NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 02: Mariah Carey performs at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on July 2, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
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You don’t have to follow Mariah Carey closely to have heard the buzz about how working with her can sometimes be difficult and unpredictable. From a striptease during an interview with Carson Daly on MTV, to her unforgettably disastrous 2016 NYE performance, this Grammy winner’s shenanigans have been making headlines for well over a decade.

After Mariah recently opened up about her bipolar II diagnosis, it seems there may be a legitimate explanation behind the pop star’s erratic and questionable behaviors throughout the years. Mariah revealed that her bipolar II diagnosis, dated back to 2001, during a self-admitted stay in the hospital where she received treatment for a breakdown that initially was claimed to be caused by stress.

What is Bipolar II disorder?

With over 200,000 confirmed diagnoses per year in the United States alone, bipolar II disorder is more common than realized. Bipolar is a mental health condition that causes extreme emotional highs and lows, affecting mood, sleep habits and energy. It is characterized by depressive and hypomanic episodes lasting from days to months. While there is no cure for bipolar II disorder, it can be treated with a combination of therapy and medication.

“It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you, and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me.”

Fans have been incredibly supportive and have sent endless words of encouragement to Mariah since she came forward about her diagnosis on Wednesday. In response, Carey expressed her gratitude and appreciation in a post to her followers across her social media accounts on Saturday that read, “I’ve been hard at work, feeling inspired by each of your stories and uplifted by your overwhelming support. Let’s continue to encourage each other on our journeys.”

“Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me.”

In going public and sharing her battle with bipolar II disorder, Mariah hopes to bring awareness to mental illness; let sufferers know they are not alone, and lighten the dark stigma that it carries. She definitely has the platform to do just that.

Miss “Songbird Supreme” is currently working on a new album with Roc Nation, which will be the first since her 2014 album, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse. And, no, this will not be a Christmas album.

Do you think Mariah’s bipolar diagnosis explains her strange behaviors? Why or why not? Let me know in comments below.

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