Most of us remember Carrie Fisher as the daughter of “Singin’ in the Rain’s” Debbie Reynolds and the iconic Princess Leia Organa from the blockbuster films, “Star Wars”. The overnight fame that she received as an actress is only half of the achievements she made during her career. Fisher was known for her activism in destigmatizing cultural views toward mental health and addiction.
Carrie Fisher herself was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder once known as Manic Depressive Disorder. She also battled and survived through drug and alcohol addiction. She remarked in an interview with Diane Sawyer over a decade ago that she thought that her diagnose was an easier way of saying she was a drug addict.
“I thought they told me I was manic depressive to make me feel better about being a drug addict,” she said. “It’s what you think. If you could just control yourself … You had an indulged childhood … You were a child of privilege … I don’t know, that’s what I thought. You’re just a drug addict.”
Bipolar is a mood disorder that creates shifts between maniac, hypomanic and depressive mental states. Maniac is a high energy state often sparking creativity, but on the flipside can cause irritation, imbalance, and even psychosis. Then depression the complete opposite causing deep sadness and withdraw. There are also different forms of Bipolar that people can be diagnosed with based on traits exhibited. 51 million people are living with some form of Bipolar disorder worldwide and each country seems to have a pattern of 1 percent of their population living with the disorder, according to pendulum.org.
Fisher herself has been an advocate spoke out on her on experiences and the stigmatization of mental disorders as a whole. She wrote three memoirs on her experiences including “The Princess Diarist” that came out this last year and was doing a tour on before her death on Dec. 27, 2016. She also wrote other works detailing her life battle with alcoholism and Bipolar Disorder.
Growing up with family members who went a long time undiagnosed with Bipolar and other serious mental illnesses, I really look up to the work Fisher put into humanizing people who deal with these disorders that otherwise get shoved to the side. Days before Fisher’s heart attack and death, I checked into a psych ward at a local hospital after a mental break. I have battled with anxiety disorders and depression most of my life. So it has always been a challenge for me, but I had never had anything quite like this before.
I was diagnosed with anxiety, major depressive disorder and traits of Bipolar ll. Before Carrie Fisher’s death, I did not realize she was an activist for people like my family, my friends and myself. To put it in shorter terms I was not in a good place during this time and felt very alone.
Learning how Fisher pushed through her challenges and made the most of it helped me realize that I too could make a difference in my life. It breaks my heart that someone like her left this world so early, but her achievements also inspire me to continue to help destigmatize society’s views on mental disorders. Even if it’s as simple as sitting down and listening to someone in a time of need.
I believe we do live in a much better world where mental health issues are taken more seriously, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I ask you to be diligent in your awareness to these issues as well as your own mental health. Whether it may be temporary or chronic, the way we all feel mentally and emotionally is important in order to live a healthy life.
Carrie reminds us all of this through her legacy and she will be deeply missed. Rest in peace, Leia.