Kanye West has been candid about his mental health struggles and how his bipolar type 1 diagnosis has affected him.
West, who goes by Ye, revealed in 2018 that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when he dropped his album. yes. On the album, West opened up about his battle with his mental health and included the statement, “I hate being bipolar, it’s great,” on the cover.
Later that year, West revealed that he stopped taking his medication, claiming it stifled his creativity.
“I can’t be on medication and do guard the throne level o dark fantasy level music,” he tweeted at the time, referring to his previous critically acclaimed albums.
Victor Boyko/Getty Images Kanye West has found himself at the center of controversy, again, after sharing a series of anti-Semitic posts over the course of a day on social media. West turned heads on Friday, February 7, when he shared a series of X-posts that included anti-Semitic comments, the rapper praising Hitler and him declaring (…)
After his statement, West made headlines for openly sharing anti-Semitic and political rants on social media. In January 2026, West wrote an open letter published in the Wall Street Journal apologizing for his actions and opening up about struggling with her mental health.
“In early 2025, I fell into a four-month manic episode of psychotic, paranoid, and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” West wrote. “As the situation became more and more untenable, there were times when I didn’t want to be here anymore.”
Keep scrolling for everything there is to know about West’s bipolar 1 diagnosis:
What is bipolar type 1?
Bipolar disorder type 1 is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings, according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition is also known as manic depression. Bipolar type 1 is one of many forms of the disorder. For those diagnosed with type 1, it means the person has had at least one manic episode that may come before or after hypomanic or major depressive episodes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
What are the symptoms of bipolar 1?
Those who struggle with bipolar 1 suffer from episodes of mood swings stemming from depression or mania, according to the Mayo Clinic. Episodes may occur rarely or several times a year and may last several days. There are times when a person with bipolar disorder can have long periods of emotional stability.
Some symptoms include being much more active, energetic, or agitated than usual, feeling a distorted sense of well-being or being overly confident, needing much less sleep than usual, being unusually talkative, talking fast, having racing thoughts, being easily distracted, and making poor decisions.
Is there a cure for bipolar 1?
There is no cure for bipolar disorder type 1. The condition can be treated with medication and therapy. Making lifestyle changes and having a support system can also help fight the disease.
When was Kanye West diagnosed as bipolar?
Kanye West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 1 in 2016 after being hospitalized following the abrupt cancellation of one of his concerts. The rapper went public with his diagnosis two years later.
What has Kanye West said about his condition?
After revealing his diagnosis, Kanye West spoke candidly about his struggles.
“It’s like having a sprained ankle. With us, once our brain gets close to spraining, people do everything to make it worse,” West said in a May 2019 interview. David Lettermannetflix series, My next guest needs no introduction.
The musician continued to publicly struggle with his mental health while posting controversial opinions on social media. In January 2026, West shared that his online posts were due to his struggles with “constant mental illness”.
“When you go into a manic episode, you’re sick at the time,” he wrote in a letter published by the Wall Street Journal. “When you’re not in an episode, you’re completely ‘normal’. And that’s when the remnants of the disease hit the hardest.”
West Accredited Wife Bianca Censors to stand by his side and encourage him to seek help in the midst of dark times.
“Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting,” he continued. “You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing control completely.”