Did Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy split because he went off his meds?

Jim Carrey & Ewan McGregor Receive Honors In France!

In the current issue of Star Magazine, there’s an article about Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy’s break-up. Although I haven’t seen it confirmed, I think Star Mag might have known about Jim and Jenny’s breakup before they announced it, and Star was prepared to run a story about it, and that’s why Jenny and Jim suddenly announced their split late one afternoon last week. Basically, I’m saying that Star Mag might have nailed this story, to the point where Jim and Jenny were trying to do some early damage control.

Now, at the time, my thoughts were only that the breakup was very sad and that they seemed to be a good match. However, it only took a few days for the rumors to start, and the rumors seemed to revolve around Jim’s mental health, and his battle with depression (or manic depression, say some sources). This is the reason Star Magazine gives for the split. Various unnamed sources tell the magazine, “Jim is not easy to be with. He has a lot of problems with depression.” Jim himself admitted that he was on Prozac in 2004, but also said that “at a certain point” he had to go off his meds and deal with the “peaks and valleys” of life. Star claims that towards the end of their relationship, Jenny was distraught that Jim refused to take his medication, even when those peaks and valleys became “crazy highs and ugly lows.”

A source also told Star: “It was such an emotional roller coaster for her. When he’d get down, he’s just disappear. He would hide out in a hotel or one of his homes, not answering her calls.” It got to be too much for Jenny and she “told friends she needed more support from her man.”

I believe this. I believe Jim Carrey is one dark motherf-cker, a man who probably sinks into very deep, intense depressions. I also believe he’s probably very, very smart, and he thinks he’s too smart to stay medicated, a common problem. Some manic depressives can’t deal with how their medication slows everything down – some miss the crazy highs and lows of their imbalance. I find it very sad, but I totally get why Jenny wanted and needed to get out of there. Ultimately, she has to take care of herself and her son first.

But now even People Magazine is running a piece about Jim’s sanity. They quote him (from his Twitter) as saying “I’m not having a breakdown.” Which could be just a standard-issue People Mag suck-up, only check out how they wrote this piece:

Jim Carrey’s relationship with Jenny McCarthy isn’t the only thing that’s in the past. So too, he says, is a part of himself he’s happy to shed.

“I have freed Truman at long last!,” Carrey wrote in an explosion of post-breakup Tweets, referring to his alter-ego from The Truman Show whose entire life was surreptitiously filmed for a reality show.

“I am grateful for my avatar’s many yrs of dedicated service, but no one has ever won the Tour De France while back peddling. … so I killed him,” he wrote late Sunday night. “I do not plan 2 bow to expectations or to be confined by the fear of losing altitude in the ‘statusphere’! (my word).”

It has freed him to comment on such delicate matters as the Tiger Woods scandal and make a passing reference to Sandra Bullock’s marital crisis.

Acknowledging that “some folks out there are worried that I stay up too late,” he insists, “This is no breakdown! It’s a breakthrough! And if you’ll just loosen these straps, I’ll show you the difference!”

[From People]

I read this and I thought, “Jesus, this guy is off his meds.” Is that the response People Mag wanted to elicit? Out of curiosity, I looked at Jim’s Twitter feed to see all of what he’s been writing since he got publicly slammed for writing that Elin Woods was a “willing participant” in Tiger’s affairs. He’s been tweeting a lot the past few days… I think I’ll call them “manic tweets”. Different from crack tweets or rage tweets. Manic tweets are when your mental illness reveals itself through a flurry of crazed tweets about subjects only you care about. This sh-t is not good.

'I Love You Phillip Morris' Premiere - Paris

Jim Carrey attends A Christmas Carol premiere in London

A CHRISTMAS CAROL PRESS CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK 10-30-2009

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71 Responses to “Did Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy split because he went off his meds?”

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  1. bite me says:

    hmm this might not end well

  2. Dorothy says:

    SAD!

  3. Mairead says:

    Sounds plausible. And I think your assessment of him is likely to be pretty accurate Kaiser. It is a shame, in that (vaccinations nonsense aside) I thought they were a well-suited couple, from the outside at least.

    I’m not on Twitter myself, but Himself is and follows Stephen Fry. He’s said that you can really tell when Stephen is having an episode as he posts the most unbalanced things and winds up having to delete them all. It’s a very odd little tool all right.

  4. violet says:

    manic tweets indeed

  5. yikes scary carrey says:

    could it be that he is drunk all the time?

