13 Things Carrie Fisher Said About Living With Mental Illness

Many famous figures have come forward about their mental illness struggles, but Fisher was open about her battle with bipolar disorder and addiction for many years, despite the cultural taboo.

Fisher divulged her bipolar disorder struggle to ABC News’ Diane Sawyer.

“I have a chemical imbalance that, in its most extreme state, will lead me to a mental hospital,” Fisher said, adding that her bipolar disorder caused her to stay up all night, experience racing thoughts, and have mood swings. “I used to think I was a drug addict, pure and simple — just someone who could not stop taking drugs willfully. And I was that. But it turns out that I am severely manic depressive.”

She added that she has two dueling moods, which she named Roy and Pam.

“One is Roy, rollicking Roy, the wild ride of a mood,” she said. “And Pam, sediment Pam, who stands on the shore and sobs … Sometimes the tide is in, sometimes it’s out.”