Main points of the article:
- What is manic depression? “Manic depression” (in Hebrew “bipolar disorder”) is characterized by extreme changes in mood, which are not necessarily caused by a specific event. When the patient is in “mania” he experiences an extreme sense of happiness, high self-image, hyperactivity, etc. In a state of “depression” , he may suffer boredom, low mood and despair.
- Celebrities who suffer from mental disorders – Celebrities who are used to being in the limelight, making big money and being admired can feel an abysmal sadness when their careers decline. The sadness may develop into depression and even trigger another mental illness.
- Who are the celebrities who suffer from manic depression? From Ernest Hemingway to Demi Lovato – many celebrities suffer from the disorder.
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Manic depression, or in Hebrew “bipolar disorder”, belongs to the category of mental disorders from the family of mood disorders. It is characterized by extreme changes in mood, changes that are not necessarily caused by a certain event. When the patient is in “mania” he experiences an extreme sense of happiness, high self-image, hyperactivity and more. On the other hand, when the patient is in a state of “depression”, he may suffer severe sadness, low mood and a general lack of hope.
Types of manic depression
There are several types of bipolar disorder and co-occurring disorders. These may include mania or hypomania and depression. The symptoms can cause unexpected changes in mood and behavior, resulting in significant distress and difficulty in life. These are the types of bipolar disorder:
bipolar disorder I – Pertains to people who have experienced at least one manic episode, which occurred before or after hypomanic episodes or clinical depression. In some cases, mania can cause detachment from reality (psychosis).
bipolar disorder II – Pertains to people who have experienced at least one depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode, but have never experienced a manic episode.
cyclothymic disorder – Pertains to people who have experienced many periods characterized by hypomanic symptoms, and periods characterized by depressive symptoms, although less severe than symptoms of clinical depression.
Symptoms of manic episodes
Some people with bipolar disorder will experience episodes of mania or hypomania many times in their lifetime. Others may experience them only rarely. Symptoms of a manic episode include:
- Excessive happiness, hope and excitement.
- Sudden and extreme changes in mood, such as going from happy to angry and hostile.
- restlessness.
- fast talk
- Increased energy and less need for sleep.
- Increased impulsivity and poor judgment, such as suddenly quitting a job.
- Planning big plans that are not necessarily connected to reality.
- Reckless behavior and risk-taking, such as abusing drugs and alcohol or having unsafe or unprotected sex.
- a sense of superiority.
- Psychosis – experience of hallucinations (in the most severe manic episodes).
Most of the time, people experiencing a manic episode are unaware of the negative consequences of their actions. Regarding bipolar disorder, suicide is a constant danger – some people commit suicide or attempt suicide during manic episodes and not only during depressive episodes.
Symptoms of depressive episodes
The symptoms of depressive episodes in bipolar disorder are the same as those of major depression and include:
- Abyssal sadness.
- Low energy and fatigue.
- Lack of motivation.
- Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
- The loss of pleasure from things that used to cause pleasure.
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions.
- Uncontrollable crying.
- Increased need for sleep.
- Insomnia or excessive sleep.
- A change in appetite, which causes weight loss or gain.
- Thoughts of death or suicide.
Celebrities who suffer from mental disorders
When we look at famous and desirable characters on the screen, they always seem beautiful, shiny, rich and above all happy. Therefore, many times it is difficult for us to perceive that the admired figure can experience bipolar disorder, depression or any other mental disorder. But, if you think about it deeply, it’s even quite logical: those celebrities who are used to being in the spotlight, earning big money and being desired and coveted, may feel an abysmal sadness when a “decline” occurs in their career, and that sadness may develop into depression and even trigger another mental illness.
Another reason for which a mental disorder may break out is the busy schedule that those celebrities face, which includes performances, launches, flights, advertising campaigns and more. This kind of schedule can cause a mental breakdown. Moreover, the work of these stars is judged in front of a huge audience and they are exposed to criticism and even less positive reactions, which can lead to stress and self-concentration.
In recent years, many celebrities in Israel and the world have come out of the closet of mental illness and admit that they have faced or are facing a mental illness, thus doing a blessed job of raising awareness of those illnesses.
Celebrities who suffer from manic depression
There are a large number of celebrities in Israel and around the world who suffer from manic depression or other mental disorders. Many of them stated this with great courage. Here are some of the celebrities who suffer from mental disorders:
Mariah Carey
The successful singer was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2001. In an interview with People magazine, she said that she “lived in denial and isolation” for many years. But she admitted that she finally had to seek treatment after a series of professional and romantic problems. “I put positive people around me and went back to doing what I love – writing songs and creating music,” she said in an interview.
Mariah Carey. Photo: Shutterstock
Demi Lovato
The singer and actress Demi Lovato is known to us from the Disney Channel movie “Camp Rock”. After the sequel and a role in the TV series “Sonny with a Chance”, Lovato checked into an addiction and self-harm clinic, where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. MTV aired a documentary about Lovato’s mental struggles.
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix is a rock legend, but he was also famous for his wild lifestyle. Hendrix wrote a song called “Manic Depression”, in which he described his dealings with the sudden changes in mood. Hendrix also died at the age of 27 from an overdose of drugs and alcohol.
Jimi Hendrix. Photo: Shutterstock
Catherine Zeta Jones
The successful actress won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Tony Award for her work on stage. She was also nominated several times for the Golden Globe Award. The actress has been married to Michael Douglas since 2000 – in light of Douglas’s battle with cancer, Jones developed depression and later developed bipolar disorder.
Kurt Cobain
The star of the band Nirvana suffered from attention deficit disorder as a child, and when he grew up he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but he did not seek treatment. Despite his insane success as the leader of Seattle’s grunge movement, Cobain struggled with depression and committed suicide at the age of 27.
Mel Gibson
In a documentary from 2008, the famous actor said that he suffers from bipolar disorder. The actor broke into the film scene as an action hero, then branched out into producing and directing and earned two Oscar nominations. People magazine named Gibson the Sexiest Man Alive in 1985. Gibson has also made headlines under less happy circumstances – his personal life hit the headlines when he hit a police officer while being arrested for drunken driving in 2006. After a few years he made headlines again for anti-Semitic statements and for beating his ex.
Mel Gibson. Photo: Shutterstock
Ernest Hemingway
The famous author had to deal with bipolar disorder throughout his life. The disorder was inherited by Hemingway and is shared by his parents, son and granddaughter Margo. Despite his larger-than-life personality and novels like “Farewell” and “For Whom the Bell Tolled”, Hemingway had bouts of depression and paranoia and his end was tragic – he shot himself in the early 1960s.
Shiran Sandal
Sheeran Sandal is a local celebrity who recently shared with her followers that she is taking psychiatric pills due to depression she developed following the death of her father. Sandel did a noble act when she shared her struggle because she gives strength to many other people who are struggling.
what did we learn Manic depression is not a simple mental disorder at all, characterized by extreme changes in mood. In episodes of mania, the person is happy and feels a sense of superiority, and in episodes of depression the person feels abysmal sadness and there is even a chance that he will try to commit suicide.