Gabrielle Anwar Gets Candid About Struggling with 'Violent Rages' from Bipolar Disorder

Gabrielle Anwar is opening up about her mental health struggles.

The 54-year-old Burn Notice actress penned a personal essay published in Business Insider on Sunday (August 31).

In the essay, Gabrielle opened up about her lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder and how it’s impacted her since childhood.

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“My parents didn’t have the tools to help me. Like many from their generation, they lacked the vocabulary and empathy we now have around mental health,” Gabrielle wrote in the post, saying that she experienced her first manic episode when she was around 11 years old.

“I was expelled from school and deeply ashamed. I began to realize that my reactions were disproportionate; everything was either euphoric or devastating. There was no middle ground,” Gabrielle recalled.

When Gabrielle was 16, she started acting and said that it gave her an outlet that helped her mental health in a way, but it was still difficult for her privately. She was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but was hesitant to take medication and instead tried holistic treatments.

“I experienced violent rages that frightened the people I loved,” Gabrielle admitted in the essay. She went on to share that although she wasn’t a perfect parent, she’s found a medication dosage that has helped her to be more present for her family and for her granddaughter.

“I used to think I was broken. Now I know I’m whole. I’m not perfect, but I’m here, I’m healthy, and I’m doing the work. And that, to me, is the real happy ending,” Gabrielle wrote in the post.

Several other Hollywood stars have opened up about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.