  6. Kimberly says:

    I really hope nothing serious happens to him , I don’t know . I automatically get uneasy when I hear stories like this because I have been battling this mental illness on and off since I was 13 years old and it’s horrible, I’m 22 now. Especially for those who love you in your circle and just don’t know what to do because it really is an unpredictable experience .

  7. lastwordlinda says:

    I hope we don’t hear about him appearing in someone’s backyard, delusional and ranting a la Margot Kidder. I don’t like his movies and find him to be an unfunny Robin Williams-like character when he is on talk shows, but I do think he has an illness and hope he is not decompensating.

  8. Bonfire Beach says:

    I never thought I’d see Jim’s uvula.

  9. Tinky Winky says:

    I knew things were going downhill when Carrey started to gravitate towards this cultish nonsense.

    2009:
    “…Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment, or GATE, which Hollywood Reporter blogger James Hibberd described as “a newly formed outfit of producers and artists with a shared enthusiasm for New Age uplift.”

    Headlining the GATE gathering on the Fox lot were spiritual seeker Jim Carrey and Eckhart Tolle, the Oprah Winfrey-approved author of The Power of Now.”
    http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-11/jim-carrey-almighty/

  10. allison says:

    :\ damnit. i always loved jim carrey movies… if he has ADHD or something and is off his meds (without even trying a holistic healing approach or ANYTHING) – this can’t end well… if he thinks that not treating something like that will make him “free”- sh*t. Will he ever get hired again? 🙁

  11. Just a Poster says:

    Yep, dude in a spiral.

    I have never been a big fan of his.. something about his crazy eyes that makes me very uncomfortable.

    I feel bad for Jenny, but sometimes a person just has to say ‘enough’.

    Or… this could all be a big ratings ploy for the trash mags.

  12. Sandy says:

    @Bonfire…..Your comment was the best….I had the best laugh in days, thank you

  13. embertine says:

    Awww, I think him and Jenny were perfect for each other. Because they’re both completely ******* insane.

  14. Victoria says:

    Oh he needs to listen to his doctors and go back on the meds! Something tells me he doesnt have a doctor though. Please dont let him be “self medicating” with wine.

  15. anon says:

    More to it behind the scenes and i hope it stays that way. If he gets help he might get back together with her too (which would be great but especially for her son who is probably quite attached to him too) so let’s hope.

    I totally believe this and that is is off meds. It struck me as odd his suddenly commenting on random celeb lives. That’s the domain of Courtney Love and Candace (‘Another Open Letter’) Spelling. Sadly I know first hand.. the smartest people I knew, meaning also funniest- were bi polar. Very interesting and I wonder if they actually have higher IQs but it’s something I’ve noticed in my own experience. Bi polar people can be totally high maintenance and a pain in the ass when off their meds too, I shy from the word ‘crazy’ I do not like to perpetuate that ugly stereotype.
    Hope he gets help soon there’s nothing to say here because it’s tragic not funny.

  16. Ursaline says:

    I have always thought JC was manic, especially when he plays that same weird, hyper personality over and over, not much unlike Robin Williams.

    The top photo looking down his throat is gross and the beard one is yucky, but the middle one with the yellow bg is actually quite nice.

    Too bad they broke up. I thought they were nutty but nice together.

  17. chakrapoint says:

    I think it’s a little irresponsible to declare someone ‘off his meds’ based solely on what he says. I understand that this a gossip site, and predisposed to exaggeration for comic effect, but it’s a pet peeve of mine when people use words such as “crazy” and “insanity” interchangeably with the names of very manageable mental illnesses. It’s part of what keeps the stigma of mental illness alive in American culture and feeds the fire for anti-treatment bigots. If someone were diabetic, likely we wouldn’t recommend that they “just ride out” insulin shock. Mental illness, like any other disease, is a physiological problem.
    I’m not saying it can’t be serious–or even life threatening–if someone has arbitrarily decided to end treatment outside of doctor supervision. It’s entirely possible that Mr. Carrey was taking Prozac to combat the depressive periods of bipolar disorder (nobody calls it ‘manic depression’ anymore). And while I understand that it’s the bread and butter of sites like this to speculate on the various outlandish motives that public figures have for the behavior they exhibit, I like to remind people I meet that I am a personal testament to the success of prolonged, supervised treatment of depression. Two academic degrees, a husband, and a high-paying job later, I think I’m managing my “insanity” quite well, thank you very much.

  18. Jackson says:

    Excellent assessment, Kaiser. I hope he gets himself sorted out.

