October 30th, 2025
Kanye West's over the top personality is not new to anyone that has followed him over the years. Aside from his music, Kanye's attitude and confidence with the public is one of the many reasons people fell in love with him.
Over the past few years, Kanye West has had many conflicting moments. From his rants on SNL, to an album cover saying “I hate being bipolar it's awesome.” Not to mention his sudden support for Donald Trump being a shock to the public, and boldly interrupting Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009.
Kanye’s past outrageous moments seemed to be settling down over the past few months– until 2020 came along and he announced that he would be running for president, and during his campaign tour, ended up having very questionable speeches. These moments were followed by many tweets about his family, the current state of society, as well as how he believes slavery was a choice for African Americans.
Despite news outlets and different tabloids mocking Kanye and his statements, this whole situation is much more than just a musician sending a few outlandish tweets. Kanye West's situation is very important to treat in a sensitive manner, considering his mental health issues that he has openly spoken about in the past.
Kanye West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 after having to be hospitalized for a psychiatric emergency.
Public figures like Kanye West have brought widespread attention to what bipolar disorder episodes can look like in real life. His ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, shared that during manic episodes, West would make impulsive decisions — including giving away multiple luxury cars — and later replacing them, only for similar behavior to repeat in later episodes.
She recalled coming home to find that their multiple Lamborghinis had been given to his friends without warning. These actions highlight the intense emotional and behavioral changes that can occur when someone is experiencing mania.
Manic episodes often involve impulsivity, poor judgment, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, and risky behavior — all of which can have serious emotional, relational, and financial consequences.
Kardashian emphasized that these experiences made her feel emotionally and financially unsafe at times, underscoring how bipolar disorder affects not only the individual but also those closest to them.
It’s important to remember that bipolar disorder is a serious mental health condition, not a personality flaw or moral failing. People living with it deserve understanding, compassion, and access to appropriate treatment. When society responds with empathy rather than judgment, we help create a world where those struggling feel safe enough to seek help.
This situation with Kanye West only further proves that anyone can be struggling with a mental illness. No matter how much money, success, or power they may have. But the most important thing to realize as a bystander, is that when we are witnessing events such as these occur– we have a choice. We have a choice to either respond carelessly with haste and judgment, or to reach deeper and respond with compassion and empathy.
One of the most challenging parts of dealing with bipolar disorder for West has to be the size of the platform he has. Millions of people are witnessing his struggles, and with the help of social media, they are easily able to pick him apart. Many people that don’t even know the extent of his situation– or what is truly going on– are giving their opinions or mocking what he is going through.
This has the potential to damage not only Kanye's mental health even more–but to damage the mental health of millions of others who are living with bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses every day and reading the responses in real time.
As this continues to be blown up on a global scale, we are able to see how mental illness affects not only the person struggling with the illness, but their family, friends, co-workers, and loved ones too.
On the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Kanye spoke on the importance of being able to have open conversations about mental health. “ I think it's important for us to have... open conversations about mental health. Especially with me being black, because we never had therapists in the black community. We never approached taking medication." West said.
Bipolar disorder can feel differently for every individual however, it involves extreme changes in moods from really high (mania) to really low ( depression). People can experience both episodes of mania and depression that last anywhere from a few days to even longer.
For most people a manic episode makes them feel like the best version of themselves, they feel full of energy, ambition, ideas, inspiration, unstoppable. On these “highs” they can have a god complex and an inflated ego, however, there is a spectrum of bipolar disorder so the symptoms can vary.
Kanye has mentioned that being bipolar is his “superpower”, stating that his manic episodes make him creative and ramp him up to be great. Most of the time, those suffering from an episode do not notice that they are acting differently or completely forget the things they have done and said during an episode. This can be called “brain fog” or “bipolar blackouts”, where individuals are conscious but find it difficult to remember things because of their extreme mood swings.
Kanye West has also reported feelings of extreme paranoia stating the following “When you’re in this state, you’re hyper-paranoid about everything… Everyone is now an actor. Everything’s a conspiracy.” and “You pretty much don’t trust anyone”.
West stated that when he is experiencing manic episodes, comments simply shoot out without any control or thought, almost like Tourette’s. Which explains why the star is known for posting extreme tweets and shocking social media posts, then later goes back to delete them. He is also known for abruptly blurting out controversial statements, giving questionable speeches/monologues on stage, and interrupting people.
While every experience is unique, people going through a manic episode may:
These behaviors can seem confusing or alarming to others, but they reflect symptoms of mania, not deliberate choices.
Kanye West has been open about sharing that he does not regularly take his bipolar disorder medications, stating that the manic episodes (his highs) are what makes him “him”. He refuses to stay on his medications against medical advice because he feels it negatively impacts his music and creative process, hence impacting his career as an artist. “I cannot be on meds and make watch the throne level or dark fantasy level music,” West said in one of his tweets.
West views the creative inspiration and bursts of energy during his manic episodes as something positive about bipolar disorder, as he feels it aids him in being a better artist.
There have been other times that he publicly mentions how his manic episodes give him the creativity he needs to be successful in his career. Closer family members such as his ex-wife Kim Kardashian have expressed the struggles of trying to get her ex-husband to take his medication for his own health and wellbeing.
Kanye is not the only star dealing with this diagnosis, there are various popular celebrities with bipolar disorder who have been open about their diagnosis. Here are a few famous stars with bipolar disorder:
If you or a loved one are noticing signs of bipolar disorder, it's crucial to seek professional help. At Clarity Clinic, our experienced team of therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists are here to provide comprehensive care and support.
Take the first step towards managing your mental health by undergoing a bipolar disorder test at Clarity Clinic. Our specialists will guide you through the testing process to ensure an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.
Managing bipolar disorder often requires a combination of medication and therapy. Our mental health clinics offer a wide range of bipolar disorder medications tailored to your specific needs. Our dedicated mental health professionals will work with you to find the most effective treatment plan.
Don't let bipolar disorder control your life. Contact Clarity Clinic to schedule an appointment and start your journey towards better mental health. Whether you need a bipolar disorder test, medication, or therapy, our team is here to help.
Reach out now to one of our clinic locations around Chicago ( Evanston, Arlington Heights, Belmont Lakeview, Broadway Lakeview, Loop, and River North) and take the first step towards managing your bipolar disorder effectively. Your path to wellness starts at Clarity Clinic.
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