Carrie Fisher Was Much More Than Princess Leia
On December 27, 2016, the world lost an icon. Hollywood lost an incredibly talented actress. But the one thing that saddens me the most is that Hollywood is all she is remembered for. I believe, most importantly, the mental health community took a great loss in Fisher's death. She was an advocate for those who couldn't or wouldn't speak up. She inspired many with her 7 full-length novels, and she inspired those struggling with similar mental illness.
Most are unaware that Fisher began using drugs as early as 13 years old. She suffered from bipolar disorder and substance abuse. She eventually had an accidental overdose in 1985 from the drugs she was being treated with.
It pains me to think that people are only mourning the loss of an actress, when Fisher was so much more than that.
Mental illness was something that Fisher battled for the majority of her life. As surprising as it may be to some, she was actually battling her drug abuse at the age of 19 when she first landed the role of Princess Leia. Later in life, she disclosed that she was using cocaine during the filming of the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. During which time, she admitted to having a love hate relationship with her character. By the age of 24, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Several years later, she became extremely outspoken and open about her illnesses and addictions. However, when it first became public, it was only during the 1980s. Mental illness and addiction were not subjects that were well understood by the general public back then, which eventually made Fisher feel stigmatized.
In the beginning, Fisher admitted that she would emphasize the fact that something was wrong with her so that people would not minimize her illnesses. She felt "put off" because of the fact that she was born into Hollywood. The world has this awful outlook that Hollywood is this wonderful thing, and that the people apart of it must be so happy because they have all of the money in the world and everything most people can only dream of. But Fisher felt as if growing up with parents who were celebrities and eventually landing a roll in one of the biggest movies of all time made it difficult to speak up about her illnesses. Although, later she did admit that once she was able to accept her diagnosis at the age of 28, – something she was unable to do for the first 4 years of her diagnosis – she was also able to accept that it was okay to be the way that she was, so she stopped apologizing for it. With stigma, comes a wall. The mental health community feels as if walls are built around them by the general public as a result of being stigmatized. Fisher broke down many of those walls; including the wall that people had built that stigmatizes those who deal with mental illness in Hollywood.
Anyone can talk about their illnesses or addictions publicly. What set Fisher apart was the way she spoke about them. She admitted in many interviews that she used humor as a way to cope with her illnesses. By doing so, it made her struggles sound more normal, instead of dark or tragic. Fisher destroyed the wall of mental illness not being normal, as well as destroying the stigma behind it. She helped to make mental illness a normal thing, instead of something people ran away from.
The people of the mental health community are constantly searching for other stories from those who struggle with similar things. Celebrities seem to have an enormous impact on the mental health community and those looking for encouragement, because these celebrities can reach people that ordinary people like me never could. Fisher was very well respected among the mental health community for her encouragement and impact. Other stories can save lives, and many admit that Fisher’s story encouraged them so much that it saved their life. During an interview in 2009, Fisher expressed that she was thankful for the fact that so many people could relate to certain aspects of her story because it made her feel like she wasn’t alone in all of it.
Fisher had so many wise words during her time of being an advocate for the mental health community. She spoke publicly many times, which gave way to some very beautiful words that the mental health community will hold onto for many years to come. Fisher admitted, “I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, and I’m still surviving it, but bring it on.” I hope and I pray that someday, everyone that is a part of the mental health community will be able to say the exact same thing. I long for the day when I can admit that I am not ashamed of my illnesses. “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow.” Mental illness makes me feel like I’m being held back from so much. It has taken away just about every ounce of my confidence because I am constantly afraid of judgement and/or what the outcome could be if I were to take action upon something. Fisher is right; confidence comes if you just do it. The more you do it, the more confidence you have. My hope is that those who are a part of the mental health community will eventually take that leap even if they are afraid.
When it comes to encouragement from Fisher, my most favorite would have to be a letter she wrote in response to one that she received from someone named Alex. Her response came just this year at the end of November. Alex admitted that they admired Fisher’s openness and boldness, and that it made them feel less alone. Alex stated they were in their 20s, trying to juggle school, work, and responsibilities at home, all while trying to get a handle on their bipolar disorder. Alex asked Fisher if she had found a way to feel at peace when even her brain seesaws constantly. Alex also stated that they couldn’t see very far down the line from where they were at, and had hoped that Fisher could give them some insight. Alex’s entire letter, as well as Fisher’s response can be found here. For those who don’t want to take the time to read it, Fisher was extremely kind and compassionate with Alex. She demonstrated the way I believe the entire mental health community deserves to be spoken to, with compassion. Part of her response, which has been so encouraging to me, stated, “We have been given a challenging illness, and there is no other option than to meet those challenges. Think of it as an opportunity to be heroic – not ‘I survived living in Mosul during an attack’ heroic, but an emotional survival. An opportunity to be a good example to others who might share our disorder.” At the end of her response letter, she stated, “You don’t have to like doing a lot of what you do, you just have to do it. You can let it all fall down and feel defeated and hopeless and that you’re done. But you reached out to me – that took courage. Now build on that. Move through those feelings and meet me on the other side. As your bipolar sister, I’ll be watching. Now get out there and show me and you what you can do.”
Although bipolar disorder is never something I have personally struggled with, I can take all of that, and use it to my advantage for all of my illnesses. Most advice for one illness, can apply to many others. The words Fisher wrote to Alex will forever have an impact on my life.
I love the internet for one sole reason; the mental health community is primarily promoted with social media. I am able to follow other stories, find encouragement, find help, and read posts from those who look at a situation differently than I do, or even look at a situation in a way that I never would have thought of. The original post can be found here. But this person reminded us that Fisher could have died of suicide or an overdose. They reminded us that she died from the complications of her heart attack. Her body had failed her just as it fails thousands of people each day. But that they were happy that if she had to go, it was this way. The post goes on to say something similar to the fact that she was a mentally ill woman who struggled each and every day. Her demons could have won this one, just like they won over Robin Williams. But she didn’t allow that to happen. My favorite part of this post was the words, “She didn’t survive her heart attack, but she did survive her mental illness.” It is encouraging in so many ways to know that Fisher could have let the demons win. She could have let her illnesses win. But she didn’t, and that is an encouragement to someone like me who feels as if the demons come close to winning me over each and every day.
Constance Grady wrote an article for Vox the day after Fisher’s death. Grady wrote, “It is nearly impossible to look at Carrie Fisher without seeing Princess Leia, without knowing that Fisher is someone whom Hollywood tried to chew up and spit out in the same way it does with all of its favorite young women. Carrie Fisher is the girl who was supposed to put in the gold bikini and its accompanying chains, smile pretty, and shut up about everything else – and Carrie Fisher is the woman who refused to do it. She’s the woman who refused to stop talking about her mental illness her addictions, her age, and all the other unglamorous things that Hollywood likes to pretend never happens to its starlets.”
Carrie Fisher was an extremely talented actress who had a gift. But Carrie Fisher was also a phenomenal writer who encouraged many with her novels. Carrie Fisher was incredibly funny, despite the fact that she was hurting. Carrie Fisher was an influential advocate for the mental health community that will never be forgotten. Carrie Fisher should not be remembered solely for her role in Hollywood. Hollywood wants to erase the ugly parts of its actors and actresses. Carrie Fisher refused to be anything less than who she really was, even for Hollywood and her career. So why are we minimizing who she was when she fought to be accepted for everything that she was?
If you or someone you know needs support right now, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text START to 741-741
Image credit: Screen Daily
