Kanye West has been candid about his mental health battle over the years.
In 2016, West, who also goes by the name Ye, was hospitalized after abruptly canceling a concert. Two years later, West revealed he was diagnosed with bipolar type-1 disorder when he dropped his album Ye.
“I hate being Bi-Polar, it’s awesome,” the 2018 album’s cover art read.
After going public with his diagnosis, West began making headlines for a series of controversial political opinions and, later, for a series of antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ statements. In January 2026 — after refusing to walk back himself from his claims despite losing multiple high-profile deals, including a partnership with Adidas, and releasing a song titled “Heil Hitler” — West publicly apologized for his remarks, saying he was suffering from a “four-month long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior” when he made those statements.
“Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst,” he wrote in an open letter published via the Wall Street Journal. “You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
Keep scrolling for what West has said about his mental health struggles over the years:
Being Bipolar is a ‘Super Power’
Shortly after going public with his diagnosis, Kanye West opened up about how he felt being diagnosed with “mental issues” later in life.
“I’m so blessed and so privileged because [I] think about people that have mental issues that are not Kanye West, that can’t go and make that [music] and make you feel like it’s all good,” West said in a June 2018 interview with Time. “I’d never been diagnosed [as bipolar] and I was like 39 years old … That’s why I said on the album, ‘It’s not a disability, it’s a super power.
Addressing the Stigma
Kanye West got candid about the stigma that patients battling bipolar disorder struggle with.
“It’s a health issue that has a strong stigma on it and people are allowed to say anything about it and discriminate in any way,” he said during a 2019 interview with David Letterman on his Netflix series My Guest Needs No Introduction. “This is like a sprained brain, like having a sprained ankle. And if someone has a sprained ankle, you’re not going to push on him more. With us, once our brain gets to a point of spraining, people do everything to make it worse.”
Combatting Paranoia
While chatting with David Letterman, Kanye West reflected on his time enduring paranoia amid his condition.
“When you’re in this state, you’re hyper-paranoid about everything,” he told the talk show host. “Everyone — this is my experience, other people have different experiences — everyone now is an actor. Everything’s a conspiracy. You feel the government is putting chips in your head. You feel you’re being recorded. You feel all these things.”
West added that when he was in that state of mind it was hard to “trust anyone.”
Not Being Taken Seriously
Kanye West addressed the online trolls who claimed he did not suffer from bipolar disorder.
“There’s a lot of people who will say, ‘I don’t believe that you are actually bipolar,’” the rapper said during a November 2021 episode of the “Drink Champs” podcast. “And anytime somebody wants to say that I’m wrong about something, hide the truth [or] lie, they say, ‘Ye’s crazy.’ It’s just the ultimate final cut-off to not have to listen.”
West added that being called “crazy” wasn’t going to stop him from speaking out.
“Y’all not gonna diminish what I’m doing, and what God is doing with me in the future, by trying to cut my legs off or cut my influence off by calling me crazy,” he said. “That don’t work.”
Being Diagnosed With Autism
Kanye West revealed in February 2025 that he was diagnosed with a form of autism.
“I went to this doctor … My wife took me to do that because she said, ‘Something about your personality doesn’t feel like it’s bipolar, I’ve seen bipolar before.’ And I’ve come to find that it’s really a case of autism that I have,” West said during an appearance on “The Download” podcast.
Experiencing ‘Manic’ Episodes
Kanye West opened up about enduring a manic episode in 2025.
“When you go into a manic episode, you are ill at that point,” he wrote in a January 2026 letter shared via the WSJ. “When you are not in an episode, you are completely ‘normal.’ And that’s when the wreckage from the illness hits the hardest.”
West added that he struggled with being in “denial.”
“Bipolar disorder comes with its own defense system. Denial. When you’re manic, you don’t think you’re sick. You think everyone else is overreacting,” he continued. “You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely.”
Taking Responsibility for His Actions
Kanye West opened up about how his struggles with bipolar disorder led to him to say and do things he later regretted.
“Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem. I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst,” he wrote in the WSJ letter. “You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to have someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
West added he “lost complete sight” of who he was while experiencing a manic episode. He shared that he was moving forward with “medication, therapy, exercise and clean living.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
