Hollywood actress Catherine Zeta-Jones has urged fellow bipolar disorder patients to seek help for the condition, declaring: "There is no need to suffer silently."
The Chicago star hit the headlines earlier this month (Apr11) after she checked into a mental health facility in Connecticut, where she spent five days combating a serious bout of depression.
Now Zeta-Jones has opened up about her bipolar disorder, admitting she hopes to inspire others afflicted by the mental illness to get professional treatment.
She tells People.com, "This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them. If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it. There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help."
The 41 year old struggled through a difficult year after her husband Michael Douglas was diagnosed with throat cancer last summer (10).