Famous Bipolar People

Bipolar disorder can happen to anyone. No matter how physically healthy you are or no matter how you live your life, bipolar disorder can cause sadness and instability in your life if not treated. Even fame does not protect you from the disorder. There are many famous bipolar people, as can be gleaned either from observations for the people living now or from descriptions of symptoms of famous people in the past.

Whether famous or not, there are many victims of the disorder that may or may not know that they are living with one of the most befuddling mental illnesses that psychologists can diagnose.

Churchill's Black Dog

Winston Churchill the famous prime minister of the United Kingdom during World War II was never diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but people who wrote his biographies have suggested that he was afflicted. Churchill himself professed that he was depressed and even referred to his depression as his "Black Dog." Untreated and undiagnosed, it is amazing that this gentleman could lead the allies to victory against Hitler and the German army. Winston Churchill drank quite heavily and alcohol has been known to increase the cycles of depression and extreme euphoria.

Nirvana

The recent death of Kurt Cobain also shares light in the mysteries of bipolar disorder. The rock star who has an almost cult like following overdosed on heroin. His cousin who is a practicing nurse reported that Kurt was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and later the diagnosis was bipolar disorder. This is common to have the disorder misdiagnosed the first time.

The doctor evidently did not know about the depressive cycle in Kurt's life and his mother probably thought the depressive side was a relief from the cycle of hyperactivity. He was also a heroin addict which would accelerate either side of his cycles and probably was the cause of the overdose.

Edgar Allan Poe's Dark Mood

It would be no surprise for someone to speculate that Edgar Allan Poe was bipolar. One author speculates that Poe was inclined to write when his depression was at his lowest. This would show up in some of his most famous work. His dark style could represent his dark mood. If you have ever read about the life of Poe, you would find that he had terrible things happen to him all during his life.

The death of a spouse, failed relationships, and other bad things must have pushed his depressive side far beyond the limits. Failed relationships are a red flag for people who have bipolar disorder. Their mates have a hard time dealing with the ups and downs of the relationship.

A Long List

The list of famous people with bipolar disorder is long and quite surprising. The list of people contains mostly writers, scientists, and artists. It seems that the more creative they are, the more likely they would have been diagnosed. World leaders, poets, and statesmen have all been diagnosed with bipolar through out history. If they can have the disorder, so can you. So if you think you have the symptoms of bipolar disorder contact your doctor immediately.