Kanye West Opens Up On Suicidal Thoughts, Bipolar Disorder

West opened up about struggling with suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, and his separation from Kim Kardashian.

Rapper Kanye West opened up about his struggles with bipolar disorder, coming to terms with his divorce from Kim Kardashian, and struggling with suicidal thoughts, in his new documentary.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

(Trigger Warning: Mention of suicide, and trauma. If you feel suicidal or know someone in distress, please reach out to them with kindness and call these numbers of local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs)

Rapper Kanye West, or Ye, opened up about his struggles with bipolar disorder, coming to terms with his divorce from social media icon Kim Kardashian, and struggling with suicidal thoughts, in his new documentary.

The 44-year-old rapper talks about his mental health struggles in his new Netflix documentary, 'Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy'.

"Even me, when I already had the house and the wife and the kids and the plaques I'd still have moments where I felt like, suicidal, would still have moments where I'm addicted to Percocets and don't even realise it."

Kanye West

Kanye's Struggle With Mental Health Disorders

Kanye is no stranger to mental illness and exhaustion. In 'I Feel Like That' from his 2015 album So Help Me God, West describes several feelings that would aptly describe struggling with mental illness.

"Do you experience nervousness or shakiness inside, faintness and dizziness? The idea that someone else can control your thoughts?"

In the next verses of 'I Feel Like That', West goes on to talk about suicidal ideation and feeling isolated. He sings about navigating thoughts of suicide while combating sleeplessness and anxiety.

"Poor appetite, heart or chest pains? Thoughts of ending your life? Do you feel lonely, even when you're with people? Do you have trouble falling asleep?"

Kanye West Talks About Suicidal Ideation

In 2018, West also spoke to CNN about struggling with suicidal ideation often. He added that former wife Kim Kardashian had brought in motivational coach Tony Robbins to help him through his lows.

"He came in and told me to take the warrior pose and scream. And I was so self-conscious about the nanny and housekeeper watching me. That's such a metaphor about rich people - that they're not really well-off -- they won't even scream in their own house."

Kanye West

In an 2019 interview with David Letterman Kanye also revealed that he'd been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and that he was also hospitalised with exhaustion and sleep deprivation in 2016.

The rapper recently apologised for "harassing" estranged wife Kim Kardashian on social media, and deleted all of his recent posts saying he was "learning in real time".

Alongside a photograph of himself on stage, Kanye wrote: "I've learned that using all caps makes people feel like I'm screaming at them."

"I'm working on my communication. I can benefit from a team of creative professionals, organisers, mobilisers and community leaders. Thank everybody for supporting me."

(With inputs from IANS)