Krizz Kaliko

• Kaliko has discussed living with bipolar disorder publicly since at least 2010. In an interview that year, he spoke about how bipolar disorder affected him outside of work, particularly during periods when he was alone. [3]
• In a 2022 interview, Kaliko again discussed his mental health publicly, saying he had been diagnosed with “PTSD, OCD, bipolar mania” and several other conditions. [1]

• Kaliko has said bipolar disorder often affected his downtime and personal life more than his work. He described being alone as particularly difficult and said he could become intensely preoccupied with problems and thoughts during those periods. [3]
• Kaliko has also spoken openly about severe depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. While making the 2016 album GO, he said he reached a point where he genuinely wanted to die and that his children were the main reason he stayed alive. [4]

• Kaliko has described psychotherapy and psychiatric medication as parts of his treatment. In 2010, he said he was seeing a psychologist and taking Celexa after having stopped it for several months; he described restarting the medication because its benefits outweighed the side effects for him. [3]
• He has also said that treatment has changed over time. In 2015, Kaliko said he was in therapy and taking antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication, while in 2022 he reflected that he had been prescribed many different psychiatric medications over the years. [6][1]

• In 2016, Kaliko said he was still experiencing emotional “up and down” states even as he was working and releasing new music. He said he had begun trying to appreciate both the good and difficult sides of how his mind worked. [5]

• Kaliko has made mental health a recurring subject in his music and public speaking. He has said that part of his reason for being transparent about depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts is to help other people learn from experiences they may find difficult to discuss. Songs including “Stop the World” grew directly out of those experiences, and during later mental-health events and public appearances he said his goal was to remind listeners that they were not alone. [5][1]

“I’m a misfit. If you see some of my fans, they are misfits. They’re outcasts, but we have a place which is together.”

— Krizz Kaliko [1]