Carrie Fisher is most famous for playing a Rebel Alliance leader in a galaxy far, far away. But to many of her biggest fans, she’ll be remembered for her bravery in battling some very real-world issues. Fisher was as refreshingly open about her struggle with bipolar disorder, which she was diagnosed with at age 25 — four years after first donning the Princess Leia wig for Star Wars — and spent decades coming to terms with her illness. Fisher’s attempts at self-medication led to a long battle with drug addiction, and she eventually underwent electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to help treat her disorder. Rather than hide these facts from the savage public eye, she detailed them in her brilliant, not-so-subtle memoir titles Shockaholic and Wishful Drinking. Never one to shy away from comic relief, she even used her experience to help diagnose the sniffly, soon-to-be-leader of America’s own oppressive empire.
While many Fisher fans have been honoring the late legend with late-70s photos of Leia in her gold bikini, others have been opening up about their own struggles with mental illness. “I’m pretty open about being in recovery; I’ve been more circumspect about mental illness,” MTV’s senior political correspondent Ana Marie Cox tweeted to her 1.3 million followers yesterday afternoon. “In honor of Carrie Fisher: I’m bipolar, too.” Chicago journalist Julie DiCaro soon suggested the hashtag #InHonorofCarrie to let people share their own stories. According to the New York Times, the hashtag has been viewed over 100,000 times in just a couple of hours. It has since been adopted by everyone from Star Wars superfans to those who knew Fisher purely for her advocacy efforts. “In honor of Carrie Fisher. I am outing myself too. I am bipolar,” wrote Jeremy Hitchcock, who told the Times that he heard the news of Fisher’s heart attack while watching the new Star Wars film and is so devoted to the series that he named his son after Luke Skywalker.
Keeping in mind Fisher’s lifelong struggle not to be pigeonholed as a sci-fi nerd’s sex object — “It’s hard to date once you’re a big Star Wars star because you don’t want to give people the ability to say, ‘I had sex with Princess Leia,'” she said last year — this is a beautiful way for her to be remembered.
I have struggled with depression since my twenties #InHonorOfCarrie https://t.co/SV2MhpQIbX
— tom oleksiak (@tom_oleksiak) December 27, 2016
#InHonorOfCarrie I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder on 1/3/07. It was a relief to finally find out what I had been battling for years.
— Stacey ⚘ Gotsulias (@StaceGots) December 27, 2016
@JulieDiCaro #InHonorOfCarrie suffered severe depression & anxiety. didn’t seek help until it was almost too late. Seek help. It’s worth it
— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) December 27, 2016
Let’s break some barriers #InHonorofCarrie. I suffer from anxiety and depression. Currently on antidepressant and have a therapist
— Tesla Beard (@TeslaMay) December 27, 2016
#InHonorOfCarrie I’ve been fighting depression and anxiety for most of my life. I’m finally in an OK spot with my meds, but it’s never easy.
— Deanna (@dmarierva) December 27, 2016
I’m getting treatment for anxiety, and I’m proud that I’ve taken those steps. #InHonorOfCarrie
— Tony Jovenitti (@jovenitti) December 27, 2016
Some of the strongest, wisest, kindest & intelligent people struggle with mental illness. Carrie Fisher was proof of that. #InHonorOfCarrie
— Harry Cook (@HarryCook) December 28, 2016
Credits
Text Hannah Ongley
Photo credit Creative Commons