Bebe Rexha: “I’m Bipolar & I’m Not Ashamed Anymore”

Singer Bebe Rexha has opened up about her mental health, sharing her bipolar diagnosis with fans in a series of tweets today. “For the longest time, I didn’t understand why I felt so sick. Why I felt lows that made me not want to leave my house or be around people and why I felt highs that wouldn’t let me sleep, wouldn’t let me stop working or creating music. Now I know why,” she wrote. “I’m bipolar and I’m not ashamed anymore. That is all. (Crying my eyes out.)”

She added, “This next album will be [my] favorite album ever because I’m not holding anything back. I love you all very much. And I hope you accept me as I am. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I just want you to accept me. That’s all. Love you.”

Rexha also shared screenshots of the tweets on Instagram, captioned, “Honesty is a form of self love.”

Fans and celebrities shared love and support. “Love you and accept you just exactly the way you are babe,” wrote model Jillian Mercado on Instagram. Singer Daya shared a heart emoji.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), bipolar disorder is characterized by “periods of unusually intense emotion, changes in sleep patterns and activity levels, and unusual behaviors.” These periods are called “mood episodes” and are “drastically different from the moods and behaviors that are typical for the person.” Mood episodes may be manic, in which someone has high energy, increased activity levels, and may participate in risky behaviors; depressive, in which someone may feel hopeless, have low energy, and experience suicidal thoughts; or may include both manic and depressive symptoms.

Effective treatment for bipolar disorder usually includes a combination of medication and psychotherapy. An estimated 4.4% of American adults experience bipolar disorder at some point in their lives.

A number of celebrities have spoken out about having bipolar disorder, including Halsey, Mariah Carey, Catherine Zeta-Jones, David Harbour, Carrie Fisher, Demi Lovato, Mary Lambert, and Kanye West. “Finding out that it was called something was the best thing that ever happened to me!” Zeta-Jones told Good Housekeeping in 2016. “The fact that there was a name for my emotions and that a professional could talk me through my symptoms was very liberating.”