Kanye West: “I Hate Being Bipolar, It's Awesome” Sir Issac Newton once said, “What goes up must come down.” While he was referring to gravity; this also relates to the unfortunate reality of bipolar disorder (BD). Bipolar disorder, also known as Manic-Depressive Disorder, is a mood-based illness consisting of frequent and intense behavioral swings. An individual with bipolar disorder may experience a euphoric episode of intense energy and happiness. Then, without warning, they drop into a depressive state where they find little interest in anything. Anyone is at risk for developing bipolar disorder, but studies have shown that a person's background, trauma, and fame can significantly impact mental illness. The International Journal of Bipolar Disorders states, “There are consistent indications that childhood traumatic events are associated with various severe clinical characteristics of BD, including an earlier onset of the illness,”(“Role of Trauma in BD”). After research and analysis, it is clear that Kanye West has experienced traumatic events, such as the abrupt loss of his mother, hateful comments from society, and an ugly divorce, that have led to the development and severity of his bipolar disorder. …show more content…
One of Kanye’s first, and most famous episodes of exhibited erratic behavior was in 2009, when he interrupted Taylor Swift's speech at the VMA’s. Swift had just won the award for “Best Video by a Female Artist”, and Kanye stormed onto the stage and stated, “I’mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time.” Then, in 2016, during one of West’s concerts for his Saint Pablo Tour, Kanye had to shorten the concert. Kanye claimed it was due to exhaustion, and this left the audience enraged. It wasn’t revealed until later that West was actually hospitalized for being a danger to himself and