SNL's Bowen Yang Says He 'Powered Through' His Mental Health 'Rough Patch' After 'Bad Bouts of Depersonalization'

Mar. 15, 2025

Bowen Yang.Photo:Bruce Glikas/Getty

Bruce Glikas/Getty

Bowen Yangis giving an update on his mental health after sharing his struggles with fans this summer.

During the 2023 American Museum of Natural History Gala Thursday, theSaturday Night Livestar, 33, spoke toPageSixand said that he’s been doing much better since having “bad bouts of depersonalization.”

According to theMayo Clinic, depersonalization is a psychological condition in which a person regularly feels that they are having an out-of-body experience and that their surroundings are not real.

“My mental health is great,” the comedian told the outlet.

“It’s very good,” he said. “I had a really rough patch and people were very patient with me. It’s hard but you know, I barreled through. I powered through.”

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Bowen Yang at the American Museum of Natural History’s 2023 Museum Gala.Bryan Bedder/Variety via Getty Images

Bryan Bedder/Variety via Getty Images

Yang first discussed his mental health battle in July, announcing that he was taking a brief pause from hisLas Culturistaspodcast.

“Taking a very short break from [Las Culturistas]. Bad bouts of depersonalization are f—ing me up bad, but I am doing my best to get better! Please take care, be soon,” he wrote on his Instagram Story.

After a three-week hiatus, Yang explained his absence and said he’d been having issues with the antidepressantWellbutrin. The medication is frequently used to improve mood and feelings of well-being.

“So I was on Wellbutrin and — full transparency — I got a low dose of Adderall just to help with the travel, to help with adjusting to the hours,” said Yang, who was in the midst of filmingWickedwhen he announced his hiatus from the podcast.

“It’s not working,” theNora From Queensactor explained. “I was talking to some friends last night about how Wellbutrin really is not doing it for a lot of people. And if it’s working for you, God bless. But Wellbutrin isn’t for me.”

Bowen Yang.Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

Although he returned to his podcast, Yang emphasized that he was continuing his journey towards greater understanding of his mental health.

“This is a self-knowledge journey that we’re on, for me at least,” Yang said at the time. “We’ll just leave it at that.”

“There was a huge chasm of misunderstanding,” Yang said. “Neither side really understood where the other was coming from, and it led to very dangerous situations overall.”

“What was always constant was the intention of love from both sides,” he added. “It pushed me into questioning what it meant, what was protected and what I should be protective about in terms of being a queer person. I don’t take it for granted."

source: people.com