Kanye West opens up to David Letterman about his struggle with bipolar disorder

"CBS This Morning" got a first look at Kanye West's revealing new interview with David Letterman. The rapper details his struggle with mental illness on the new season of the Netflix show "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction." It's a topic he rarely discusses. Dr. Tara Narula joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the stigma around mental health and why it's so important for people to speak publicly about their struggles.

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[mayusoma]

I’d rather see less day time audience talk shows about drama and more of just two people talking in a room about the struggles of being human that would help a lot of people.

[ChiquitaSpeaks]

People been mentally ill in the black community, we just cover it up and act like people with behavior and attitude problems is a badge of honor to the struggle.

[erenyeeagah]

Its interesting watching this now because he is describing exactly the way he's acting right now.

[chickens]

Huge applause for Kanye sharing this! It's not easy to expose yourself in this way. I haven't been the biggest fan of him, but there is so much to celebrities that we don't see or know. This is important for them to speak up bc it helps the rest of us who struggle to reach out & seek the help we need and deserve.

[laureenambani]

Its apparent his wife mustve encouraged him to he be open about his health issues unlike shove it under the carpet and let people call him crazy

[StJimmy]

Media is so toxic. They have flipped entirely what he was talking about.. he is misunderstood.

[MyDuckSaysFucc]

I completely agree with Kanye. When someone is having a mental health crisis, a lot of friends/family will make it 100 times worse, thinking they are helping. I’ve struggled with depression in the past, and during really bad times family members would tell me about everything wrong with me, how I need to behave differently, improve, etc. Its no wonder the suicide rates are so high in this country. Our culture teaches us that someone suffering mentally needs to change their behavior, when in fact what would really help is simple comforting. These situations need to be about the person in distress, and helping them. Not telling them all the things they do that put them in that position.

[sallybush]

To the lovely lady who said we need better support, u touch our hearts. Thank u for such kind compassion...we need more of that

[stephenchristian]

I admire Kanye West opening up about his struggles with Bi-polar disorder . Mental illness is real an it's so taboo in the Black community. I suffer from Clinical Depression/Anxiety (Major Depressive Disorder)

[Witchygirl]

I was just telling someone last week how embarrassed I am to openly talk about my PTSD & depression & crippling anxiety. So whenever I see someone else do it I am always so proud of them. I don't particularly like Kanye, but I love that he was brave enough to share his struggle with us. Especially on TV to millions of people.

[joshieb]

Bipolar Disorder Poem:

"'Behind my smile is a breaking heart.
Behind my laugh I'm falling apart.
Behind my eyes are tears at night.
Behind my body is a soul trying to fight.'

" These are warriors fighting everyday. We need to do more as a country to supper them."

Finally acknowledged my mental wellness journey yesterday and my goodness... this really hits home for me.

To relieve myself of the stigma external pressures have implanted into my pysche, I've been invoking the Hawaiian Ho'opono'pono prayer for my younger self/inner child:

☯ 'I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I Love you.'

It's not my fault that I have these seasonal imbalances. And there's actually so much beauty I've been able to discover in the world because of it. I am such a more sensitive and conscious observer of my experience now. I know how deep my emotions can run - deep like the Grand Canyon. And I now know how high I can fly - not even SpaceX rockets can reach my most high. There's a whole color spectrum that goes from the deepest wine purples to the brightest iridescent, golden whites. I am friends with my shadow and I love her dearly. One of my greatest teachers, I love my Bipolar Disorder. No one can nurture and soothe me better than I can. (: I AM a powerful Healer.

[ambernicole]

I was recently diagnosed with bipolar 2 and I really appreciate when celebrities speak out.

[NENE-xxxd]

Bipolar is a severe disorder. I have it and usually it needs medication to help. Going without medication is very risky.

[latinalopez]

Just finished watching on Netflix, the interview was the best interview! I wished it was longer.

[onlyallegra]

Oh my God. I used to be mad at this guy for being the Bipolar Mascot. Now, I feel bad and thank him. I guess no one else can better describe what I feel. We both struggle but have different reactions because we have different gifts and personalities.

Kayne West could show up in my room and say this is so jacked up, you poor thing. But, he just told the world. We are broken and need more help. Stop crucifying us all with your collective disapproval and either help us kindly or go away.

We need compassion. Not a beating for being broken mentally. This man just said what I experience all the time. The world only thinks in all or nothing thinking. There is a spectrum. We are all different and similar in different ways, but the world loves to push Bipolar people until they break.

[maggieskilbred]

It makes me so sad to watch this now. When he talks about the way it's similar to people pressing on a person with a sprained ankle, it makes me think of all the press and exploitation of his manic episodes now. I don't mean to excuse any of the hatred he has spewed over the years, but I do wish people would recognize an unmedicated manic episode when they see one. And to recognize that sensationalizing, joking about, and inflating that behavior is drastically irresponsible when it is so publicly known that he struggles with this disorder. Interviewers like Alex Jones, Piers Morgan and Tucker Carlson taking Ye's manic rants as his genuine value system and philosophy, and using it for their own views and political gains without regard to integrity or his mental wellbeing. I wonder who would be here for him after the episode ends and he deflates again, when he becomes medicated again, when they can't capitalize on his mental illness anymore. I wonder if this ended in his su*cide, if people would recognize their role in spiraling a person further into their illness. If they would turn him into a martyr, and say "who could have known he was struggling like this?" as they find a new troubled celebrity to put under the microscope.

[lexii]

Found out that I was bipolar last year and I
had a ““ manic episode “I refused to take medicine for it, i denied it, & then I accepted it ...
I’m now getting the help I need. I always used to say I’d rather have health problems physically than mental illness. It truly sucks. Stay strong everyone that is going through something mentally. They don’t talk about as much as they should.

[gayatriramchandran]

I may not necessarily like him, but really brave of him to share this <3

[kingtoyab]

I don't necessarily have bipolar disorder but something similar I have is borderline personality disorder so I can definitely relate to what he's saying.

[sh__]

I have a lot of respect for Kanye for talking about mental illness. It's very honest, and very open. It also takes a lot of courage to discuss this.