Jax Taylor, an American television personality, opened up about his mental health struggles and diagnosis of bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for the first time on Instagram. This post came from him shortly after his wife and co-star Brittany Cartwright filed for divorce.
Jax Taylor, known for his fame from Vanderpump Rules, a reality series, posted on Instagram about his mental health struggles for the first time. He said, “A little over a month ago, I checked into an intensive inpatient treatment facility scared of the unknown and what I would find out about myself. After many years of knowing something was wrong but not knowing exactly what it was, I recently learned that I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD.”
Bipolar disorder is a condition where a person experiences huge mood swings from high to low and vice versa.
At one extreme, they can be severely depressed, showing signs of low mood, sadness, and a lack of energy and interest in their lives. At another extreme, they can have manic episodes where they are emotionally high, excited, sometimes irritable, and aggressive.
Between these episodes, they can have long periods of emotional stability. The hard part is they don’t know when they could get an episode of mood shift. The cause could be genetic or high stress.
The problems faced by them could be strained relationships, financial and legal issues, difficulty managing themselves, and in severe cases, they might need inpatient treatment in a hospital.
While this can be tough to cure, it can be managed with proper guidance from doctors and other healthcare professionals. [1]
PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is a condition where a person who encounters a highly stressful event experiences severe anxiety and uncontrollable thoughts after the encounter.
Normally people who face a stressful event can have fear and anxiety post the event, which gets better after some time. However, people with PTSD can develop symptoms within months or even a year after the event and find it hard to manage their symptoms without external help.
The four symptoms are having intrusive thoughts, avoidance of triggers, a negative change in thinking and mood, and intense physical and emotional reactions. This can affect their day-to-day life and can also lead to other mental health diseases like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Seeking help early can help prevent PTSD from progressing. The mainstay of treatment is talk therapy and in severe cases, psychiatrists prescribe medicines. [2]
Mental health is a lifelong battle of not letting it control you but rather you learning to control it.Jax Taylor, American Television Personality
Jax Taylor, further added in his post, “It’s been a lot to process and an emotional time for me, however I’ve come home to my son with a new found sense of peace. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared for the future but my focus is just trying to be a better version of myself than I was yesterday. Mental health is a lifelong battle of not letting it control you but rather you learning to control it.”
In a post 4 weeks before the above, she had shared a picture with his 3-year-old son and stated, ” Working on getting better for you and myself, buddy, I love you.” Clearly, this states that his motivation to seek help is his son. A report from Page Six further reinforces this statement.
He ended the above post with gratitude for all those who supported him during this tough time.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright have been married since 2019 and have a 3-year-old son. Over the past 8 months, through their podcast When Reality Hits and social media, their tumultuous relationship has been revealed to the public.
Jax, in one of their episodes of their podcast that aired two months ago, said that he had met an amazing doctor who helped him discover the reason behind his anger issues. He also admitted that he wanted to work on it because he doesn’t want his son to see him act like that.
Cartwright added to this by saying that they wanted to exhaust all options before ending their relationship forever. However, a week ago, it was confirmed by news reports that she had proceeded with filing for divorce. She has also claimed full legal and physical custody of their son.
Their story highlights how unresolved mental health challenges can deeply affect not only the individual but also their close ones. Jax’s admission that he is seeking help for his struggles for his son not only shows the impact of awareness of such issues but also destigmatizes these disorders.
Despite efforts to make things work, the couple’s decision to end their marriage denotes how complex it is to handle the impact of such disorders. It emphasizes the need for early and prompt management of such conditions before they escalate to life-changing circumstances.
This is a powerful reminder of ongoing mental health support not only for the individual but also the family as a whole.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional if you have concerns about your mental health.
References:
Mayo Clinic. “Bipolar disorder - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic,” August 14, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955.
Mayo Clinic. “Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic,” August 16, 2024. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355967.
Zilio, Bernie. “Jax Taylor diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD after seeking mental health treatment.” Page Six, September 2, 2024. https://pagesix.com/2024/09/02/celebrity-news/jax-taylor-diagnosed-with-bipolar-disorder-and-ptsd-after-seeking-mental-health-treatment/.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/tv/jax-taylor-shares-his-mental-health-struggles-and-diagnoses-on-social-media-i-recently-learned-101725329423065.html
(Rehash/Dr. Shanjitha J Hussain/MSM)