  19. debbie says:

    I have a child with special needs. Two years ago, I thought we would have to commit him…because his rages were hurting us all. Even though he has cerebral palsy and developmental delays…he could kick me in the face and throw plates at out heads. He has been on Risperdal for 1-1/2 years. He has become a sweet, nice, calm boy again. The only side affect is hair loss. I would rather have a child who is loving than a child with hair who rages. Medicine can save a family sometimes. I feel sad for Jenny McCarthy…I’m sure she has a lot on her plate already.

  20. Popcorny says:

    I’m no Tom Cruise, but please “meds” aren’t always the only solution -just the easiest placation one day at a time.
    They’re also over-prescribed and prescribed in lieu of actual therapy/treatment.
    Plus, when a hack can get you on those pills, they’ve got a customer for life (because they tell you those drugs are needed every day of your gd life).
    Twice I’ve gone to get myself “head check” -and twice they diagnosed me (very different diagnoses) within two appointments and by the third appt they were signing me up for a lifetime of “meds” (also, they were very different types of “meds”).
    For the most part, they are a crutch that avoids healing, real and actual healing.
    So Jim wants off his “meds” and wants to try to get through without … GOOD FOR HIM. Let him give it a go, it’s his life and if he wants to see if he can unchain himself, we should respect that.
    This article is belittling, mocking him as if his only actions have been a couple of twitters.
    I totally understand and support Jim in this endeavour and like he said, “loosen up the straps”.
    With no offense, to say that he’s probably “just missing his crazy highs/lows” and or that he thinks he’s “too smart to stay medicated” is completely unsympathetic, unknowing and “above it all”.
    Maybe it’s convenient for others to keep the depressed one “in a box” (not Kenny Chesney’s), it makes them much more “palatable”. But consider the person who’s trying to come out from under that depression, consider the quality of their life.
    Meds are like methadone to a heroin addict, you are trading one type of depression for another … with a TON of side-effects that are devastating (from bathroom function to sexual function).
    It’s misery and the only way out of all that is to try to allow your brain to re-adjust to it’s normal function(s)(serotonin, neurons, etc) and levels.
    Meds totally interrupt and suspends that process making the person captive.
    Some folks need them. But I would gather that an upwards of 2/3 do not.
    Whatever, I’m sorry, but Jim’s plight (if it’s near to true) touches on my own experience and that of a few I know.
    -and, btw, I took the meds and both times, I also stopped and have been successfully “med free” for over a decade.

  21. Iggles says:

    My sister struggles with mental illness. Being off medication is scary and we can absolutely tell by her actions and the things she says.

    I hope Carrey gets some help. He is displaying uneven behavior which is a cause for concern.

  22. Erin says:

    Popcorny, ITA. I have struggled with mental illness for years but what most people don’t fully understand is that taking mood stabilizing drugs is HARD on your body. Many antidepressants are EXTREMELY unpleasant to take. Many people with mental illness choose to not take medication in order to retain the feeling of being a HUMAN BEING. I feel for him, and I think it’s ridiculous to start speculating that “it isn’t going to end well”. Yeah, so he’s a little crazy right now. I’m a little crazy right now too – but you can be a little crazy and still be fully functional. Let him try to do what’s best for him.

  23. YT says:

    The meds aren’t all they are cracked up to be in advertising, and there are many troubling side effects, so it is understandable when someone refuses to take their meds. Add basic personality to the mix, and there can be more or less of a problem. If he needs meds, he should work with a doctor to find the right one and right dosage, but that can take years because it takes months for the meds to take full effect, and it takes months to go off of one med and on to another.

  24. Me says:

    A good friend of mine works at a psychiatric institution and is dealing with the worst cases of bipolar disorder (the term manic depression is still used widely in medicine!!!), schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorders (psychopathy), sadistic personality disorders, padophilia in combination with the above. Most of those people are dangerous to society even when on medication and rehabilitation programmes. Without such help they are almost sure to commit a terrible crime (again). At least the statistics speak clearly. A mental illness of any kind is serious. I love Jim Carey, he’s a real genious, I wish he gets all the help he needs to be able to live a happy life. If that means living with medication, then be it.

  25. Melanie says:

    Can you imagine the kind of genius we might of missed out on if everyone was always overmedicated? There really is something to be said for self medicating, especially in the arts community. Yes, there are “crazy” people and yes, I enjoy their work much more than the so called sane.

  26. Feebee says:

    I don’t have first hand knowledge just what I’ve been told but it’s a lot like what Erin and YT mentioned. The meds are hard to take and it’s gets tiring living life in beige.

    If this is the case with Jim Carrey I hope he can find some sort of middle ground. Losing stable relationships can’t be good for him either.

