Bipolar and Brilliant, Vivien Leigh

Mental Health Monday

Vivien Leigh was most known for her role as Scarlett O’hara in Gone With the Wind. She won an Oscar for best actress for her role as Scarlet, she won another Oscar for her role in A Streetcar Named Desire. She was a phenomenal actress, who like many, was also bipolar.

Vivien was an insomniac, needing only 3-4 hours of sleep a night. In 1944 she lost a baby to a fall that happened on set, it is thought that the loss of her baby brought forth her illness. Soon after she was diagnosed with tuberculosis.

Little was known about bipolar disorder at that time. Lithium was not yet being used to treat bipolar, Vivien instead received shock therapy. Shock therapy was not administered with the same level of care as it is today. Vivien often would often have burns on her temples after her treatment. Her physical and mental health were worsening, she was drinking heavily, and having marital problems. All of theses factors combined, led to a breakdown during her filming of Elephant Walk (she was replaced by Elizabeth Taylor).

Despite her illnesses, she continued to work, and won her second Oscar during this time. In 1960 her marriage to Laurence Olivier ended in divorce. In 1967 she died of tuberculosis.