Kim Kardashian Says Medication 'Not Really an Option' to Treat Kanye West's Bipolar Disorder
Kanye West has endured many ups and downs over the years as he’s worked through his struggle with bipolar disorder, but now his wife Kim Kardashian West says they’ve reached a “pretty good place” with his mental health
“It is an emotional process, for sure,” the 38-year-old reality mogul revealed in the May cover story for Vogue. “Right now everything is really calm. But we can definitely feel episodes coming, and we know how to handle them.”
Following years of speculation from fans —particularly after he was hospitalized for a “psychiatric emergency” in November 2016 just after canceling his Saint Pablo tour — West seemingly confirmed that he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder last summer with the release of his album Ye — which bore the phrase “I Hate Being Bipolar. It’s Awesome” on the cover.
“I had never been diagnosed until I was 39,” he said during an interview recorded with radio host Big Boy soon after Ye dropped. “But like I said on the album, it’s not a disability, it’s a superpower.”
Later that year West stated that he had been misdiagnosed and was actually suffering from sleep deprivation. However, in Vogue, Kardashian West revealed that he has accepted that he is bipolar, though he has opted out of treating the disorder with pharmaceuticals. “For him, being on medication is not really an option, because it just changes who he is,” she explains. “Traveling a lot does set it off, so he doesn’t travel as much as he used to.”
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She also opened up about the criticism she has received over some of West’s more controversial acts and public proclamations. “I think some of the hurtful things that I read online: ‘What is she doing? She’s not stopping him…’ Like it’s my fault if he does or says something that they don’t agree with? That’s my husband. I share every opinion that I have and let him know when I think something’s wrong. Or if it comes to him being in the middle of a bipolar episode, I’ll do everything to be supportive and help to calm the situation.”
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For many, West’s apparent decision to embrace President Donald Trump — regularly donning his trademark MAGA hat and even visiting him in the Oval Office — proved to be particularly decisive.
Kardashian West was quick to point out that she was less than thrilled by West’s polarizing political stand. “I can be sitting there crying: OH, MY GOD! TAKE OFF THE RED HAT! Because he really is the sweetest person with the biggest heart. I stopped caring, though. Because I used to care so much. I was making it such an issue in our relationship. And in my life. It gave me so much anxiety”
West himself contributed to the Vogue cover story via email. When asked if he felt that Kardashian West was misunderstood by the public, he seemed confused by the notion. “What is there not to get about her?” he responded. “She’s Kim Kardashian West. She’s exactly who she is.”
After spending almost seven years as a member of the famous family, he says he’s still happy as an honorary Kardashian: “It’s awesome.”
