Russell Brand and Bipolar Disorder British actor and comedian Russell Brand is known as much for his bad behavior, chronicled in the tabloids, as for his performances. Brand has been open about his bouts with mental illness, including heroin addiction and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. In an interview, he talked about the role that his struggles have played in shaping him and leading to his eventual successes. “I’ve had a few lucky things, but then I have had the momentum of years of toil, pain, agony and humiliation, which I have endured and single-mindedly continued, when all about me were telling me I was insane” (Barnes, 2006).

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