NEED TO KNOW
\nIn PEOPLE\u2019s exclusive first look at the Dec. 21 episode of Maurice Benard\u2019s State of Mind podcast, guest Chris McKenna reveals his bipolar diagnosis for the first timeMcKenna shares that the Covid lockdown triggered a mental health crisis for him, and he was hospitalizedIt was after treatment that doctors determined he had bipolar: \u201cI finally got my diagnosis that I needed my whole life\u201d<\/p>\n
General Hospital<\/a> star Chris McKenna<\/a> shared that he\u2019s been diagnosed with bipolar disorder<\/a>, and has required hospitalization for treatment, in the past.\n<\/p>\n In PEOPLE\u2019s exclusive first look at McKenna\u2019s Dec. 21 appearance on Maurice Benard<\/a>\u2019s State of Mind podcast, the soap star, 48, shared that his struggles hit a breaking point during the COVID shutdown<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt just lingered on and on … the monotony and not, like, moving on with my life,\u201d McKenna, who plays Jack Brennan on the long-running ABC hit, explained. \u201cI was back at home and it really started to do a number on my mental health in particular.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Maurice Benard and Chris McKenna on “State of Mind.”.<\/p>\n State of Mind<\/p>\n \u201cAnything, like, specific for you that happened as far as you want to talk about or anything?\u201d Benard, 62, asked.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I’ll talk about the fact that I have bipolar disorder,\u201d McKenna said. \u201cThis is the first time I’m ever talking about it publicly.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cSo, from one bipolar to another bipolar,\u201d Benard, who has been frank about his own mental health struggles<\/a> and the challenges of living with bipolar disorder, began, \u201cHow you doing, brother?\u201d\n<\/p>\n \u201cI’m doing good right now. It hasn’t always been the case, but I’m good right now.\u201d\n<\/p>\n McKenna went on to share that he\u2019s struggled with alcohol and drugs, and that his first challenges came early in life. \u201cI had my first breakdown when I was a teenager and then lived my whole life with this disorder undiagnosed, which is fascinating in retrospect.\u201d\n<\/p>\n He shared that he experienced \u201cheavy cyclothemia<\/a>\u201d \u2014 a rare mood disorder that causes extreme highs and lows, per the Mayo Clinic<\/a> \u2014\u00a0during COVID; That\u2019s what triggered \u201cmy first dangerous depression since [I was] a teenager, which was followed by a manic psychotic episode which required hospitalization.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n