It’s been a year since Gucci Mane opened up about his bipolar disorder and schizophrenia episodes, and he’s saying it once felt like “a total loss of control.”

“The episode is a brief daze, up to a week, to a month, of me not really thinking rational, hearing voices, and not being myself, and at the same time doing things that are super irresponsible,” Gucci told ABC News’ Byron Pitts.

Gucci is adding another layer to the conversation he first pushed into public view through his book, “Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man.”

In the interview, Gucci said he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, had a serious episode during the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually decided he needed real help. According to People, that turning point led him to therapy, medication, and a more direct approach to managing his mental health. 

His wife, Keyshia Ka’oir has been central to that process. During an interview with The Breakfast Club, she said she has a system for catching the warning signs early, including deleting Instagram and other apps from his phone, changing passwords, and watching for changes in his behavior. She said the signs can include wanting to be left alone, not eating, not sleeping, and sending text messages that look different than usual. 

Gucci is not presenting his recovery as some overnight fix. He said he recognized that if he wanted to stay healthy for himself and his family, he had to do the work and stop pretending he could just push through it. He also said stress, drugs, and alcohol were triggers he had to take seriously. 

Gucci Mane is using his platform to make mental health look more like maintenance than a struggle. He is not hiding the diagnosis, and he is not pretending the work is easy. He is saying, out loud, that treatment, accountability, and support are part of staying alive and staying well.