  27. cara says:

    I believe he is manic and if he stayed on his drugs he might of felt he couldn’t perform his funny act while still on them.They do tend to ‘slow’ people down.
    If he is manic now isn’t the time to pick on the guy,and put the spotlight on him.He sounds as if he is upset enough without the media all over him.
    I haven’t ever been a fan of the guy but I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to go thru what he is going thru.
    It’s like beating a puppy up,leave the guy alone.

  28. Tinky Winky says:

    Popcorny –
    Statistics show that psychiatric meds are in fact under-prescribed, not over-prescribed, with this nation’s poor the most underserved. Meds are not at all like “methodone.” Unfortunately, the psychiatric field is still in its relative infancy, so there is no magic bullet. Side effects are an unfortunate fact, but they do not negate the helpfulness of meds to many people. Anybody who feels that meds “make them captive,” as you say, need to simply switch medication.

  29. mr. stinky fishface says:

    As someone who is manic depressive, its hard to stay on the meds all the time, it just makes life so…calm? Its like there is no emotion, no feeling. Sure you can smile and act like everything is alright and most the time the world believes it, but deep inside you’re just not happy. Its like you’re a zombie, and sometimes you just have to let yourself out and to hell with the consequences. I think thats what he is going through. I hope it ends well and I hope he realizes that there are ways to be off meds but still keep your illness under control (I have been off my meds for almost 18 months now, and use meditation and writing to maintain myself.) Best of luck JC

  30. Popcorny says:

    Twink -statistics based on what?
    Try this “normal” folks -make an appt with your local therapist’s office and tell them your problems.
    They will then tell you your “diagnosis” and will set another appt. On the second appt. they will have drug therapy to discuss with you -and your third visit will be with an actual psychiatrist to “affirm” the initial “diagnosis” and give you the prescription slip(s) and another appointment back with the therapist.
    It’s a pre-fab operation.
    Yeah, anyone with a hangnail qualifies according to the ever-manipulative money-hungry drug-pushing and profiteering institution, hence those “statistics”. They’d love to turn this country into a medicated asylum.

    I’m serious, any one of you reading this -make an appointment to tell them your everyday problems … you’ll be prescribed meds within a couple weeks of that first appt guaranteed.
    You’ll get them prescribed on the first appointment if you make an “emergency appointment” -again, guaranteed.

    Depression for suppression. If you ain’t “happy” (subdued) enough, let them know, they will work very hard to neuter you further into an unaffected zombie, it makes them money.
    Just re-read that last line (Twink’s) about how if you’re still feeling, the drugs just aren’t strong enough.

  31. anon says:

    I agree with a lot of what’s been said above minus the alcohol. With respect to the medicine I can provide a personal perspective. I am bipolar and am on some heavy duty meds. My problem with my meds is not that I miss the highs and lows but that they dull my mind overall. Over the 14 years that I’ve been on meds I’ve only gone off my meds once– in. a fit of pique. The difference in brain clarity was startling. When I went back on my meds I went on a lower level and things have been better since then.

  32. Constance says:

    My father is an un-medicated Bipolar and so is my husband’s father. It’s a really sad thing to see Jim lose a support person by what I can only imagine are much the same things I’ve seen firsthand. Bipolar is serious. It absolutely requires a support system AND medication. Brain biochemical imbalance is not a laughing matter.

    Hope he doesn’t go off burning bridges all over Hollywood and beyond.

  33. oxa says:

    Kimberly, I admire your honesty and wisdom. I wish you only the best with your health and your future. Thank you for sharing your experience.

  34. Carrie says:

    My mother was diagnosed as bipolar when I was 13 after being hospitalized for out of control behavior (she went into a really rapid cycling and was scary). She’s been on lithium, depakote, wellbutrin, and effexor over the years…and she’s gone off the meds several times.

    These are hardcore meds, with serious side effects- she would often hallucinate people who weren’t there, feel fuzzy, etc. People feel better with the meds, and then they start to think that they can handle the disease without them. The problem is that a lot of bipolar people (like my mother and probably Jim Carrey) are really smart, creative, wild people who honestly believe they can handle it alone.

    It’s hard on loved ones. My mother is on her sixth marriage right now, because the five previous husbands couldn’t handle it. So if this is true (and I do believe it) I can understand why Jenny left- she’s got all she can handle with her autistic son, she can’t take on more.

  35. Sigh. says:

    I am not diagnosed bipolar.
    I have been to therapists and never been perscribed anything.
    My sis is bipolar (medicated).
    2 of my cousins are bipolar (unmedicated).

