Kanye West has opened up about his recent mental health breakthrough, saying in a new interview that it was his strict religious beliefs that helped him to find more stability in his life and his health.
The rapper opened up in a recent interview with Forbes in which he discussed his bipolar diagnosis and how he has come to manage his mental health. Kanye said after canceling his tour and checking into a Los Angeles hospital in 2016, he found that obedience to his faith would help him out of it.
“Being in service to Christ, the radical obedience,” Kanye said of his breakthrough.
The “Jesus Walks” rapper said he also hopes to smash stereotypes about mental illness, taking away the stigma.
“‘Crazy’ is a word that’s not gonna be used loosely in the future,” he shared.
“Understand that this is actually a condition that people can end up in, be born into, driven into and go in and out. And there’s a lot of people that have been called that ‘C’ word that have ended up on this cover.”
Kanye West has been open about his struggles with mental illness in the past, saying in an interview last year that he was diagnosed at age 39 with a mental health condition, but said he believes “it’s not a disability, it’s a superpower.” As The Huffington Post noted, West did not say exactly what condition he had been diagnosed with, but on the album Ye he referred to having bipolar disorder.
The report noted that West “completely redid” the album after facing widespread backlash for an appearance on TMZ where he argued that those living in slavery in America’s history were there by choice.
Kanye on @Forbes !!! I love this cover and article. Kanye has worked so hard to build Yeezy and always stays true to his vision. He is my inspiration ? pic.twitter.com/yoBVXiQerv
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) July 9, 2019
Kanye said the incident was something of a revelation to him and made him determined to make a positive impact on those suffering mental illness.
“Think about people that have mental issues that are not Kanye West, that can’t go and make that [an album] and make it feel like it’s all good. Think about somebody that does exactly what I did at TMZ… at work… and they [lose] their job… That’s why God put that on me at age 40,” he said.
Kanye West has also been open about his faith in the past, including his recent re-commitment to it. Last December, the rapper tweeted his thanks to Chance the Rapper for helping him “reconnect” with his roots and his faith in Jesus Christ.
