Actor and writer Carrie Fisher—best known for playing Princess Leia in the Stars Wars movies—spent her life destigmatizing addiction and mental health disorders. She approached her own addictions and bipolar disorder with total honesty and a sense of humor.
Fisher said she used the opioid Percodan to “dial down” her manic episodes.[1] “I mean, that’s at least in part why I ingested chemical waste—it was a kind of desire to abbreviate myself,” she said. “To present the CliffNotes of the emotional me, as opposed to the twelve-column read. I used to refer to my drug use as putting the monster in the box. I wanted to be less, so I took more—simple as that.”[2]
At some point, Fisher was taking 30 pills a day. She said that after a while, the drug didn’t get her high anymore; it became “like a job, you punch in.”[3] Fisher also struggled with addiction to cocaine and alcohol. In her one-woman play, Wishful Drinking–which later became a book—she wrote about her various addictions and bipolar disorder.
If Fisher were someone else, the book could be difficult to relate to, since it details her upbringing among celebrities. However, she approaches it with her usual frankness and self-deprecating humor, which makes it feel more human.
“Having waited my entire life to get an award for something, anything…I now get awards all the time for being mentally ill,“ she said. “It’s better than being bad at being insane, right? How tragic would it be to be runner-up for Bipolar Woman of the Year?”[4]
Fisher was involved in activism not just around addiction and mental health, but also HIV, LGBTQIA causes, animal rights, and more. As she mentioned, she’s received numerous awards. Among many others, she got a Gold Heart award for her work with a recovery non-profit. She received an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from Harvard College.
Fisher was sober for periods of time throughout her life, but drugs may have played a part in her death at age 60. While the official cause of death was listed as cardiac arrest—and sleep apnea may have played a part—multiple drugs were found in her system. Her daughter, Billie Lourd, said her mom wouldn’t have wanted people to be hush-hush about this fact.
“My mom battled drug addiction and mental illness her entire life,” Lourd said. “She ultimately died of it. She was purposefully open in all of her work about the social stigmas surrounding these diseases. She talked about the shame that torments people and their families confronted by these diseases. I know my Mom, she’d want her death to encourage people to be open about their struggles.”[5]
Fisher wanted people to feel less alone, and she achieved this; in looking up information about her addiction and sobriety, I find it striking how many people have talked about how she inspired them to get sober—or even saved their life.
The writer Maya Shapshay had been sleeping in her car when she met Fisher at an AA meeting; Fisher insisted Shapshay stay at her house, and they became friends. While they ended up losing touch, Shapsay later wrote, “I would not be walking this earth if it weren’t for Carrie Fisher.”[6]
If you are struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder, there is help and hope. TruHealing Centers offers high-quality treatment for addiction and mental health disorders in facilities across the country. Our staff—many of whom are in recovery themselves—will help you build a life in long-term recovery. Call an admissions specialist at 410-593-0005.
[1] https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-carrie-fisher-addiction-20170620-story.html
[2] https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/5026857-wishful-drinking
[3] https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-carrie-fisher-addiction-20170620-story.html
[4] https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/5026857-wishful-drinking
[5] https://www.today.com/popculture/billie-lourd-speaks-out-addiction-after-autopsy-says-carrie-fisher-t112895
[6] https://www.thefix.com/keeping-carrie-fishers-legacy-alive