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511873510922000Source 3: For Countless People Suffering from Mental Illness, Carrie Fisher Played a More Important role than Princess Leia.Fisher, who died at 60 on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack last Friday, offered a beacon of hope to people struggling with their mental health. The Star Wars actress was remarkably open about her struggle with bipolar disorder, which did essential work to chip away at the illness’s stigma.“Losing your mind… is a terrible thing,” Fisher told Diane Sawyer on 20/20 in 2000. Fisher let people know that it was okay if their brain’s chemistry was a bit off or if they didn’t feel like they fit in because of it.When news of her death broke, fans who’ve struggled with mental illness took to Twitter to honor her advocacy, sharing what her words meant to them.One fan said: “First time I heard the term bipolar disorder, it was from the mouth of Carrie Fisher. For this fellow sufferer, she was a guiding light” (@abrahamjoseph). As the hashtag #InHonorOfCarrie trended, people connected as they revealed their illnesses. Dr. Terence Ketter, a professor of psychology at Stanford and chief of their Bipolar Disorder Clinic, tells PEOPLE how impactful it can be for a high-profile artist like Fisher to be so open about mental health struggles.“Ms. Fisher was an important advocate in terms of decreasing the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder,” Ketter says. “One of the things she did was medicalize the problem and not see it as a character flaw. Making bipolar disorder like any other medical disorder decreases stigma. And linking it to creativity – but not romanticizing it – helps show that there might be some kind of a silver lining.”Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1985, the actress turned to substance abuse to cope. In Fisher’s 20/20 interview in 2000, she said: “I have a chemical imbalance that, in its most extreme state, will lead me to a mental hospital,” she said. “I used to think I was a drug addict— and I was... but it turns out there was a stemming cause... I survived that, I’m still surviving it.”In a 2002 interview with USA Today, the actress fiercely defied the notion that people with mental illnesses can’t live full, productive lives just like anybody else. She also talked about medications that can help alleviate severe symptoms, a topic that can be a source of shame for many.In a 2013 interview, Fisher told PEOPLE that the key to survival is reaching out for help when you need it and to never, ever feel embarrassed for it.To Julie Fast, a leading bipolar disorder expert, Fisher’s willingness to share her story is “revolutionary for millions of people”. “She changed the world,” Fast tells PEOPLE. “Her openness is like none I’ve ever seen… it helped those of us with bipolar not feel stupid or worthless or unable to succeed.”Fast adds, “Celebrities have such a huge reach that when they show us the problems that they’re having, that’s what can help us the most. She’s inspired our community to be able to look in the mirror – free of this ridiculous shame and stigma that surrounds a chronic brain illness – and go out there and live fulfilling lives. Her legacy will live forever.”Originally reported by MARIA YAGODA for PEOPLE magazine, December 28, 2016. Abridged and adapted in 2017. ................
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