McKenna then admitted that he also struggles with alcohol problems and drugs, while clarifying that his bipolar symptoms differ from his General Hospital costar\u2019s. (Benard, 62, has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.)<\/p>\n
\u201cOur journey is different, and my symptoms are different than yours,\u201d McKenna explained. \u201cBut I had my first breakdown when I was a teenager and then lived my whole life with this disorder undiagnosed\u2026Which is, you know, fascinating in retrospect\u2026I lived my whole life with this disorder undiagnosed and then experienced heavy psychothermia, which is talked about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \t\t\t \n\t\t\tThe connection between mental health and substance misuse is frequently misunderstood and underreported. In March 2025, Us Weekly presented \u2018The Missing Issue\u2019 \u2014 which was dedicated to an exploration of co-occurring disorders. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), approximately 48.5 million Americans battle substance misuse \u2014 and approximately 50 percent [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n He continued, \u201cAnd then culminating in Covid, when I had my first dangerous depression since a teenager, which was followed by a manic psychotic episode which required hospitalization. And that\u2019s when I finally got the diagnosis. And this is just a few years ago, at the end of Covid, that I needed my whole life. And I got on medication, lithium. And that\u2019s where I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n Elsewhere in the interview, McKenna spoke about his experience as a child actor who began pursuing roles at age 7, as well as his starring role on One Life to Live, which he nabbed at age 12.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were trying to do adult storylines with me. I was 6\u20193\u201d playing 18, but I was only 15,\u201d McKenna said, noting that his first kiss was with an actress who was 20 years old at the time.<\/p>\n He ended up being replaced a few years later, and enrolled in high school to experience his teen years differently.<\/p>\n The Mayo Clinic<\/a> describes bipolar disorder as \u201ca mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings.\u201d Those mood swings can include highs, known as \u201cmania or hypomania,\u201d and lows, \u201cknown as depression.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayo Clinic also notes there are several types of bipolar disorder that are marked by different symptoms, including hypomanic and depressive episodes, \u201cmany periods\u201d of hypomania and\/or depression and unpredictable changes in mood. \u201cBipolar disorder can start at any age, but usually it\u2019s diagnosed in the teenage years or early 20s. Symptoms can differ from person to person, and symptoms may vary over time,\u201d the website for the medical center also explains.<\/p>\n Benard first went public about his own diagnosis in 2000. In an April 2020 interview with People<\/a>, he explained why he waited as long as he did to tell the public.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t talk about it because an acting coach told me that if I said I was bipolar or mentally ill, I wouldn\u2019t get cast,\u201d Benard said. He also admitted to having experienced anxiety, suicidal thoughts, manic outbursts and even bouts of violence.<\/p>\n \t\tThank You!<\/p>\n You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n Benard further described his experiences with the disorder in his memoir, Nothing General About It. \u201cI let myself be vulnerable in this book,\u201d he admitted to People. \u201cAnd especially when I did the audiobook recording \u2014 oh man, I would cry like a baby and then pull myself together and keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Feature](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Feature-The-Valley-Alum-Jesse-Lally-Francia-Raisa-and-More-Discuss-Connection-Between-Mental-Health-and-Addiction-02.jpg?crop=0px%2C57px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=400%2C225&quality=40&strip=all\")
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n Related: Stars Get Real About the Connection Between Mental Health and Addiction<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chris-mckenna-2206485219.jpg\")
\n Chris McKenna Christine Bartolucci\/Disney via Getty Images<\/p>\n
![\"Recognizing](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Recognizing-and-Treating-Co-Occurring-Disorders.jpg?crop=0px%2C199px%2C1998px%2C1131px&resize=400%2C225&quality=86&strip=all\")