There is often a link between creative genius and mental health disorders: Vincent Van Gogh being a fine example of a tortured soul who probably suffered from some kind of mental illness before his untimely death. No matter how rich and famous they are, celebrities are not immune to mental health problems and. As many would argue, living the kind of dysfunctional lifestyle that seems to be the norm in celebrity circles, these people are more likely than most to fall victim to the torment of mental illness. So what bipolar famous people are coping with their illness in the public eye?
You might expect that most bipolar famous people and well known celebrities would deny suffering from any kind of mental health problem, but surprisingly there are a large number of bipolar celebrities who have been willing to talk over the years about their battle with the disease. Sadly some of them have succumbed to the pressures of fame and ultimately bipolar is a death sentence.
A list of bipolar famous people
Kurt Cobain, front man of iconic grunge band, Nirvana, is a tragic example of a celebrity who fought a very public battle with mental illness in his relatively short life. Undeniably talented, Kurt was diagnosed with bipolar as an adult. Unfortunately, he also had problems with substance abuse, and following several near-miss heroin overdoses he shot himself in the head at the age of 27.
Staying on the music theme, Axl Rose, lead singer of Guns n’ Roses, was diagnosed with bipolar at the age of 26 and prescribed lithium to control his mood fluctuations, although he later refuted the diagnosis in an interview, saying that he felt he didn’t need medication to put a lid on his mood swings.
The acting profession is another prime source of bipolar celebrities and Carrie Fisher, famous for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars, has been very vocal about her battle with bipolar and drug addiction over the years: in 2008 she spoke candidly about the electro convulsive therapy treatments she has on a regular basis.
Linda Hamilton, star of the Terminator films, announced in 2005 that she had bipolar disorder and admitted that the illness had lead to the breakdown of her first marriage.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress and wife of Michael Douglas, publicly announced in April of 2011 that she was a sufferer of bipolar II disorder and checked herself into a clinic for treatment.
Young actress and singer, Demi Lovato, was diagnosed with bipolar in November 2010 following a breakdown and subsequent hospitalization for bulimia and the symptoms of bipolar disorder. She has since spoken about her personal issues to raise public awareness of bipolar and other mental health illnesses.
In the literary world, Graham Greene is a famous example of a bipolar celebrity. Despite his phenomenal success as a writer and literary critic, the English novelist suffered from bipolar disorder for much of his adult life.
Sidney Sheldon, one of the best selling novelists of all time was also a lifelong sufferer of bipolar disorder. He later documented his struggle with the illness in his 2005 autobiography, The Other Side of Me.
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