finally saying, ‘I’m not going to be imprisoned by this.’ And maybe it’ll make somebody not feel imprisoned, in that moment, if they feel like they’re going through a rough time. That’s why I decided to really open up and to free myself from that.”
Getty ImagesSelena Gomez
Selena opened up about her mental health on Miley Cyrus Live Instagram talk show Bright Minded in April 2020 revealing that she has bipolar. After visiting Massachusetts’s McLean Hospital mental health facility for treatment it became clear that Selena was dealing with the disorder.
Telling Miley about her upbringing “I'm from Texas, it's just not known to talk about mental health. You’ve got to seem cool. And then I see anger built up in children and teenagers or young adults because they are wanting that so badly. I just feel like when I finally said what I was going to say, I wanted to know everything about it. And it took the fear away.”
Getty ImagesVincent van Gogh
While not confirmed, many analysts agree that Van Gogh showed Bipolar disorder mixed with traits of BPD both of which are still commonly misdiagnosed, and also suffered from alcoholism matched with malnutrition. Sadly taking his by gunshot which took two days to kill him at the young age of 37 while in France. His artwork is among the most expensive to ever be sold. You can visit the largest Van Gogh collection in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Getty ImagesFrank Sinatra
Frank was one of the most distinguished artists of the 20th century, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide, he has the crowd of being one of the best-selling artists of all time.
Getty ImagesDemi Lovato
Diagnosed in 2011 at Timberline Knolls in Illinois, Demi openly speaks about her mental health on a regular occurrence such as during Stay Strong. In a documentary about her mental health struggles, Demi says "I thought that writing seven songs in one night was normal. I thought that staying up until 5:30 in the morning is normal. Last night, I stayed up until five in the morning. I just couldn't sleep. My mind was racing and it's an ongoing thing and I'm still learning how to cope with it." Adding "You know, I speak about a lot of serious issues, and I really hope to get awareness out there about the issues that I dealt with."
Getty ImagesRussell Brand
Sadly Russell suffered a misunderstood childhood mixed with bipolar, bulimia, heroin crack, and sex addiction. He has made his struggle with bipolar his public persona center focus, often filling references in his writing helping him shape his career and be a mentor for many people around the world through his vulnerability and aspiration.
