Carrie Fisher: In the Fifties, my parents were known as 'America's swe...

Sometimes you can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell.

Carrie Fisher

recovery addiction heaven

Oh! This'll impress you - I'm actually in the Abnormal Psychology textbook. Obviously my family is so proud. Keep in mind though, I'm a PEZ dispenser and I'm in the abnormal Psychology textbook. Who says you can't have it all?

Carrie Fisher

psychology textbooks mind

Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

Carrie Fisher

positive inspirational friendship

No motive is pure. No one is good or bad-but a hearty mix of both. And sometimes life actually gives to you by taking away.

Carrie Fisher

motive sometimes giving

If my life wasn't funny it would just be true, and that is unacceptable.

Carrie Fisher

happier-days being-true inspirational

I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, I'm still surviving it, but bring it on. Better me than you.

Carrie Fisher

better-me ashamed ill

My heart's in the right place. I know, 'cuz I hid it there.

Carrie Fisher

funny-valentines-day witty love

I don't want to be caught ... ashamed of anything. And because generally someone who has bipolar doesn't have just bipolar, they have bipolar, and they have a life and a job and a kid and a hat and parents, so its not your overriding identity, it's just something that you have, but not the only thing - even if it's quite a big thing.

Carrie Fisher

parent jobs kids

Bipolar disorder can be a great teacher. It's a challenge, but it can set you up to be able to do almost anything else in your life.

Carrie Fisher

challenges depression teacher

You know the bad thing about being a survivor... You keep having to get into difficult situations in order to show off your gift.

Carrie Fisher

difficult-situations survivor order

There is no point at which you can say, "Well, I'm successful now. I might as well take a nap."

Carrie Fisher

moving-on success inspirational

You know how most illnesses have symptoms you can recognize? Like fever, upset stomach, chills, whatever. Well, with manic depression, it's sexual promiscuity, excessive spending, and substance abuse - and that just sounds like a fantastic weekend in Vegas to me!

Carrie Fisher

upset-stomach vegas weekend

I get lots of awards for being mentally ill. Apparently, I am better at being mentally ill than almost anything else I've ever done. Seriously - I have a shelf of awards for being bipolar.

Carrie Fisher

bipolar awards done

The older you get, the easier it is to spot the phonies. And I just think, how unpleasant for them.

Carrie Fisher

phony easier thinking

I'm very sane about how crazy I am.

Carrie Fisher

sane crazy

Happy is one of the many things I'm likely to be over the course of a day and certainly over the course of a lifetime. But I think if you have the expectation that you're going to be happy throughout your life--more to the point, if you have a need to be comfortable all the time--well, among other things, you have the makings of a classic drug addict or alcoholic.

Carrie Fisher

drug expectations thinking

There's no room for demons when you're self-possessed.

Carrie Fisher

demon self rooms

It's hard to date once you're a big Star Wars star because you don't want to give people the ability to say, "I had sex with Princess Leia."

Carrie Fisher

stars war sex

Mothers are great. They outlast everything. But when they're bad, they're the worst thing that can happen.

Carrie Fisher

worst mother happens

From here on out, there's just reality. I think that's what maturity is: a stoic response to endless reality. But then, what do I know?

Carrie Fisher

maturity reality thinking

In the Fifties, my parents were known as 'America's sweethearts'. Their pictures graced the covers of all the newspapers. They were the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston of their day.