    I get where everyone is coming from. But I get what Kaiser is saying; “too smart” to stay on the drugs. My sis is in day-hospital right now for the same reason. Besides the physical side effects, the calm (@ mr. fishface), she was just tired of a lifetime of meds (she also has Lupus), and thought she could handle weaning herself (who knows her mind better than her, right?). It backfired -big time.

    The random statements, the insomnia, the inappropriate responses, the OCD, the voices, etc, were insidious, then frequent, then uncontrollable. Next, attempt at self-harm. BUT, she has also done this while medicated.

    My cousins, diagnosed, took the meds, leveled out, then felt like the crisis is over. Now he disappears for weeks, to return as if nothing happened. The other is “white-knuckling” it thru life, but feels she’s fine (but not very convincing when she says this).

    Her bipolar is not theirs, theirs is not his, and his is not yours. What works for one does/will not for the next (therapies, meds, etc have been proven to help, not all, but some). But his being in the rarified environment HE’S in (people who surround him that may not have his BEST interest at heart, employees afraid to deny/contradict him, wealth/influence), it’s completely plausible that he is doing the same as my sis, taking matters in his own hands. Only his is playing ut before the world. Given his recent actions, his own words and history, that is not an unfair speculative statement. I hope no one comes on this website for facts and science.

    I wish him well, as I do all of you.

  36. forest says:

    CABLE GUY!!!!

  37. I manic tweet. I am a sick twitter-holic. (Please don’t confuse that with milk-a-holic.) Also, when my bipolar-ness starts to get out of hand I always believe that it’s a happy force and that I am shedding my static ways. Only then comes the down turn and BAM we are back where we started. (By we I mean me and my me’s.) He sounds very much like he is off kilter. Sad.

  38. Jan says:

    I am hoping Jim gets back on track and possibly back in Jenny’s life. He seemed to be a great influence on her son’s life. As a 17 year Oral Surgery assistant I also hope he gets those very, very large tonsils removed! (cover picture)

  39. Dani says:

    So Jenny is mad that Jim didn’t take his meds and DIDN’T take his doctors advice, yet it’s okay for her to NOT take her sons doctors advice regarding autism, and it’s okay for her to ignore the course her sons doctor planned out?

    What a hypocritical bitch. Glad he left her, he deserved better.

    And you can’t declare someone off their meds just from what they write..it’s a little irresponsible IMO. He could just be emotional from the breakup for all you know. Give him some credit, you’re not his doctor and you don’t know him personally to be able to tell when hes off his meds.

  40. Jeri says:

    Agree with you totally. I have thought something like this was happening for a long time.

    You believe Jenny over-reacted due to what is reported but you do not believe Jim is off his meds due to what is reported. Selective reason to call someone else a bitch. Maybe you should look in the mirror.

  41. JuiceinLA says:

    Wow, @Kimberly what a mature and poignant thing to write. I couldn’t agree more.

    I hope Jim and Jen will both be ok and that this doesn’t go downhill.

  42. GatsbyGal says:

    I really hope Jim Carrey isn’t the next shocking celebrity death.

  43. JD says:

    He changed for the worse after he met her, and enrolled in Scientology classes, he was probably hiding from her for a good reason. And how did she ever convince him to set up a 50 million trust fund for her, something is very wrong there. He pledges eternal love for her sets up a huge trust fund then breaks for the border.
    Something does not add up here.

  44. Sincerity says:

    Whatever is troubling Jim Carrey, I sincerely hope that those closest to him will intervene on his behalf. If he’s been diagnosed with a serious mental disorder, he needs to remain under the supervision of his doctor, period. He’s really fortunate to have the resources at his disposal to assist him with his alleged mental problems. If he’s gone off his meds, he needs the support of his loved ones more than ever because the results could become very tragic.

  45. GatsbyGal says:

    Also, god damnit…I wish I had never read his twitter feed. He sounds like a fucking idiot who just discovered the internet. “Oh my god, if I make a smiley with eyes like B instead of : it looks like it’s wearing sunglasses! {B^)” Ugh, barf, puke…way to give away your age, Jim.

  46. Jeri says:

    Lots of strong opinions here.

  47. Raven says:

    I remember reading years ago that Carrey had a very difficult childhood and was also homeless for a period of time. These can compound any genetic predisposition to mental illness.

    As a former psychologist, I can so relate to what Popcorny said. I would qualify it a bit, however, and say that there are excellent psychiatrists who know the difference between a disease and a sad mood. They can be hard to find, however. Also, it can take years, even with the skilled practitioners, to find the right medication in the right dosage so that the disease process is managed and the side effects are not unbearable. I, too, have seen the assembly lines where some LPC gives a diagnosis at intake and the MD rubber stamps it and writes a script. And medication may be only part of the necessary treatment.

