Jenifer Lewis

• Lewis has said she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1990 after beginning therapy. She said her therapist’s explanation of bipolar disorder gave a name to experiences she felt had been present throughout her life. [1]
• She initially concealed the diagnosis from people around her and did not begin taking medication until about four years later. She eventually discussed bipolar disorder openly in interviews, performances and her 2017 memoir, The Mother of Black Hollywood. [1][7]

• Lewis has described periods of mania as bringing intense energy and fearlessness. She has said that, before she understood these experiences as part of bipolar disorder, she sometimes drew on that energy in her one-woman shows and in pursuing her career. [8][1]
• She has also described the depressive side very differently: feeling exhausted after performances, crying without knowing why, and being in what she called a “very dark place.” She has said that before she accepted treatment she eventually reached a point of severe emotional distress involving uncontrollable sobbing. [1]

• Lewis has said that she remained in therapy for nearly two decades and continued to check in with her therapist afterward when needed. She initially resisted medication because she worried it would diminish the energy she associated with her work, but began taking it several years after her diagnosis. [1]
• She has described medication as part of her ongoing management of bipolar disorder and has emphasized that finding the right dosage required patience. She has also discussed journaling, exercise and attention to her general health as parts of the work she has done to stay well. [8][9][1]

• Lewis has said that getting help changed her life and was necessary for her to continue working. She has contrasted her later wellbeing with earlier periods marked by depression, crying and exhaustion. She has also resisted presenting stability as a permanent endpoint, emphasizing that managing her mental health remains ongoing work. [1]

• Lewis has made speaking publicly about bipolar disorder an important part of her advocacy. She has said that one reason for telling her story openly was to help other people learn from her experience, and she has particularly encouraged people who are struggling with their mental health to seek professional help rather than hide what they are experiencing. [1]
• She has also used interviews, public appearances and her memoir to encourage more open discussion of mental health, particularly among people of color experiencing mental illness. [6]

“You’ve got to work hard each day. There are no shortcuts to getting better.”

— Jenifer Lewis [1]