After announcing the release of his album ‘VULTURES 1,’ which includes 15 songs, Kanye Omari West—also known as Ye—has now shared new details about his struggle with a new diagnosis. Ye has previously opened up about his battle with mental health issues.
He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after being hospitalized for a psychiatric emergency. However, his wife, Bianca Censori, recently stated that Ye does not have bipolar disorder.
“I went to this doctor … My wife took me to do that because she said, ‘Something about your personality doesn’t feel like it’s bipolar, I’ve seen bipolar before.’ And I’ve come to find that it’s really a case of autism that I have,” Ye said during a conversation on The Download podcast with Justin Laboy.
The Heartless singer also added that he is no longer taking his bipolar medication, considering this new diagnosis.
“I haven’t taken the medication since I found out that bipolar wasn’t the right diagnosis.”
Difference between Bipolar Disorder and Autism
Bipolar disorder and autism share some similar symptoms and are often misdiagnosed. According to Lisa Jo Rudy’s article The Connection Between Bipolar Disorder and Autism: What to Know, the distinction between the two is significant.
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Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric illness characterized by unpredictable mood swings. To diagnose it, clinicians assess mood-related issues, including episodes of mania and depression, which cycle between extreme highs and lows.
Notably, individuals with bipolar disorder are unlikely to exhibit communication-related autistic traits.
On the other hand, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is classified as a neurodevelopmental disability. Its characteristic traits typically appear before the age of three, and diagnosis is based on criteria unrelated to mood.
Unlike bipolar disorder, ASD moods rarely follow a clear cycle of mania and depression. Instead, common traits include irritability and impulsivity. Additionally, individuals with ASD often experience co-occurring depression, highlighting the complexity of the disorder.
Having a mental illness won’t prevent someone from working; it will only influence certain behaviors and decisions. Ye elaborated on this, stating:
“Autism takes you to a Rain Man thing,” Ye said. “‘I’ma wear this Trump hat because I like Trump in general.’ And then when people tell you not to do it, you just get on that one point. And that’s my problem. When fans tell me to do my album a certain way, I’ll do it the opposite way,” he added.