    I hope that Jim finds a really good doctor if he is bipolar, someone who will work with him on the right combination of treatment.

  48. SolitaryAngel says:

    @ Kimberly: I, too am bipolar and have struggled with it since my teens (I’m 43) and it never gets better, only easier to understand my own moods and why I am the way I am. 2 broken marriages, my family couldn’t handle my illness and now I have only my son. I tried to go off the meds (an ex convinced me I used them as a crutch instead of facing “real” life), and it was horrifying. So, on the meds I can remain at a constant level–even though it feels like I’m dead inside, can’t feel emotions and I’m living inside a cotton ball–or go off them and scare the shit out of my son and myself. I used to keep a journal but looking back over the years it scared me silly because my handwriting would change with my ups & downs, my thoughts made me afraid I’d be committed and have my son taken away from me so I stopped writing. I will never be able to have a lasting relationship now; I am sad but have accepted it. I really really hope that since you are so much younger, you are able to get the support you need (and I wish desperately that I had had) to help you be the best you that you can be. Best of luck to you and to all the others suffering too.

  49. ams1 says:

    lol @ forest!
    KAISER!!! why weren’t there more posts today??? i’m so bored at work!!!!

  50. Twez says:

    If my husband, who is bipolar, went off his meds, I’d be out the door. He knows this is a non-negotiable and it wouldn’t be because I don’t love him, but because I do. On the other hand, if my husband’s doctor had him on an antidepressant only, I’d be really concerned. It might keep him out of the depressed part of the cycle, but there would be nothing to keep the manic edge down. Even if someone survives a mania, the depression afterward is life-threatening.

  51. Maritza says:

    I hope he doesn’t overdose or suicide himself, depression is a serious illness and it needs to be taken care of.

  52. Mairead says:

    Some really interesting and informative opinions here. Although I’ve “only” ever had chronic depression I was on medication once and despite them being marvellous for me for that short period, I can understand the reticence over them and the complaints about how you always feel like you’re on an artificial even keel.

  53. Debe says:

    Wine is fine.
    But whiskey’s quicker.
    Suicide is slow with liquor.
    Take a bottle drown your sorrows.
    Then it floods away tomorrow.

  54. dubdub2000 says:

    Look up Jim Carrey on Larry King Live, he was on one or 2 years ago talking about how he had gotten off psychiatric meds and was favoring more natural remedies with less side effects: 5-HTP; Sam-e; Rx quality Omega 3; St John’s Wort; Exercise etc…

    This approach is relatively new for long term treatment of depression but getting more widespread. It’s not right for everybody that is affected with depression or bipolar disorder but a lot of people have transitioned successfully from meds to more natural therapies.

    Psychiatric meds are totally overprescribed as most GPs are NOT qualified to diagnose whether one needs psychiatric meds or not but still prescribe them like they would aspirin. Also many psychiatrists are way too quick with the prescription pad. Not to mention the time it takes to find the right dosage.

    The side effects of Prozac, Zoloft and such are often VERY heavy and you develop a major dependence: if you get off them without weaning yourself off you can crash in a very bad way, when you start the meds the first 2 weeks your risk of becoming suicidal actually often increases! These meds are not to be taken lightly but the comfort they bring to some is a trade off with the risks and side effects, just like any other potent meds. However natural therapies are also very successful in helping patients manage depression with far fewer side effects. The ultimate result depends on the person. And like any other treatement it also sometimes needs to be tweaked.

    As for what is going on or not going on with Jim Carrey. Only he can say. He’s always sounded quite nutty, always being “on”. Or completely depressed. He had a rather hard childhood he never recovered from. His tweets would sound kinda nutty if it wasnt Jim Carrey. If you’ve ever watched him on Leno or such, he gets himself all reved up and sounds quite manic at times. Whether that’s a symptom of an illness or just who he is isn’t really obvious….

    Anyways I wish him the best. For sure J McCarthy already had her hands full with caring for her son and her advocacy. I can see how dealing with the mood swings of Jim Carreywould require fountains of energy and patience that one doesnt necessarily have.

    Their love seemed real genuine though so the situation sucks either way.

  55. Anti-icon says:

    This is an area in which I am VERY well versed. I admire Jim Carrey for his candor in interviews when he himself has spoken about needing to off the anti-depressants in order to deal with root issues. This is NOT irresponsible, as long as you have a very highly qualified psychiatrist who is talking with you at least weekly. I believe JC does have this in place. Yes, living with mental illness often breaks up relationships, even when the person is taking personal responsibility for their health. These rumors suck.

