I have looked up to Carrie Fisher for a very long time. When I was a little girl, seeing her on screen as a strong heroine inspired me. When I got older, seeing her speak out about mental health and addiction inspired me. After I was diagnosed with bipolar, I really respected the way in which she shared her story. It seems like most celebrities with MI share their stories like "I hit rock bottom, went to rehab, and now everything is great!" which may well be true for them, and if so that's great, but I can't relate to that. Carrie was always open, always talked about the negative effects of treatment, never pretended that she had a full recovery or that she never relapsed into addiction again... her story resonated with me deeply.

I've read all her books (I recommend especially Wishful Drinking and Shockaholic for those interested) and her straightforward, brash, and funny way of addressing her mental health made me feel better and helped me to address my mental health in the same way.

After she died I got a tattoo that was a modernized version of the tattoo she had on her ankle. It means a lot to me. I'm currently designing another tattoo that will include a quote from her (the one in my signature). I was absolutely devastated when she died. It still hurts.