But unlike most people who struggled with mental health and addiction in the ’70s and ’80s, Fisher shared her story with the world—first in Postcards and then in a succession of other books, including Wishful Drinking, Delusions of Grandma, Shockaholic and Surrender the Pink.
The significance of her choosing to open up about her struggles can’t be stressed enough. We live in a world where we’re supposed to only be projecting lives that showcase our prettiest parts and shroud the darkness; the female lead of the most iconic movie of its time was pretty much obligated to only show the bright and shiny. Fisher took the opposite route.
But what’s just as important as the fact that Fisher came clean about getting clean is how she did it. The woman was an unparalleled quip machine, and while that may not stand out in the tweetable world we now live in, no one was finding addiction hilarious in the ’80s. Then along came a book that opened with the line “Maybe I shouldn’t have given the guy who pumped my stomach my phone number but who cares? My life is over anyway.” The fact that the book was written by Princess Leia, of all people, meant that the way society looked at addiction would never be the same. When she later shared about being bipolar with similar hilarity, she gave mental health awareness the same gift.
Because here’s the thing: one of the most shocking aspects of recovery is the realization that sober alcoholics and addicts are oftentimes hilarious about some of the darkest things imaginable. A 12-step meeting can be far more entertaining than a comedy club. It’s something that those outside of recovery can’t really understand—what do you mean, you sit in church basements talking about your darkest moments and laugh? But Fisher was the first to try to let so-called regular folks peak behind the sober addict’s comedy curtain.