Award-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has told the public that she recently hospitalized herself for five days for treatment of bipolar 2 disorder.The world seems entirely surprised by this announcement, which says that the stress of an extremely difficult year - when her husband actor Michael Douglas was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer and underwent difficult months of treatment - triggered the need for inpatient treatment. Even outlets that are looking back at her history for signs and symptoms of bipolar disorder are scraping to find any information, and nothing has been said even now about any prior treatment or when she was originally diagnosed.
Meanwhile, it's heartening to see that big media sites are hailing Zeta-Jones for speaking frankly about having bipolar 2. For example, NBC headlined their article Zeta-Jones may help dispel stigma of bipolar disorder and spoke to experts about the condition and the need to dispel a "ridiculous stigma."
Every time a celebrity comes out and says, "I have bipolar disorder," it helps all of us. In this case, Catherine's hospitalization was discovered and reported by the National Enquirer, and she could have issued a statement that she checked in because of stress. Everyone would have believed it, given the traumas of the past year. But instead, she was honest. She has to know she'll face a lot of new questions in interviews, that the public will be clamoring for a whole new set of information, gossip and answers. Like others, I applaud - and thank - Catherine Zeta-Jones for revealing her bipolar disorder.
Read on for more information about Catherine Zeta-Jones and bipolar disorder.
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im sure catherine does not have bi bipolar she is suffering from stress and possibly pre menopause the doctors are too quick to buy labels on us anyway the best of luck to her which im sure rest and relaxation and a few good friends to talk to she will be fine
That is an uninformed comment. Treatment of bipolar is nothing to be ashamed about, and there are links with stress and hormones. Rest and relaxation definitely are part of the recovery process but so is medication. With an illness like this it’s important to take it seriously, the nature of it means one can’t just “talk to a few friends,” rest, relax, and be fine. Kudos to Catherine for being honest and strong enough to reveal her bipolar disorder. I suffer from bipolar disorder too and have recently started talking publicly about it; doing so is very helpful and I wish Ms. Zeta-Jones the best.
Many people tend to skip comments that have no capitalization or punctuation. It makes the author seem uneducated. When I come across one I generally don’t give it too much attention.
I’d have to agree with your comments, Tonya.
@ doreen – curious about your medical license and knowledge..especially when making a diagnosis regarding someone you only “know” via tabloid reports. Feel free to correct me if you are in fact Ms. Zeta-Jones personal physician, in which you are breaching doctor-patient confidentiality. REALLY??!!
I sure if you had bipolar you would try to cover it up. I have bipolar and I am not afraid to tell people that I have it. I have told my fellow workers and my employer so that they know what to look for if I have an episode.
I’m really heartened to see her come out with that information. We need people like her to say that they have this disorder and that they can live their lives with it. It’s good for all of us who have this disorder.
Many…many…many kudos to, Katherine, for coming forward concerning having BP-2! This is a great help to us who make up the global BP community.
It could have been more than easy for her to take the common route; that most superstars in her position usually take.
I wish her all the best on her road to treatment & healing.
My husband is bipolar. He’s in his 70s now but when it first reared its ugly head he was in his early teens and his mother ignored the whole thing. So I was never told anything about it until after 45 years of marriage he went on a buying spree and about bankrupted us.
I was fully aware of episodes of mania for all our married years but didn’t know what the “term” was for his behavior. His friends ignored me and just felt he was just being himself.
Well, I knew better. Finally, because he sees our family doc once a month for his coumadin, the doc recognized the symptoms and gave me a call. It took a family intervention to get him to a psychiatrist to get an official diagnosis. But it was the best thing to do. Once he got his meds, he eventually leveled off.
I just wish there had never been a stigma and he would have been treated years earlier just like with all his other health ailments like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.
My life was hell at times.
I was suicidal the first few days of this month. I even saw my shrink two days before my attempt and asked him if I was bipolar and he finally admitted that, yes, I was bipolar II. It was only by totally admitting to my husband what I was doing,meaning the suicide attempt,and enlisting my shrink,therapist and husband together in the same day that I got additional treatment and setup a plan for hospitilization in the event this happens again. This illness must be talked about in the open.
