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MANILA, Philippines – Pop star Mariah Carey has opened up about her struggle with mental health for the first time.
Speaking to People magazine editor-in-chief Jess Cagle, Carey said she was first diagnosed with bipolar II disorder in 2001 but only sought treatment recently, after going through a rough couple of years.
She told People: “Until recently, I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn’t do that anymore.”
Carey added that aside from receiving treatment, she surrounded herself with positive people and got back to making music. Her current medication, she said, isn’t making her too tired. “Finding the proper balance is what is most important,” she said.
According to WebMD, people with bipolar II disorder suffer from bouts of hypomania – less intense bouts of mania – and from episodes of depression. In contrast, people with bipolar I disorder suffer from full mania. However, depressive episodes last longer with bipolar II, and may be more severe.
Carey said that for a time, she thought she had a sleep disorder. “But it wasn’t normal insomnia and I wasn’t lying awake counting sheep,” she continued. “I was working and working and working….I was irritable and in constant fear of letting people down. It turns out that I was experiencing a form of mania.”
When she would experience depressive episodes eventually, she would have low energy. “I would feel so lonely and sad – even guilty that I wasn’t doing what I needed to be doing for my career,” she said.
Carey is now comfortable with speaking about her condition. “I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone,” she told People. “It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me.”
Her full interview is part of this week’s issue of People, which will be on newsstands on April 12 in the US. On Instagram, Carey shared a photo of the cover, saying she’s thankful to be able to share her journey with her fans.
The pop star is set to come to the Philippines on October 26 for a one-night concert. – Rappler.com
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