25 CELEBRITIES WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER - ECONOMÍA - 2025

There are several famous cases with bipolar disorder, a mental illness in which manic periods are followed by depressive episodes. Although there may be periods of stability, without medications, people with this disorder tend to be at either extreme.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 2 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder, which would be 2.4% of the adult population. Bipolar disorder usually begins in adolescence or early adulthood and lasts a lifetime.

Although bipolarity is one of the most debilitating mental illnesses, it is also one of the most treatable; With the mutual support of medicine and psychotherapy, most people can lead an autonomous and rewarding life.

Below we will see which celebrities, past and present, have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. You may also be interested in this list of celebrities who overcame depression.

Famous people who suffer or have suffered from bipolar disorder

1- Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder at the time he was separating from his partner Oksana Grigorieva.

During the dispute, some audios came to light in which the actor could be heard insulting and even threatening to kill Grigorieva, also admitting to having laid his hand on him.

2- Catherine Zeta Jones

Actress Catherine Zeta Jones has had type II bipolar disorder for more than 20 years, characterized by episodes of major depression and at least one hypomanic episode.

After the illness was exacerbated by stress from her husband Michael Douglas' throat cancer, Catherine had to be admitted to a mental health facility.

3- Marilyn Monroe

To this day, many are the questions that continue to surround the life and death of the famous actress, which will probably never be answered.

It was Marilyn Monroe's doctor who said the star had emotional problems and drastic mood swings. "The sexiest woman of the century" died in 1962, according to forensics, of a probable suicide.

4- Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher, an actress known for her role in the "Star Wars" trilogy, had been struggling with bipolar disorder since she was 28 for years. She died in 2016 of a massive heart attack.

5- Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato, actress and singer, learned she had bipolar disorder after going through rehab for depression, eating disorder, and self-harm.

In an interview with Huffpost live, he spoke about life with bipolar disorder.

He is currently well thanks to the treatment he follows.

6- Scott Stapp

Scott Stapp, lead singer of the rock band Credo, revealed that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Scott has already made the news for his problems with alcohol, drugs and his inappropriate behavior.

In an interview with People magazine he said:

He is now in intensive therapy plus medication to treat his bipolar disorder.

7- Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh, known for her splendid role as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind," was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder for her unpredictable behavior. Estele led to the ruin of both her professional reputation and her marriage to actor Laurence Olivier.

8- Jean-Claude Van Damme

Belgian actor who rose to fame in 1988 with the Bloodsport film. As his professional career took off, his personal life not so much.

He was married 4 times, was addicted to cocaine and accused of spousal abuse. The actor has always spoken as through sports training towards dealing with his teenage depression.

At the end of 1996, he signed up for a month-long rehab program, but dropped out after just a week.

It was not until mid-1997 that, following a suicide attempt, he was formally diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

9- Linda Hamilton

The actress known for her films as Sarah Conor in "Terminator" also suffered from problems with drug and alcohol addiction, in addition to mood swings that damaged both her marriages.

Despite suffering from the symptoms of bipolar disorder for more than 20 years, he is currently well, also speaking openly without complexes about his disease and with a quite fruitful professional career.

I once told the Associated Press, "Somebody has to go out there and do this good so that people can speak up and get the resources and support they need."

10- Sinéad O'Connor

Very popular Irish singer in the 80s and 90s. He suffered from a depression that even led him to consider suicide. At the age of 37, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Sinéad spoke openly about her illness on The Oprah Winfrey in 2007.

11- Vincent van Gogh

The mythical artist who painted some of the best-known works in the world, he is also remembered for his eccentric and temperamental personality.

To this day, there is still no consensus on what was the medical condition that led Van Gogh to have these behaviors. Some theories include epilepsy, depression, psychotic attacks, and bipolar disorder.

An article in the American Journal of Psychiatry said, “Van Gogh had previously suffered from two separate episodes of reactive depression, and it is clear that there are bipolar aspects to his story.

Both episodes of depression were followed by sustained periods of ever higher energy and enthusiasm, first as an evangelist and then as an artist.

12- Virgina Woolf

English novelist and essayist, author of works such as "Mrs. Dalloway" or "To the lighthouse", was one of the most prominent figures of literary modernism of the twentieth century despite the fact that she also suffered continuous mood swings throughout her life.

An article published in the American Journal Of Psichyatry explained his behavior, reporting that “from the age of 13, Woolf already showed symptoms of what today would be a diagnosis of bipolarity. However, the psychiatrist had little to offer her ”.

