text: Kim Kardashian-West asks for 'compassion' for her 'brilliant but complicated' husband Kanye West
  TV star asked that the public and media give Kanye support as he suffers from a bi-polar episode
  By Josie Ensor, US Correspondent 22 July 2020 • 7:23pm
  The rapper announced he had bi-polar depression in 2018 and has in the past lamented that he feels medication stifles his creativity Credit: AP
  Kim Kardashian-West, the reality TV star, has appealed for "compassion" for her husband Kanye West, the rapper who is running for president, who she says is suffering from a bi-polar episode.
  West has made a number of troubling social media posts since announcing his plan to run in the November election, sparking fears for his mental health.
  He held a rally in South Carolina at the weekend under his self-styled Birthday Party banner and wept as he talked about shame he felt over wanting to abort his eldest child.
  Since the appearance he has tweeted rambling remarks on subjects ranging from politics to his marriage, from his ranch in Wyoming.
  Rapper Kanye West holds his first rally in support of his presidential bid in North Charleston Credit: Reuters
  "As many of you know, Kanye has bi-polar disorder," Kardashian-West wrote on her Instagram page.
  West, 43, known as "Ye" to his fans, announced he had the illness in 2018 and has in the past lamented that he feels medication stifles his creativity. He was hospitalised for psychiatric treatment in 2016.
  Bi-polar disorder is a form of mental illness characterised by mood swings between extreme energy and activity and depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
  The Granny award-winning artist had written on Twitter of how he was trying to divorce Kardashian-West, 39, who was trying to get him committed to an institution.
  "Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor," said Kardashian-West, a businesswoman who first found fame on the TV reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.
  Kardarshian West appealed to her 150 million Instagram followers for compassion and empathy Credit: Instagram
  She called her husband, with whom she has four children, a "brilliant but complicated person".
  She said she has not spoken publicly about it before to protect her family's right to privacy. "But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health," she told her 180 million followers.
  "I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions," she said. "He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bi-polar disorder.
  "Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions," Kardashian-West wrote.
  West appeared to question on Tuesday whether he should postpone his planned 2020 run for the White House until 2024.
  "#2020vision, or maybe 24," he tweed. Kardashian-West did not mention her husband's bid in comments made on Wednesday.