Mariah Carey to Demi Lovato: These celebs have had a long-standing battle with bipolar disorder

Recently, Mariah Carey revealed how she has battled bipolar disorder for 17 years. Her confession was out of the ordinary as usually, celebrities avoid making such personal problems public, either because they want to guard their privacy, maintain a perfect image or they don’t want to be judged. However, there are others who have dared to be candid about the issue. But first, let’s try to know more about this ailment.   

WHAT IS IT?

Also known as manic-depressive disorder, here an individual experiences polarity in their emotional state. “There are two extremes. In one pole, they are on a high, where they can be aggressive, talk more, lose their sense of inhibition, have a reduced need for sleep, a sense of grandiosity, and spend more money. The other pole is depression, where they feel sad, hopeless, are unable to do their daily activities and think that their life is not worth living. This swing of moods to the extremes is called bipolar disorder,” explains Bhakti Thakkar Bauva, consultant clinical psychologist, Hiranandani Hospital and Fortis Hospital. Its treatment includes medication with mood stabilisers and counselling with cognitive behaviour therapy.

WHO IS PRONE TO IT?

It can happen to anyone, but those with a family history of mental illness and emotional or mental trauma are at a higher risk. The second cause is the environment, including stress, erratic sleeping hours, mental and emotional insecurities, relationship issues and emotional isolation. Clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Mansi Hasan, points out that celebrities are more prone to it. “We perceive them as people who have it all. However, the reality is that it has taken them a lot to get there. Nothing is as perfect as it may seem. Also, as per research, women are more susceptible to it,” she states. 

MARIAH CAREY

After 17 years, the songstress spoke about her battle with bipolar II (which involves less intense elevated moods known as hypomania), admitting that she was first diagnosed in 2001 when she was hospitalised for mental and physical breakdown. At that time, she ‘didn’t want to believe it’. The 48-year-old said, “Until recently, I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me.” She finally sought treatment after going through “the hardest couple of years.” She added, “I put positive people around me and got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music.”

CATHERINE ZETA-JONES

The leggy actress was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder in 2011. Her husband Michael Douglas’ battle with tongue cancer led to her suffering from depression. Catherine sought treatment at a mental health facility in 2011 and 2013. Speaking of her illness, she said, “The fact that there was a name for my emotions and that a professional could talk me through my symptoms was simply liberating. There were highs and lows.”

DEMI LOVATO

The singer, songwriter and actress learnt she suffered from this syndrome when she went into rehab for depression, eating disorder and self-harm in 2010. Two years later, a music channel aired a documentary about Lovato’s struggles and recovery, which was titled, Demi Lovato: Stay Strong. The 25-year-old was quoted as saying, “I was dealing with bipolar depression and wasn’t aware about what was wrong with me. Little did I know, there was a chemical imbalance in my brain,” adding that post therapy and treatment, “Now I live well with bipolar disorder.” 

RUSSELL BRAND

Besides bipolar disorder, the British comedian, actor and activist has dealt with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), bulimia, sex addiction, self-harm and drug addiction for a long time. When asked about suffering from mental illness, he was quoted as saying, “It’s difficult to know which of those diagnoses are correct because most of the time I was young and on drugs.” Russell has now overcome his addiction and managed to stay away from drugs and alcohol for 15 years.

SCOTT STAPP

The Creed frontman has struggled with multiple issues like alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide attempts and erratic behaviour. The 44-year-old rocker was diagnosed with bipolar while undergoing treatment for his problems in 2015. Stapp was quoted as saying, “In my delusional thinking, I thought my family was involved with ISIS, and that millions of dollars had been taken from me to support terrorism.” In another interview, he said, “I was treated with depression without knowing that at the time I had bipolar starting to manifest,” adding, “Looking back, had I been properly diagnosed in ’98, I venture to say my whole life would be vastly different.”