Carrie Fisher

For Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you!), I'd like to talk a little bit about Carrie Fisher. She was very open about her bipolar diagnosis and she helped paved the way for celebrities to be open about their mental health concerns. She noted that a lot of her behaviors, such as drug addiction and excessive spending, were fueled by the manic side of bipolar disorder. There were also the dark sides of the disorder, which she characterized as standing on the shore and sobbing. "Sometimes the tide is in, sometimes it's out."

Bipolar disorder is an ongoing struggle for those who are living with it. It's a lot of ups and downs and there aren't a lot of easy answers. Like Carrie said, "At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of. They should issue medals along with the steady stream of medication."

I'm so glad that she was outspoken about her mental health struggles and I hope that she inspires you to be courageous. Life is messy (life with bipolar disorder is even more so!) but in the words of Princess Leia, "Stay afraid, but do it anyway."