
What is Kanye West Diagnosed With?
Kanye West’s mental health has been called into question multiple times over the years. The music mogul has had several episodes of erratic behavior and has spent time in psychiatric facilities over the years. Still, the nature of his mental health journey is a bit confusing. While West revealed he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder years ago, he has since said it was a misdiagnosis.
Kanye West revealed a bipolar disorder diagnosis years ago
Kanye West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 after a manic episode, though the music mogul didn’t really talk about it until a couple of years later. In 2019, he sat down with David Letterman to discuss his mental health journey. During an appearance on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction, West got real about his manic episodes, periods of paranoia, and how he was traumatized by protocols in mental health facilities. He also discussed his take on mood stabilizing medications and how bipolar disorder is treated in America.
West had been open and honest about his mental health journey, even acknowledging that he considered the disorder a benefit. He once described bipolar disorder as his “superpower” in creative terms. While he initially used medications to stabilize his mood, West said he had embraced a more holistic approach to managing the disorder, fearing medication might alter his creative abilities. The admission left fans concerned about West. Untreated bipolar disorder can lead to dangerous and erratic behavior.
Kanye West has since suggested he doesn’t have bipolar disorder
While Kanye West discussed his mood disorder at length several times over the years, he even agreed with the diagnosis. He’s since changed his stance. West now claims he was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. Instead, he claims he has autism. In February 2025, West appeared on The Download and revealed the change in diagnosis.
West said that Bianca Censori encouraged him to seek a second opinion and undergo testing. He did so and received an autism diagnosis instead of a bipolar diagnosis. Both can occur simultaneously, although West suggests that’s not the case for him. The rapper went on to claim the change in diagnosis helped him understand himself and how the public perceives him better. He went on to say he’s no longer on any medication or supplementation, although he claimed the same years earlier. It is unclear what medication he was initially given to treat his mental health concerns, or exactly when he stopped taking them.