Chyler Leigh

Chyler Leigh is best known as an actress, famous for her roles in Grey’s Anatomy and Supergirl, but she is also a model, a singer, a mother of three, and a woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She kept this secret for ten years until late 2019 when she partnered with Be Vocal, an initiative that encourages people to speak up in support of mental health, and shared her story. 

In her interview, Leigh talks about her experiences as a young person before having received a diagnosis. She describes “intense cycles of mania and depression” with upswings that made her feel “super-charged,” fast and reckless, and downswings that left her irritable and lethargic. These cycles were debilitating, which is a characteristic of bipolar disorder, and Leigh began to self-medicate with alcohol, “so [she] could be numb” instead of manic or depressed.

It wasn’t until her late 20s Leigh was diagnosed. She sought mental health help after the realization that her lifestyle wasn’t healthy for her or her family. Even so, the diagnosis scared her. She worried that bipolar disorder would “become [her] identity,” but she says, “It took me years to realize that my diagnosis doesn’t define me and that it’s possible to live well with a mental condition.” Now, Leigh manages her bipolar disorder by avoiding triggers, utilizing her support system, and being honest with her doctor and with herself. She shares her story in the hopes that someone reading will connect, will read her words and feel less alone. She says, “I know that there are millions of people who feel the same way. So let’s do it together.”