Famous People With Bipolar Disease

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental illness. Without treatment, sufferers can have difficulty maintaining a career or relationships, can end up needing hospitalization, may attempt suicide, and could become violent towards others. The disorder was formerly known as manic depression because it is normally marked by mood extremes. During manic episodes, people become more confident, more outgoing, more risk-taking, and eventually more paranoid. A number of celebrities have suffered from this serious mental health condition.

Carrie Fisher

• Best known as Princess Leia from the original Star Wars trilogy, Fisher has been open about her battles with bipolar disorder. She also faced a prescription medication addiction. Addiction is commonly associated with bipolar disorder.

Richard Dreyfuss

• Academy award nominated actor Dreyfuss appeared in a documentary about living with bipolar disorder in 2006. Dreyfuss is probably best known for his roles in "Jaws" and "Mr. Holland's Opus."

Scott Weiland

• Weiland suffers from untreated bipolar disorder, according to an interview he did with VH1. He is best known for being the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver.

Sidney Sheldon

• Sheldon delighted audiences with beloved television series such as "I Dream of Jeannie," but he was also a bestselling novelist. Sheldon suffered from bipolar disorder and considered suicide at 17.

Patty Duke

• Famous for her role as Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker," and as lookalike cousins in "The Patty Duke Show," Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982. Her moods stabilized thanks to a prescription of lithium. In 2007, she discussed her battle with the disorder publicly with Oprah Winfrey.