Chappell Roan recently disclosed her bipolar diagnosis in a revealing interview with Rolling Stone, providing a glimpse into her mental health journey.
“I felt so miserable for my whole childhood,” she shared in the profile published on Tuesday, September 10. When she was growing up, she would talk back and often got in trouble, noting, “All my parents could do was try their best.”
The 26-year-old singer later learned she had bipolar II disorder, a diagnosis that marked the beginning of her mental health journey. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar II disorder is characterized by “a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes,” with hypomanic episodes being “less severe than the manic episodes in bipolar I disorder.”
In 2022, Chappell sought outpatient therapy following a period of intense suicidal thoughts. During that year, she also performed as an opener for Olivia Rodrigo in San Francisco, before an audience of 9,000, only to return to treatment immediately afterward. “I realized I can’t live like this. I can’t live being so depressed or feel so lost that I want to kill myself. I just got my shit together,” she stated.
Chappell attributes her ability to navigate the current surge in her career to the support she received during her treatment. “I would not have been able to handle any of this even a year ago today. It would’ve just been too much,” she admitted.
Amidst her rapid ascent to fame, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer has been candid about her mental health challenges. During a headlining performance in Raleigh, North Carolina, in June, she had a breakdown on stage and told the audience she “feel[s] a little off today” due to the overwhelming pace of her career.
“I was worried of letting people down after they’ve seen these videos of me f–king serving,” Chappell said of the Raleigh show. “I wasn’t serving that day, and I had to be honest.”
The Missouri native also reflected on a particularly difficult period following the release of “Pink Pony Club,” when she began to gain a significant following after her hyper presence on TikTok. Chappell admitted that her hypomanic state influenced her social media activity. “I wasn’t sleeping,” she said. “I was on the incorrect meds. I had the energy and the delusion and realized that this app is fueled off of mental illness. Straight up.”
Currently, Chappell is seeing her therapist twice a week and has developed a plan to sustain her mental health through December, when she’s off from touring and shows.
“I think I’ll have from November to mid-May off to write [music],” she told the outlet. “How am I going to f–king write a record without being bored? I have to be bored and have nothing in my brain to get something out.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also reach out to the Crisis Text Line, a free, 24/7 confidential text messaging service that provides support to people in crisis when they text 741741.
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