Carrie Fisher Championed Awareness About Bipolar Disorder

"“We just lost a great ally for mental health and addiction," tweeted comedian Margaret Cho on Tuesday, following the death of 60-year-old Star Wars actor Carrie Fisher. Fisher was famously open about her bipolar disorder and drug addiction, making many people across the world who were struggling with the same issues feel there was hope. In her 2008 memoir, Wishful Drinking, Fisher wrote, "In my opinion, living with manic depression takes a tremendous amount of balls," continuing, "At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you’re living with this illness and functioning at all, it’s something to be proud of, not ashamed of." Fisher always had a sense of humor about her illness, a trait for which she was greatly admired. When asked in a discussion for WebMD how it felt to be the "poster child" for bipolar disorder, she replied, "Well, I am hoping to get the centerfold in Psychology Today." Carrie Fisher died of complications due to a cardiac emergency she suffered on an airplane on Friday. She was 60.