13- Jane Pauley

Jane Pauley debuted as a journalist on the NBC Today show at age 25. Her precociousness and talent soon led to her having her own talk show.

But at age 50 he began to experience bouts of depression and mania, leading to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

His experiences are described in his memoir "Skywriting."

14- Mariette Hartley

The actress and Emmy winner was featured on numerous television shows in the 1970s.

However, his personal life was not so successful, since he lost his father and an uncle to suicide and his mother also tried to take her own life.

It was in 1994 when Mariette began to experience suicidal thoughts, which led to a misdiagnosis of depression and attention deficit disorder by doctors. It wasn't until the third diagnosis that their case was discovered to be bipolar disorder.

It was difficult for her, but she decided to make it public in order to help those who are in the same situation.

15- Kurt Cobain

Although it is not yet known if Kurt Cobain was officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder, those close to him do believe that he could suffer from the disease.

The Nirvana singer took his own life in 1994 at the height of success.

16- Frank Sinatra

Film producer, singer and actor. He suffered from mood swings throughout his life, experiencing everything from moments of great joy to bouts of severe depression.

17- Richard Dreyfuss

Film producer and American actor of films such as "Jaws", "Encounters in the Third Phase" or "Piranha 3D", as well as being the youngest winner in the history of an Oscar with the film "La chica Del Adiós".

Still, her successes were hampered by her constant abuse of pain relievers and alcohol.

After battling drugs, he continues to fight another battle that will haunt him for a lifetime: bipolar disorder.

According to him, the first time he came into direct contact with depression was when he separated from his first wife, actress Jeramie Rain, with whom he had 3 children. He is currently married to Svetlana Erokhin and continues to participate in television projects.

18- Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in April 1865, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.

Although bipolar disorder may have gone unrecognized in Lincoln's time, many historians believe that the president suffered from bipolar disorder.

Specifically, the forensic doctor specialized in psychiatry José Cabreras, points out in one of his works that Lincoln could be diagnosed with the disorder in 1840.

19- Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe, considered the father of horror stories, suffered from bipolar disorder.

Edgar was adopted by a lawyer, since he was orphaned and he was the one who protected him during his adolescence, which was characterized by his impulsive, changeable and very irritable character.

You can see in his writings how he refers to his bipolar disorder evoking his "double self".

His life was surrounded by sadness, financial problems, intense love relationships, etc. She died at the age of 40 without knowing the causes today.

20- Mike Tyson

The former heavyweight boxing world champion battled drugs and alcohol for many years, but currently does not consume anything.

He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a disease that did not help him overcome the addictions he suffered.

21- Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway was diagnosed in his last years of life with manic depression, but everything indicates that he suffered from this disease throughout his life.

He was blamed for his alcohol dependence, his diabetes and the disorderly life he led, characteristic symptoms of those with bipolar disorder.

Electroshock therapy was applied, which made his condition worse, causing memory loss, something unthinkable for a writer.

Hemingway ended up committing suicide, something that several members of his family also experienced.

22- Nina Simone

Both Nina's music and her own life are full of stories crossed by pain, success, passion and madness.

She struggled with mental illness for most of her life, but was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the 1980s, when she shot two young men who she said bothered her while she was resting in her garden.

He died in 2003 at age 70 from cancer.

23- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart has been and will be one of the most brilliant composers of the classical age.

Many authors mention in their writings that Mozart probably suffered from bipolar disorder, since in some of his letters he acknowledged that he experienced sadness, crying and a depressed mood.

Mozart also complained about his loss of energy, attention, and concentration, as well as feelings of guilt. If we compare these symptoms according to diagnostic standards, Mozart therefore suffered from major depression, along with the outburst temperament that he often had, thus giving rise to bipolar disorder.

24- Winston Churchill

Churchill, a British Prime Minister known for his leadership in the British Army during World War II, also suffered from bipolar disorder.

He lived an extravagant lifestyle, trying to be the best in society, a characteristic of those suffering from bipolar disorder. His depressions came and went throughout his life, starting at a young age.

25- Axl Rose

Axl Rose, singer of the group Guns N 'Roses, once declared that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, although he says he is not sure whether his diagnosis is correct.

A story like Axl's fits the profile of bipolar pretty well, such as his various arrests for assault, his explosive anger, or continued substance abuse.