-New Urban Health- Pop Icon Mariah Carey Reveals Battle with Bi-Polar Disorder; Putting the Spotlight on the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health
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| A throwback photo of fresh-faced Carey, make-up free on an off day (via Instagram) |
As a shock to many, this week one of the world's most beloved entertainers has come forward to share a secret she has been desperately concealing from the public for 17 years. Award-winning vocalist and songwriter Mariah Carey revealed in this week's issue of PEOPLE Magazine she has been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder II since 2001 and battling the disease in denial and isolation. After a 2001 psychiatric hospitalization resulting from a nervous breakdown, the songstress ignored her diagnosis as a result of outright denial, then later shame and fear of being found out. The singer has shared that she was "terrified" of the public stigma surrounding issues of mental health, and afraid of how the revealing the truth about her diagnosis would affect her career.
The 47-year-old divorced mother of twins tells the PEOPLE, " I didn't want to believe it...I didn't want to carry around the lifelong stigma...that would define me and potentially end my career. I was so terrified of losing everything, I convinced myself the only way to deal with this was to not deal with this".
As defined by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depressive illness) is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels and ability to carry out everyday tasks. It involves episodes of "mania", or "hypomania" that alternate with periods of depression. Carey is now taking medication and is in therapy to combat the chemical imbalance in the brain that produces bipolar disorder, and is now in a much more stable place mentally, emotionally, and creatively.
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| A hug a day keeps the doctor away: Never far behind their famous mom, Carey is flanked with kisses by her biggest fans, her twins (from ex-husband Nick Cannon) Moroccan & Monroe Cannon, affectionately nicknamed by their parents as " 'Dem Kids" (via Instagram) |
“Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry...I sought and received treatment...as hard as this is, I knew it was time to finally share my story". She reflects the marginalization of people battling the disease, saying,
“I’m just in a really good place right now where I’m comfortable discussing my struggles... I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted...It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me.”
Below, American news media weighs in on the mystery and shame surrounding Bipolar Disorder; first, with the medical definition of bipolar disorder and medical commentary from Dr. Erika Richards, the Chair and Director of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington D.C. The second video features a "girlfriends panel discussion" from popular US talk show, "Sister Circle", in which the hosts discuss general attitudes towards mental illness in black communities, and how they view the importance of mental health awareness within their own personal life stories.
