Kanye West Needs ‘Medication Overhaul’ & Potential Hospitalization, Says Mental Health Expert
In what began with a campaign rally on Sunday, Kanye West made a series of statements that have ranged from outlandish to deeply personal, confusing his fans and upsetting his loved ones. After claiming that Harriett Tubman never actually freed any slaves and that he and wife Kim Kardashian originally planned to abort their oldest daughter, North, at the South Carolina campaign stop, he took to Twitter where he released several since-deleted tweet storms detailing the drama in his life. Among them were accusations his wife and her mother, Kris Jenner, attempted to put him in medical custody and stated he’d been seeking a divorce from Kardashian.
Kardashian addressed her husband’s behavior in an Instagram story on Wednesday, opening up about his struggles with bipolar disorder and the difficulty the family has gone through in trying to get him to accept their help.
Despite the acclaimed artist’s penchant for dominating the spotlight, the reality is that the mental health issues he currently deals with aren’t uncommon, Dr. Delvena Thomas told The Inquisitr.
“Kanye West is a representation of many Americans – living with a serious mental illness and in denial. He seems to have moments when he is okay with taking his medication, but then he also exhibits the moments of non-compliance.”
Dr. Thomas, a nationally recognized mental health expert and advocate working to end the stigma of mental illness, said West’s decision to tweet and later delete intimate information is due to the nature of bipolar disorder. She says the “impulsiveness” associated with his illness leads to acting on emotional urges before immediately realizing the mistake in doing so. This is common behavior for those with emotional or mental health disorders.
As for how the rapper can conquer his struggles, the doctor has several recommendations.
“Based on what I’ve seen in Kanye West, he should disconnect completely. He should stay off of social media and return to his psychiatrist. He is in need of a medication overhaul and possibly time in the hospital or inpatient. This is a textbook example of someone who is hypomanic,” the doctor said.
Unfortunately for a star with the stature of West, it will likely be a struggle to take these first steps. Before he was open about his struggles with mental health, the rapper’s unexplained outbursts were often written off by his fans and those around him as “Kanye being Kanye.” Dr. Thomas says this stance on the issue is “dangerous” and can lead to devastating consequences for someone suffering from the illness.
“We are not helping them by letting them be. Most often people who are suffering from this type of turmoil are hurting inside but unable to communicate these ideas.”
