Did you know that every year, 5.7 million people (approximately 2.6% of the US population) age 18 and older suffer from bipolar disorder?
What is Bipolar Disorder?
Bipolar (Manic Depressive) disorder is a mental illness characterized by persistent and/or unusual mood swings that might impair one’s quality of life. We recognize that having bipolar disorder is tough to manage without correct information and resources.
We hope that this list of celebrities with bipolar disorder shows that no matter what mental condition you or a loved one has, you can still conquer any hurdle.
Brian Douglas Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson, the co-founder of the Beach Boys, began battling mental health concerns around the age of 21. It all started with hearing voices and panic episodes, which prompted him to stop touring.
Schizoaffective Disorder, a kind of bipolar disorder, was subsequently identified with the musician. He attempted numerous treatments before settling on a regimen that allowed him to continue pursuing his interests. “I’ve been able to live a beautifully healthy, productive life with doctors and meds,” Brian Wilson adds.
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin, an American astronaut, suffered from Bipolar Disorder after his momentous flight to the moon. Aldrin rose to prominence as the pilot of the first successful moon landing. However, his despair and drunkenness were exacerbated by the intense scrutiny of the public eye.
His personal life suffered as he moved in and out of treatment for co-occurring problems, and he eventually served as head of the National Mental Health Association.
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher, who starred as Princess Leia in “Star Wars,” suffered from drug and alcohol addiction. It is difficult to identify bipolar disorder in someone who has a history of substance addiction. After a year of sobriety, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 29.
Eddie Fisher, her father, was also bipolar. Accordingly, the condition can run in families.
Fisher had been an ardent advocate for mental health and a vocal campaigner for her disease. “At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming task, using a lot of stamina and even more fortitude,” she told the Huffington Post, “so if you’re living with this condition and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not embarrassed of.”
Carrie Frances Fisher was an actress, writer, and comedian from the United States. Fisher is best recognized for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the Star Wars movie, for which she received four Saturn Award nominations.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Following a rough phase in her personal life, Catherine Zeta-Jones was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, a type with longer down periods. Following an intensive period of stress when her husband, Michael Douglas, was diagnosed with stage IV throat cancer. It caused Zeta-Jones to have mood swings. A feud with Douglas’ first wife over royalties from the actor’s film “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” added to the tension. Basically, the illness is frequently triggered by stress.
Zeta-Jones has been open about her bipolar disorder. She has worked to de-stigmatize mental illness in the hopes of inspiring others to seek treatment.
Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones Zeta-Jones, who was born and raised in Swansea, has always wanted to be an actress. As a child, she appeared in the West End versions of Annie and Bugsy Malone.
David Harbour
The Stranger Things actor was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after having a manic episode at the age of 25. On Marc Maron’s show, the actor stated that he believes his mental health is linked to his early interest in spirituality. “I had a bit of a break where I thought I was connected to some sort of God that I wasn’t actually connected to,” Harbour, who previously spent time in a mental institution, continued. “It was as though I suddenly had all the answers.”
“The strange thing about my particular brain or mental condition is that every time I’ve had an experience like that. It’s always been accompanied by spirituality,” he continued. “In general, people say, ‘I need to meditate more’ or ‘I need to start doing yoga.’
“And I need to eat a cheeseburger and smoke cigarettes while hanging around.”
David Kenneth Harbour is an actor from the United States. He is best known for playing Jim Hopper in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things. Then he received a Critics’ Choice Television Award in 2018. He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for the performance.
Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato, the singer, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she attended rehab at the age of 22. She had struggled with bulimia, drug addiction, and cutting prior to her diagnosis.
She has opted to utilize her celebrity to help erase the stigma and advocate for treatment, taking part in the “Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health” campaign in 2015.
Lovato wants women to know that “it’s possible to live well, feel well, and find happiness with bipolar disorder or any other mental condition they’re dealing with.”
Demetria Devonne Lovato is a singer, songwriter, and actor from the United States. She made her television debut as a child actress on the children’s show Barney & Friends. She gained to notoriety in the Disney Channel musical television film Camp Rock and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam as Mitchie Torres.
Francis Ford Coppola
Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola, a biography of the director, reported that in the fall of 1977, “Coppola was diagnosed by a doctor as having manic-depressive tendencies, for which lithium was prescribed.”
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and film composer. He also owns a winery in Sonoma County, called Francis Ford Coppola Winery. He was a key figure in the 1960s and 1970s New Hollywood filmmaking trend.
Frank Sinatra
Francis (Frank) Albert Sinatra was an American singer, actor, and producer who was one of the twentieth century’s most popular and influential musical performers.
Sinatra’s popularity never wavered, from his days as an adolescent singing sensation through his lucrative film and stage career. He sold over 150 million records, headlined in Las Vegas. He also earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal in From Here to Eternity. “Being an 18-karat manic depressive and having lived a life of extreme emotional contradictions, I have an over-acute capacity for melancholy as well as elation,” Sinatra was quoted as saying.
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme, star of “Bloodsport” and “Timecop,” had four failed marriages, was addicted to cocaine, was arrested for drunk driving, and was charged with spousal violence at one point. After reaching rock bottom, he was diagnosed with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder is classified into five types: bipolar I, bipolar II, rapid-recycling, mixed bipolar, and cyclothymia. Common symptoms include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and difficulties concentrating, as well as euphoria, needing less sleep, feeling edgy, energetic, irritated, and engaging in dangerous conduct.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi” Hendrix, the rock guitar superstar, was expelled from high school, and once stole a car. Also served only a year in the Army after his commanding commanders proposed an early discharge. He then wrote a song called “Manic Depression” on his struggles with mood swings. Despite his mental health problems, Hendrix’s performances at Monterey and Woodstock are still remembered today.
James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix was a rock guitarist, singer, and composer from the United States. His mainstream career lasted barely four years. Although he is widely considered one of history’s most influential guitarists and one of the twentieth century’s most celebrated musicians.
