Chris McKenna is opening up about his health diagnosis.
The “General Hospital” star, 48, revealed he has bipolar disorder during an upcoming episode of co-star Maurice Benard’s “State of Mind” podcast, per People.
McKenna, who portrays Jack Brennan on the ABC soap, shared that his condition worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It just lingered on and on … the monotony and not, like, moving on with my life,” the actor explained. “I was back at home and it really started to do a number on my mental health in particular.”
“Anything, like, specific for you that happened as far as you want to talk about or anything?” Benard, 62, inquired.
McKenna took the opportunity to open up about his disorder.
“Well, I’ll talk about the fact that I have bipolar disorder,” he divulged. “This is the first time I’m ever talking about it publicly.”
“So, from one bipolar to another bipolar,” Benard responded, “How you doing, brother?”
“I’m doing good right now,” McKenna confessed. “It hasn’t always been the case, but I’m good right now.”
The soap star previously struggled with drugs and alcohol.
“I had my first breakdown when I was a teenager and then lived my whole life with this disorder undiagnosed,” McKenna added, “which is fascinating in retrospect.”
The ABC vet also experienced “heavy cyclothemia,” which is a mood disorder that “causes emotional ups and downs,” per the Mayo Clinic, during COVID.
“[It triggered] my first dangerous depression since [I was] a teenager, which was followed by a manic psychotic episode which required hospitalization.”
At one point, McKenna dealt with delusions and believed he could read minds. Despite thinking it was from marijuana use, the television writer eventually accepted his diagnosis once he was hospitalized.
“I finally got my diagnosis that I needed my whole life and got on medication, and that’s where I am today.”
Meanwhile, Benard, who has played mob boss Sonny Corinthos for three decades, was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 22.
And when he joined the soap in 1993, the “All My Children” alum initially thought it would be short-lived.
“When I first started … I had my third manic episode,” Benard told The Post in 2023.
“So it sticks in my head how loyal and incredible they were not to fire me. If I want to leave or something, I always think about that time.”
Benard has taken home three Daytime Emmys for his role.
In 2023, the soap, which remains the longest-running scripted drama on TV, celebrated 60 years on air.
The secret to success is “a lot of hard work” and “fans who are more loyal than any fans in the whole world,” Benard detailed.
“I watched it when I was sick when I was about 13,” he recalled. “I watched ‘All My Children’ and ‘General Hospital,’ and I ended up being on both shows.”
Over the years, “General Hospital” has had a series of cast shakeups.
In October, Kirsten Storms revealed she was temporarily leaving Port Charles to undergo surgery for an aneurysm.
She had portrayed Maxie since 2005.
Sofia Mattsson left in July after seven years, while Eva LaRue announced her abrupt departure in August. She left after just one year of playing Natalia Rogers-Ramirez, the love interest to Sonny.
“I had a blast at ‘General Hospital,’ LaRue, 58, shared at the time. “I loved being there and I had a lot of really great scenes and I loved everybody that I got to work with. It was just an awesome experience, and I was really glad that I got to stay longer than I was supposed to.”
Kelly Monaco also blasted the soap last summer after she was fired following 21 years.
Kin Shriner, who played Scott Baldwin from 1977 to 2024, confirmed he was let go from the show last year too.
