According to a new tell-all book by his mother, Eminem — the famous singer, producer and actor — has been grappling with some form of bipolar disorder (also known as manic depression) for most of his life.

The book, entitled, My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem, was written by Eminem’s mother, Debbie Nelson. In her new book, she revealed that her rapper son, Eminem, 35, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, has grappled with manic depression his entire life.

Eminem’s manic depression as an adult reportedly worsened when his ex-wife Kim Mathers birthed their daughter Hailie (now 11). He apparently had another bout with bipolar disorder again when the couple divorced in 2006.

A “family friend” told Life & Style magazine, “She just hopes he’ll read it and realize how loved he is. She fears she’ll end up burying him unless he gets help… We all see him teetering on the edge of self-destruction.”

Eminem and his mother have had a rocky relationship since he became famous. The singer and producer has repeatedly complained about his mother to friends and reportedly in numerous songs, resulting in his mother filing a $7 million defamation lawsuit in 2002.

Despite the poor relationship, Eminem did apparently help out his mother by paying her medical bills when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The new book is currently available in the UK and is expected to be published in the U.S. in early 2008.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 13 Dec 2007
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