Bebe Rexha Says She Was Afraid Of Being Called 'Crazy' Before Revealing Bipolar Diagnosis

Instagram/beberexha

Bebe Rexha opened up about living with bipolar disorder and why she decided to reveal her condition with the fans.

The "I'm A Mess" singer appeared on the cover of Self Magazine and sat down for a candid interview about her mental health and her fear of going public. Rexha shared the cover shot to her Instagram and explained that it was not easy to do the revealing interview.

"I felt nervous putting out this cover. I never wanted to be judged or labeled as “crazy.” Especially being a women in this world, I’ve had people use it against me in so many wrong ways," Bebe wrote on social media. "But what I’m learning is this isn’t about me. This is about helping that one boy or girl or man or women or non binary person, not feel so alone when they are going through rough times because of their mental state. There is still a stigma associated with mental illness and mental healthcare and hopefully I can help to make a small change."

Instagram/beberexha

The singer went public with her health struggle in April of 2019 shortly after she learned about her diagnosis herself.

“I didn’t want to think there was something wrong with me,” she said in the Self interview. “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.'”

Bebe doubled down with her conviction that her coming forward could help others that are suffering in silence. Her confession could “make somebody not feel imprisoned, in that moment, if they feel like they’re going through a rough time,” she explained, “that’s why I decided to really open up and to free myself from that.”

Rexha told the outlet that she sufferers from Bipolar I which is "defined by manic episodes that last at least 7 days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care," according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Instagram/beberexha

During her candid interview, Rexha expressed that music has always been a good release and she teased some lyrics from her upcoming album that have to do with her bipolar diagnosis.

“It goes like, ‘Hello, my name is Stevie / Actually, I’m lying. It’s really Bebe. / It’s the meds. They make me really sleepy. / Klonopin, my friend, yeah, she numbs the feeling,’” Rexha recited. “And then it’s, ‘My doctor upped my dosage. / My mom felt bad, so she sent me roses. But without it, I get really hopeless, and 5.7 of Americans know it.’”

Thy lyrics are sad but they seem kind of catchy and will probably make a good song. The "Meant To Be" artist explained that the last line is a reference to the statistics about Americans who suffer from a similar disorder.

“It’s important for me to laugh at myself sometimes, and also spread information, and normalize it, because it makes me feel better instead of writing a sobby ballad,” she said.

We love you no matter what, Bebe!