Kanye West Opened Up About His Mental Health

After a lot of speculation surrounding his mental health, Kanye West finally addressed the topic head on. In a new interview, he opened up about his experience with mental health and why he wants to remove the stigma surrounding it.

Kanye sat down with radio host Charlamagne tha God after making countless headlines over the past week for his comments on Twitter. Many have dangerously speculated that his tweets, particularly those in support of President Donald Trump or other conservatives, are fueled by mental illness. Kanye, however, said that he's "in a stronger place" than he's ever been before.

Kanye told Charlamagne that after having a mental breakdown, which he called a "breakthrough," last year, he's been recovering through talking with family and friends at length. There were a number of factors that he said contributed to his breakdown, including stress, feeling like he was being manipulated, competing with other artists, and much more. When talking about how he's framed in the media, Kanye said it's important to him that stigma around mental health be eliminated.

"And then they'll take something I say that's absolutely inspired, but if they put it...something inspired in the wrong context will come off as..." he trailed off. "I don't want to say crazy because I also want to change the stigma of crazy. I want to change the stigma of mental health."

"But let's just say for now," he continued, "people will take something enlightened, put it in a different context, and call it crazy to try to diminish the impact and the value of what I'm actually saying."

Language is important; often people use the word "crazy" to diminish others, casting stigma on mental illness. The word is often used to write someone off as unreliable or, plainly, mentally ill. Using such language can increase stigma surrounding mental illness, which can prevent people who need it from seeking treatment.

Charlamagne opened up about seeking treatment of his own, saying he goes to therapy every week. Kanye said he does not go to therapy but talks to his family and friends instead. Coping with your mental health can look different for everyone, and it's great that Kanye has found methods that work for him. It should, however, be noted that your family and friends may not be appropriately equipped to give you the help you may need. If you are looking for resources or treatment to cope with your mental health, find more information here

Related: Kanye West's Tweets Aren't a Symptom of Mental Illness