There are many people worldwide who are struggling with bipolar disorder. Some have not yet been diagnosed. Even some celebrities have gone untreated for years. Here are some of those who have been diagnosed, either directly or have had a diagnosis inferred from behavior.
Actors | Artists | Musicians | Scientists | Sport stars | Writers
Actors and directors
Jeremy Brett, Carrie Fisher, Stephen Fry, Margot Kidder, Spike Milligan, Marilyn Monroe, Ben Stiller, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Artists
Michelangelo, Edvard Munch, Vincent Van Gogh
Musicians
Kurt Cobain, Ray Davies, Ben Moody, Ozzy Osbourne, Sting, Trent Reznor
Scientists
Kay Redfield Jamison, Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale
Sports stars
Frank Bruno, Chris Kanyon
Writers
Hans Christian Andersen, Patricia Cornwell, William Faulkner, Alan Garner, Ernest Hemingway, Sylvia Plath, Tennessee Williams, Virginia Woolf, Elizabeth Wurtzel
You might have been surprised to read some of these names, not as surprised to see others. Being bipolar has been seen as a double-edged sword: some people consider it an unmitigated curse, others a slightly strange blessing. It can spur enormous creativity or activity as well as sapping all strength and energy. It can give an insight into life that few people have.
When properly treated, its effects can be minimized, and you can live your own life.
An article which covers the strange blessing/curse of bipolar disorder in a bit more detail is found here.