This past July 4th, while many of us were barbequing in our backyards and watching fireworks light up the sky, Kanye West was up to bigger things. West announced on Independence Day via Twitter his decision to run for President of the United States.
Critics were quick to write this off as one of Kanye’s “manic episodes,” attributing the unexpected declaration to his bipolar disorder. Kanye’s wife, Kim Kardation-West, addressed the media’s response in an Instagram story discussing how the Kardashian-West family handles Kanye’s mental illness. “As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder. I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health.” Kardashian-West continued to explain that she plays a fairly limited role in her husband’s mental health: “Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor.”
Kardashian-West even took a moment to defend her husband, “I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions,” she wrote. “He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with that pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder. Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words some times do not align with his intentions. Living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas, no matter how big or unobtainable they may feel to some. That is part of his genius and as we have all witnessed, many of his big dreams do come true.” Finally, Kardashian-West concluded by thanking their fans for their continued support and asked the media to give their family privacy during this time.
I focus on Kim Kardashian-West’s response rather than on Kanye’s original announcement because I believe the former has more to teach us as a society. We live in an age where social media platforms have the ability to record and broadcast mental breakdowns of a very personal nature. Given this power, it is crucial first and foremost that those who discuss bipolar disorder know exactly what the mental illness entails.
Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by symptoms of depression, such as unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity level, concentration and ability to perform day-to-day tasks. These symptoms alternate with episodes of mania - essentially the extreme opposite of depression - which include inflated self esteem, rapid speech, distractibility, pleasure seeking, increased activity and insomnia. Bipolar disorder is most commonly treated with medication as well as lifestyle adjustments.
With this newfound understanding of the mental illness, I can now explain why I believe Kim Kardashian-West truly offered words of wisdom capable of making our society more understanding. Her message can perhaps be summarized by the following excerpt, quoted above: “Living with bi-polar disorder does not diminish or invalidate his dreams and his creative ideas, no matter how big or unobtainable they may feel to some.” Kardashian-West hoped to teach us a valuable lesson: we should not be concerned with what Kanye is going through, as the details of his personal life are not at all our business; moreover, the fact that someone is diagnosed with bipolar disorder does not give the rest of us a license to be dismissive of that person’s goals and aspirations.
Sarina Hilowitz