  56. bayviewblonde says:

    Dearest Jenny,

    I am so sorry that this has happened-but in the future, it would be wise not to be so vocal about your relationship with someone who is in the spotlight, crazy as a hoot, even though, as you stated he helped your child, what does your son do now????? You have had to alter your lifestyle, close your school, and what about your weight loss add???? I have been through a simular situation-zip the lips-keep the personal life private-I think you are a very nice person and very sweet-but as a former married woman for 20 years and have been in a relationship with a male for 15 years, which is on the rocks, thank god, I keep it quiet-you have been on every talk show talking about this man, who is a nut and I don’t care what he did for anybody, and now you have to eat your words-he is not worth it-never was and never will be-if it does work out-GOOD LUCK

  57. Annabelle says:

    ummm ? I read his tweet differently. Made sense to me…
    I thought he was referring to life with jenny — he gets more attention being with her than he would by himself (paparazzi etc & thus more “status”) so perhaps he had to take on a kind of alter-ego in order to get thru it (truman–makes sense he’d call it that bc the situation is similar to the movie). He decided to break up with Jenny & thus shed Truman. & even though he knows breaking up with Jenny might mean he will lose status in Hollywood, he doesn’t want to be confined by that fear & stay in the relationship (which, if he was unhappy in the relationship, would be back peddling).

    Kind of cryptic but just cos someone with a mental illness says something you don’t understand, doesn’t mean they are having a breakdown.

  58. Fluffy Kitten Tail says:

    Let the man do as he pleases. He left McCarthy very well taken care of, and meds are not the answer to every mental illness. Often times they hurt more than help.

  59. iris says:

    to say that he is a dark mother–ucker because he has a deep depression is a very cruel remark.

    you are a mother–ucker without depression.

  60. dovesgate says:

    I am an unmedicated bipolar. I hate the meds. Sick to my stomach, high as a kite, the increased side effects of hallucinations, the cottonball feeling, the zombie feelings. I would much rather deal with it than go back on those meds.

  61. Wresa says:

    Popcorny–Thanks for your comments, I enjoyed reading them. Sometimes I feel like meds are more for the comfort of people surrounding the person with mental illness rather than the patient himself. I also sometimes feel like we all have to fit into this placid “peanut butter sandwich” box and if we ever step out, we are called “bipolar” or whatever the psycho babble buzzword of the week is.

    Honestly, his tweets don’t even seem that abnormal to me. Yes, they are a little kooky, but maybe he just broke up with someone and we all react in different ways to that. So what if he’s a little manic right now? Why can’t he work through that with the love and support of his friends and family, instead of everyone abandoning him and giving him a medication ultimatum?

    Sorry, guess I’m speaking from personal experience here!

  62. Robert says:

    Yeh he was off his meds when he gave her and her children that five million dallar house to live in, too..

  63. Blitz says:

    I have a friend whose b-polar spouse threatened to kill himself and take her with him while he was on his meds. They are dangerous and it does sound like Carey tried to address his problems in other ways. Please don’t make drugs sound like an old fashioned minuet. They can be very dangerous and not always effective.

    You can call his tweets “manic” if you like but a lot people view wives of serial cheaters as willing participants. Especially in celeb culture where things are rarely as they’re presented to the public and deals are struck on the down-lo and played out in private. That is until they stop being private and/or things go too far.

    The other thing is Jim Carey, like a lot of men in HW, doesn’t have a track record of staying in relationships for the long haul. Thinking of GC who drinks heavily, can’t stay with one person and picked a fight with Fabio in a restaurant 2 yrs ago for no reason whatsoever. Bi polar?

    What about Brad Pitt? Was he self medicating when he strolled onto the red carpet at the premier of TCCOBB with an open beer bottle in tow? Bet you thought he gave up his druggy ways till months later QT told us otherwise and Pitt backed him up. However that red carpet incident should have told you something was up. Even if he has emotional difficulties, his default med seems to be getting high. He just can’t hide it as well as he used to.

    Is everything in these mens lives happening bc they’re bi polar too?

