“I have a chemical imbalance that, in its most extreme state, will lead me to a mental hospital. I used to think I was a drug addict, pure and simple — just someone who could not stop taking drugs willfully. And I was that. But it turns out that I am severely manic" depressive.”
The outspoken actress was so much more than a princess. She was a screen legend who not only spoke out about sexism in Hollywood but did all that she could to break down the stigmas surrounding mental health by speaking openly and frankly about her own experiences by attempting to normalize them.
Fisher was diagnosed as a manic depressive in her early 20’s – this was a diagnosis that she refused to accept as she believed that the doctors treating her were just attempting to soften the blow of being a drug addict. It wasn’t until she was 29 and diagnosed with Bipolar disorder that she came to terms with her illness.
She continued to cope with her illness by manifesting it in satire. She was asked what it was like to be the poster child for bipolar disorder in in an interview with Web MD and quipped “Well, I am hoping to get the centerfold in Psychology Today” So much of her work is weighted with experiences of her own personal struggles with mental health. She dived wholeheartedly into terrain not usually ventured to by many celebrities. But I think its Fishers willingness to explore the taboos of mental illness, despite it being difficult, that makes her such an admirable role model for those affected by mental illness in any way.
2016.