It’s been a devastating day as Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, passed away at age 60, days after suffering a cardiac arrest en route on a flight from London to Los Angeles. But more than an imperative figure to the global phenomenon and franchise, Fisher is being remembered as a hero for relieving cultural stigma surrounding mental health.
While many Hollywood stars keep mum about their mental illness, Fisher was an advocate who spoke candidly for over a decade about living with bipolar disorder. To date, she’s helped plenty of people cultivate a healthy and positive attitude toward the debilitating ailment.
Although her life was mostly shaped by bipolar disorder, she surely wasn’t defined by it and even encouraged people with mental illness to pursue their dreams, regardless of their limitations. She wanted to make that message clear, and surely, her words have resonated with millions for years.
Here are 10 things she’s mentioned about mental illness that have helped us in some way or another. Thank you, Carrie Fisher, and rest in peace..
1. On being resilient about her illness in an interview with ABCNews..
2. On refusing to be defined by her illness..
3. On advising young women struggling with bipolar disorder to keep going..
4. On being an advocate for mental health..
5. On being comfortable with herself and her illness..
6. On being your own “normal”..
7. On patting yourself on the back..
8. On not knowing how to deal with mental illness..
9. On advice for those struggling and finding it hard to move forward..
10. On the unuttered difficulty with living with the illness..
