Bebe Rexha is speaking out about living with bipolar disorder and how she reacted when she received her diagnosis. The 30-year-old first went public with her mental illness in April 2019, deciding to tweet out the news. In a new interview, she talked about the journey to getting a diagnosis, how she’s treating the disease, and why she thinks it’s important to not be silent.
Bebe tweeted the interview out, writing, “I felt nervous putting out this cover. I never wanted to be judged or labeled as ‘crazy.’ There is still a stigma associated with mental illness and mental healthcare. Hopefully I can help to make a small change. “
The “Meant To Be” singer told Self about being diagnosed, “It did kind of f**k me up for a little bit. I was very fearful. I didn’t want to think there was something wrong with me.”
Bebe explained that she was hesitant to be officially diagnosed for years. She said, “That was my worst fear all my life: going crazy. I felt like me opening up to my fans was me finally saying, ‘I’m not going to be imprisoned by this.’ And maybe it’ll make somebody not feel imprisoned, in that moment, if they feel like they’re going through a rough time. That’s why I decided to really open up and to free myself from that.”
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On her new album, which will come out later this year, she had lyrics about her diagnosis and the experience of going on psychiatric medication. She now treats her bipolar disorder with therapy and medication. Bebe also said
her frequent workouts with her trainer help her physically and mentally.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I feel like, throughout my illness, I’ve definitely broken my heart myself many times,” Bebe said about lyrics on her upcoming album. “I don’t need you to break my heart … I don’t need you to make me sick or make me ill. I’ve been on this carousel all my life, and if you’re not going to better my life, then don’t f**king waste my time.”
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Bebe said that she first started experiencing anxiety as a young girl. As she grew up, she also had extreme symptoms around her period, and was eventually diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. A person with PMDD experiences hormonal fluctuations that cause severe mood swings, including intense depression.
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Bebe also described her manic periods, saying, “I would get super hyper, and I would text everybody, and I’d just get sloppy. I couldn’t control my emotions, and I was always super anxious, and couldn’t sit still.”
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When Bebe officially got her diagnosis from her therapist last year, she decided to tell the world. She explained, “That was my moment of being like, ‘Fuck this.’ I just decided to do it because I was like, ‘I’m not going to be imprisoned by my thoughts that I’m not normal or that I’m crazy. That’s bullshit.’”
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She tweeted in April 2019, “For the longest time, I didn’t understand why I felt so sick. Why I felt lows that made me not want to leave my house or be around people and why I felt highs that wouldn’t let me sleep, wouldn’t let me stop working or creating music. Now I know why.”
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I’m bipolar and I’m not ashamed anymore. That is all,” she said.
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“It’s scary, but at a certain point you got to say, ‘F**k it, this is who I am.’ Or you just keep it to yourself,” the “Say My Name” singer told Self. “At the end of the day, it’s nobody’s business. But, for me, I like to be very transparent with my fans … and I won't allow it to label me. It’s something that I’m going through, but it’s not me.”
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Photo credit: INSTARImages
“It’s scary, but at a certain point you got to say, ‘F**k it, this is who I am.’ Or you just keep it to yourself,” the “Say My Name” singer told Self. “At the end of the day, it’s nobody’s business. But, for me, I like to be very transparent with my fans … and I won't allow it to label me. It’s something that I’m going through, but it’s not me.”
The Staten Island native also said that
the support of her parents has been essential, especially her mom, who went on tour with her to help make sure she took her meds and was taking care of herself.
On her new album, which will come out later this year, she had lyrics about her diagnosis and the experience of going on psychiatric medication. She now treats her bipolar disorder with therapy and medication. Bebe also said
her frequent workouts with her trainer help her physically and mentally.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I feel like, throughout my illness, I’ve definitely broken my heart myself many times,” Bebe said about lyrics on her upcoming album. “I don’t need you to break my heart … I don’t need you to make me sick or make me ill. I’ve been on this carousel all my life, and if you’re not going to better my life, then don’t f**king waste my time.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Bebe said that she first started experiencing anxiety as a young girl. As she grew up, she also had extreme symptoms around her period, and was eventually diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder. A person with PMDD experiences hormonal fluctuations that cause severe mood swings, including intense depression.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
Bebe also described her manic periods, saying, “I would get super hyper, and I would text everybody, and I’d just get sloppy. I couldn’t control my emotions, and I was always super anxious, and couldn’t sit still.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
When Bebe officially got her diagnosis from her therapist last year, she decided to tell the world. She explained, “That was my moment of being like, ‘Fuck this.’ I just decided to do it because I was like, ‘I’m not going to be imprisoned by my thoughts that I’m not normal or that I’m crazy. That’s bullshit.’”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
She tweeted in April 2019, “For the longest time, I didn’t understand why I felt so sick. Why I felt lows that made me not want to leave my house or be around people and why I felt highs that wouldn’t let me sleep, wouldn’t let me stop working or creating music. Now I know why.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“I’m bipolar and I’m not ashamed anymore. That is all,” she said.
Photo credit: INSTARImages
“It’s scary, but at a certain point you got to say, ‘F**k it, this is who I am.’ Or you just keep it to yourself,” the “Say My Name” singer told Self. “At the end of the day, it’s nobody’s business. But, for me, I like to be very transparent with my fans … and I won't allow it to label me. It’s something that I’m going through, but it’s not me.”
Photo credit: INSTARImages
The Staten Island native also said that
the support of her parents has been essential, especially her mom, who went on tour with her to help make sure she took her meds and was taking care of herself.