I am 47 and was diagnosed 3 yrs ago. Before this time symptoms would pop up through my life, but never to the point that it was a full blown mental illness. Before diagnosis I went through a series of tragic events in my life… death of father, mother’s stroke, father in law’s death, birth of 4th child then eating disorder, a separation. THEN I had something I call a “breakdown”… I lost weight very quickly, 2 pounds a day, weak, no sleep for 2 weeks except some twilight sleep… my eyes rolled behind my head then my husband took me to doctor… I lived in mania for 8 yrs after this with extreme anxiety and body trembling. Finally after 16 doctors, from holistic to top hormone specialists to any doctor I could find, I was diagnosed. This expert doctor and scientist of tegretol medicine told me that many times a diagnosis of bipolar can come after a serious illness, tradegy, any major stressful event. This was me. I am saying all this to say that the events in my life triggered major symptoms of bipolar which I had no idea that I had or lived with since I was pretty normal except for mood swings which many woman get monthly! Maybe dear Catherine suffered through the years quietly or maybe the stress of her husbands illness took a toll on her as she said….and bipolar symptoms needed aggressive treatment. I do thank her also, doesn’t it make you feel relieved that we are not alone?
@ doreen – Congrats, your opinion is how the general public sees conditions when they are not aware or educated. I send Catherine my prayers and blessings, she has done very well in recovery. So, the media can’t find “signs” in her previous behavior that would warrant her now “coming out”. Well, that obviously means that she’s done well, she has been taking her meds and has managed a horrible illness. Rather than spike her, stone her, or try to find something bad to say, we should embrace the fact that she’s one more example of just how wonderful you can be whilst in recovery. Yes recovery, medication, therapy, whatever avenues she’s taken to combat her illness. My son is proud to have her to look up to, along with many other sufferers!
She is no doctor, better for the specialist to decide and the more support she receives, helps a long way
Hi there Catherine
I am a professional actor,musician,comedian,writer and all round good guy lived successfully with my “mind journeys for 40 years and dont care about what the world says so much now..about so called bipolar it is WHAT we think of ourselves, moreover what or how we view the “disease or disorder”.keeping a balance of ignoring public comments and listening to the inner voice,our spirituality the higher plane-these are the highs I experience every day of my life.Call it bipolar I dont care, we must learn to manage the soaring highs.And learn to touch down safely.Medication,meditation,alcohol,,narcotic free
and a lactovege diet has helped my “disorder” since 1982, I found a pilot a captain a perfect living master of Surat Shabd yoga, in Charan Singh Ji 1916-1990 of RSSB , and his successor, Baba Ji 1954-
Check out this -it has has helped me so much,I am still acting, and gettng back into it w gusto-(all safety on, food ,meds,meditation,exercise,support from family,friends and following your god given talents-bipolar is a plus only, even the challenges of the so called downs…”there is always a way out”..hahahahaha.And cheers to Michael -we love you both.
Love is the key to solving ALL so called disorders.Look forward to working with you both.Kia ora Richard Foulkes Jnr.:)
www rssb.org
I am glad when a celebrity comes out with their bipolar disorder. It helps the stigma of mental illness. When celebrities tell about their experiences, it seems to be more accepted than if the regular public comes out. I am glad Catherine told the truth. I am also very proud of Patty Duke when she came out with her story. It really makes a difference.
Dont forget there is all sorts of levels of so called bipolar, the highs that can stop eating,rest sleep and nuturiton HYPER MANIA
if not checked can lend itself to a loss of self control…..
Then there is the high that is euthymic —always high always blissed out -your on your game ,you function eat sleep meditate take meds but one is always high..ECSTATIC
Then the Upper high up then crash to bedrest and depression lows…..even suicidal
Each level we need some one to help us we need a support group a phone number a friend…..
MENTAL Health should be demanded from every person, we need to kep our highs in discipline,as actors artists directors ,mums dads,teachers ,plumbers, whoever.
EvERY person needs to be helped , and our family friends and workmate s need to understand the episodic nature of bipolar,
its no big deal, we are just like everybody else..we need to monitor our foods our sugars, our dit, weiht sleep, stress levels like any other person with a capacity for etra high or extremely low mood levels………..support groups are great
online actual….TALK is good writing GREAT..actors need scripts,,,,,,, hahahahaha so Catherine there is a whole lot of acting work coming your way, we look forward to you coping well.Loads of Love from the Bipolar Community of little known actors who share a similar “grant from allah ” as you do.Long live the Actors of the world……..be not ashamed my love, tis but part of our dna. part of our welsh ancestry….