  64. Jag says:

    As a bipolar person, I can attest to the fact that there are good doctors and bad doctors. The trick is to keep going until you get a good one. Where medication is concerned, if the illness is bad enough for medication once, I believe it needs to be medicated forever. The illness is actually a problem with neurotransmitters in the brain, and the correct medications can help lessen this problem. (Only the correct ones. If they’re too hard to live with, they’re not the right ones.) If people who spiral go off their meds, they risk a lot. I know this firsthand because I have gone off my meds numerous times, and currently am not medicated. I can tell when I start spiraling either up or down, and it’s my intention to get back on my meds asap because I’m starting to spiral. If he truly is bipolar and went off his meds, he’s being selfish in thinking that he’s okay when it’s clear that he’s not because his wife left him. If it’s that bad, the person with bipolar needs to do for the “greater good” and go back on his/her meds. We could always tell when my mother was on her antidepressants because she was a pleasant person; when she wouldn’t take them, she was abusive. When I’m normal or medicated, I’m calm; when I’m un-medicated and manic, I get shrill and defensive, and when I’m un-medicated and depressed, I want to crawl into a hole and die.

    And for the record, in my 41 years, I’ve never been arrested, I’m not violent, and the worst thing I’d do is cuss you out if I were very manic and something you did really set me off. That would take a lot, too, because typically I just walk away, even if I’m manic. Not all mentally ill people are dangerous. Most live normal, peaceful lives once they get things under control.

  65. Moocow says:

    chakrapoint – I prefer crazy over bipolar thank you ver much, so each mentally ill person to their own I guess!

  66. Anti-icon says:

    Boy is the house packed with armchair psychiatrists or what? Meds can be AS LETHAL as not being on meds. It is the individual person’s right and responsibility to manage his or her own health care. Sounds to me like that is exactly what Jim Carey is doing. Bravo and good luck, man. You’re a comic genius.

  67. Amy says:

    Jim is one of my favorite actors because his movie antics makes me laugh. It is funny that whenever I feel sad, I’d watch any of his movies especially Liar Liar or Fun with Dick and Jane to bring the guffaws on.Bipolar is a serious psychiatric iillness and I hope he is adhering to his mental health professional advice and treatment.He is a talented actor.

  68. paranel says:

    Jim always acted ” different” . I feel bad for both but life goes on.

  69. NicoleAM says:

    always liked JC…I’ve been on meds for over 9 yrs for my “personality defect”. I stopped taking them a few months ago…Not much difference, I still feel like shit. All the best, Jim.

  70. DIANNE...ELVIS says:

    WELL I AM LIVING IN A SMALL TOWN CALLED GATINEAU, QUEBEC, CANADA AND A LOT OF PEOPLE STRUGGLE EVERYDAY WITH MED.S PROBLEMS AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT IS THANKS TO THE DOC WHO DOES NOT ALWAYS DO HIS HOMEWORK AND THEN THE HOUSE OF CARD COLLAPSE AND THAT IS IT…LIKE I SAID I AM STUCK ON MED’S MYSELF AND IT IS NOT EASY SPECIALLY WHEN YOU SAY ( O.K. HAD ENOUGH WANT TO STOP) OUP! I CAN’T THERE IS THE PROBLEM CALLED I AM ADDICTED HOW IN THE WOLRD THIS HAPPEN …WELL YOU DON’T KNOW TILL YOU RUN OUT ..SURPRISE DON’T GO THERE IT HURST SO I CAN JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH HE MUST BE FEELING TRYING TO STOP AND ONLY TO REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT EASY THOSE PILLS THAT THEY GIVE YOU DON’T COME WITH THE STICKER SAYING ONE DAY WENT YOU GONNA WANNA STOP IT WILL BE ” MISSION IMPOSSIBLE ” FROM THE WHO WANTS NOTHING BETTER THEN TO GET WELL BUT AT WHAT PRICE?? SO JIM HANG IN THERE YOU HAVE MONEY WE DON’T SO USE IT AND GET WELL AND PLS COME BACK ALL NICE AND FRESH IF POSSIBLE…DIANNE P.S. EXCUSE MY FRENCH HEY AM FRENCH WHAT CAN I SAY I DO MY BEST TO WRITE IN ENGLISH ..

  71. Gia says:

    After losing my career,home,family,car etc to bipolar, while on meds… and how can I forget the many suicide attempts… one might ask..would my life be better without any drugs? Afterall I had only been on every available ‘anti bipolar meds’ for the past 15 yrs of my life. Should I wait 15More years, maybe less? Its been widely published that bipolar can be medically treated! I beg to differ!! I have weaned myself of this’ addiction’… chronic meds that almost destroyed me. I refuse to resign myself to the blatant misperception that there is an anti biopolar recipe, which includes a liver damaging cocktail which might work. I am tired of supporting my shrink, financialy. The best advise for me is to eat healthily, exercise,no alcohol or drugs, pray,meditate and keep stress levels very low. There will be relapses but I will recover and please dont let the world pity you.