Catherine Zeta-Jones breaks her silence about her battle with bipolar II disorder in the new issue of People magazine. INSIDE EDITION has the details.
Catherine Zeta-Jones is breaking her silence about her bipolar disorder.
In the latest issue of People magazine that comes out Friday, Zeta-Jones says, "This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them. There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help."
The actress reveals that she's been battling depression for three years. It began in 2008 when she was working on Ocean's Twelve. She says she suffered from bouts of "lingering sadness."
People magazine's Assistant Editor Sharon Cotliar told INSIDE EDITION, "Catherine noticed that she was having a little bit of a harder time getting up in the morning and just struggling in a way that she hadn't struggled before."
She says when her husband, Michael Douglas, was diagnosed with stage 4 throat cancer, her depression got much worse.
"It was very very hard on Catherine. She tried to be as strong as she possibly could, but in fact, she was really scared," said Cotliar.
Even when Douglas was declared cancer-free, Zeta-Jones's depression did not let up. So she sought help at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut. It was there that she was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.
Michael Douglas tells People, "It takes a lot of courage to seek help. I am very proud of Catherine for doing something positive about her situation. It's onwards and upwards for both of us."
She told a friend that her diagnosis has taken a weight off her mind.
"I feel I can breathe now. I can exhale and just breathe and that is huge," said Zeta-Jones.
