# Armchair psychiatrists/physicians: what's Sinead O'Connor's illness? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117 "2017-08-08T18:10:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117/1 "2017-08-08T18:10:29Z")
Looks like Sinead O’Connor has posted a [youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buhNEl3LTRo) of herself talking about her mental illness, and having a bit of a meltdown. It’s a long one, so I haven’t watched it all yet. What do you think is wrong with her, specifically? Is it borderline personality disorder, squared? Maybe she has schizophrenia. I do remember her tirade against Prince way back in the early 90’s, so this has been going on for a long time. I wish she’d get help. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117/2 "2017-08-08T18:19:56Z")
I have no idea, but my guess would be bipolar disorder that she is self-medicating with drugs/alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117/3 "2017-08-08T20:05:32Z")
Quite sad, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117/4 "2017-08-08T21:11:00Z")
I don’t think it’s BPD or schizophrenia. She doesn’t really have the symptoms of either. Severe depression’s very much in the mix, but whether it’s depression from bipolar, I don’t know. From what I’ve read she’s terribly suicidal and actually, I’m surprised she’s still alive. That poor woman. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117/5 "2017-08-08T23:38:36Z")
I’m pulling this directly out of my ass, but the fact that she keeps talking about everyone abandoning her could implicate borderline personality disorder. Other than that? Maybe bipolar, depression and/or anxiety. Mental illness sucks. She mentioned having 3 mental illnesses. I’d guess borderline, bipolar & an anxiety disorder. Having said that, I have seen people get much better with the right combo of medications, lifestyle changes and right therapies. However finding the right combo is not easy, it is sadly a process that involves a lot of research, dead ends and hit or miss efforts. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117/6 "2017-08-09T00:06:06Z")
According to [this](https://www.verywell.com/sinead-oconnor-misdiagnosed-with-bipolar-379756), it is PTSD, depression and something else. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armchair-psychiatrists-physicians-whats-sinead-oconnors-illness/793117/7 "2017-08-09T01:17:26Z")
If I condemn genuine psychiatrists for diagnosing Donald Trump as insane, how can I, a guy with NO qualifications, analyze a woman I’ve never met?