The Atlantic

When a 'Diva' Is Diagnosed

Will Mariah Carey’s battle with bipolar II disorder make people reevaluate how they’ve talked about her behavior?
Source: Carlo Allegri / Reuters

Though diagnosed in 2001, the pop titan Mariah Carey kept quiet about her mental illness until speaking to People for this week’s cover story titled, “My Battle With Bipolar Disorder.” It was only recently that she began receiving treatment for her swings between hypomania and depression, having previously lived in denial of her bipolar II disorder. She says she’s now going public because she’s “in a really good place right now” and is “hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone.”

The reaction. In a , Robin Roberts read a representative tweet from someone who said, “I’ve always loved her music, I didn’t like her, but now I understand and respect her.”

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