Gucci Mane and his wife, Keyshia Ka'oir, are sharing insights into how they navigate his struggles with mental health. Earlier this month, the 45-year-old Atlanta rapper released his third book, "Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man," revealing his diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In the book, he reflects on his life, career, and past legal troubles while providing context to the mental health challenges he faced at the time.
On Monday, October 20th, during a joint interview on "The Breakfast Club," the couple discussed managing his episodes and the warning signs he exhibits. "I have a system," Ka'oir, 40, explained. "I take his apps off his phone. First thing I do, I delete Instagram. I delete everything. Even if I have to change his password, I'm changing it because I don't need the public to know he's having an episode."
She continued, "I control that. You're not going on Instagram, you're not going on Twitter, it's deleted. I control everything at home." Ka'oir added that she catches the warning signs before an episode occurs, such as when he doesn't speak to her, wants to be left alone, doesn't eat or sleep, and there's a pause after each word in his text messages.
Gucci explained that he wouldn't even realize he was behaving that way, noting that his episodes feel like he's in a "psychosis" or a "warped world." He said he hears voices in his mind and thinks people are against him. Ka'oir said she would have to enter "mother mode" and ensure her husband was getting the proper care he needed during his episodes. She admitted it was a "scary moment," but she knew she needed to be by his side.
Schizophrenia, which affects 2.4 million adults in the United States, is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is associated with hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior that impair daily functioning and can be disabling. Bipolar disorder is a manic-depressive illness of the brain that causes extreme changes in mood and energy levels, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Patients often experience intense emotions and disruption to sleep patterns and their ability to think clearly, which can last for days or even weeks with no clear way of predicting when one period will end and another will begin.
Gucci, whose real name is Radric Davis, explained during the interview that he had an episode in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed him to be transparent about his mental health and finally seek help. "After that, I was like, man, I got to really just hold myself accountable and take care of my health. I don't ever want to have an episode again. If I have to see a therapist, if I have to take medicine...I kinda threw the towel in, like, do what I need to do to get better."
The "King Snipe" rapper said Ka'oir was also pregnant with their son at the time and he was concerned about entering the next phase of their life together while struggling. "I don't want to raise a family, and then my mental health is gone. What if I have an episode I can't come back from?" he said. "So I just started to do the work, started seeking the help."
Gucci said he ultimately started therapy and was prescribed medication for his mental health conditions. He was also able to recognize his triggers: drug and alcohol use and stress. The hip-hop artist said he's now doing well and doesn't deal with any episodes, crediting the steps he took to get himself back on track. "You got to do the work yourself if you want to really get better," he said. "People can want it for you, but you still got to want it more than they do."
