A princess champion: Carrie Fisher and her battle against mental health stigma

As the accolades, tributes and praise for the late Carrie Fisher prove, she will undoubtedly be remembered for far more than her role of Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise. The 60-year-old actress, author, writer and producer who died suddenly this week after suffering a heart attack leaves a far more impactful legacy as a tireless mental health advocate. 

Daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds, Fisher often spoke candidly about her struggles with bipolar disorder, substance abuse and experiences in psychiatric hospitals and drug rehabilitation. She was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 24. 

{mosads}In a 1990 CNN interview with Larry King, she discussed her pursuit of “feeling better” through prescription pain pills and enjoying the euphoric side effects of Percodan. She added, “Some days aren’t that difficult and some days are the worst… but it’s not ever the same thing.”

In a 2000 ABC Primetime interview, Fisher described herself as having two moods; “One is Roy, rollicking Roy, the wild ride of a mood. And Pam, sediment Pam, who stands on the shore and sobs … Sometimes the tide is in, sometimes it’s out.”

Her public openness about her struggles with mental illness have inspired many.

Each year, two to three percent of the U.S. adult population will be diagnosed with bipolar disorder, also called manic-depressive illness. Approximately half of those with bipolar disorder also have an alcohol or drug abuse problem.

The key feature of bipolar disorder is fluctuations in mood. The manic phase includes symptoms such as feeling elated, increased energy, activity or productivity, difficulty sleeping, increased irritability, racing thoughts or impulsive behavior.

The depressive phase includes symptoms such as feeling sad or down, hopelessness, decreased energy, difficulty sleeping, decreased pleasure or enjoyment, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and thoughts about death or suicide. Less than half (48.8 percent) of those with the disorder receive treatment.

Many famous artists and entertainers such as Russell Brand, Patty Duke, Amy Winehouse and Nina Simone have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Artists report feeling the more creative and productive during the manic phase of the illness and even enjoy the feelings of elation and euphoria that occur during this phase. Some state that treatment for bipolar disorder, a combination or psychotherapy and medications, dampens this creativity, making compliance in treatment at times difficult. 

Fisher, however, spoke about the importance of receiving treatment for mental illness. In 2013, following “a very severe manic state” aboard a cruise ship, she told People magazine that she “went completely off the rails.” She said, “I wasn’t sleeping. I was writing on everything. I was writing in books; I would have written on walls. I literally would bend over and be writing on the ground and [my assistant] would try to talk to me, and I would be unable to respond.”

She told People magazine that she got off the ship and checked into UCLA’s Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital for five days then went to a residential facility. She stated “The only lesson for me, or anybody, is that you have to get help.”

The actress also credited Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut with aiding in her recovery from bipolar disorder and addiction. She also reported receiving electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, a procedure in which small electric currents are passed through the brain triggering a brief seizure to manage her symptoms. 

Discussing her own coping strategies to maintain mood stability included engaging in conversation with friends and telling people how she felt. In a2008 interview on the Today Show, Fisher stated that she used humor as a way of coping. She told Matt Lauer “I make very difficult situations in my life funny as quickly as possible.”

Rallying against mental illness stigma, in her memoir “Wishful Drinking” she wrote, “One of the things that baffles me (and there are quite a few) is how there can be so much lingering stigma with regards to mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder. In my opinion, living with manic depression takes a tremendous amount of balls. Not unlike a tour of duty in Afghanistan (though the bombs and bullets, in this case, come from the inside).

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.” She joked that she wanted to start a “Bipolar Pride Day” to help erase the stigma of the disease.

In the 2000 ABC Primetime interview, Fisher said, “I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, I’m still surviving it, but bring it on. Better me than you.” 

In her 1987 book “Postcards from the Edge” which was later turned into a film, she wrote about her drug addiction. Fisher later shared her life and experiences with mental illness and drug addiction in her 2008 one-woman biographical play, “Wishful Drinking,” which was turned into a memoir in 2009 and a documentary in 2010.

Honored frequently for her mental health advocacy work, in 2001, the National Alliance on Mental Illness honored Fisher with its Rona and Ken Purdy Award for her contribution in helping end mental health discrimination and stigma. She also received an honor from the Erasing the Stigma Leadership awards.

Since her death, many have taken to Twitter to acknowledge the ways Fisher’s openness about mental illness has given them inspiration and support.

Ana Marie Cox, senior political correspondent for MTV, tweeted. “I’m bipolar too.” Julie DiCaro, Chicago radio personality, tweeted that she suffers from depression and started the hashtag #InHonorOfCarrie.

Carrie Fisher’s openness about mental illness and addiction, commitment to treatment and recovery, and legacy as a mental health advocate is a clear testimony to her strength and resilience. She told WebMD that she hoped to get the centerfold in Psychology Today one day. She undoubtedly has made an invaluable mark in her mental health advocacy work. 

It may have taken her death for even more to notice her true strength.

Inger E. Burnett-Zeigler is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She is an NU Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project.​

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.