Sharon Case explains Sharon Newman's state of mind on The Young and the Restless

On The Young and the Restless, Sharon Case plays Sharon Newman, who has bipolar disorder. She recently talked about mental illness with General Hospital’s Maurice Benard on his podcast State of Mind.

Sharon Case of The Young and the Restless

Fans and viewers of The Young and the Restless are well aware of Sharon Newman's (Sharon Case) battles with mental illness. Recently, Sharon’s ability to stabilize her mental health was exacerbated by her medication being tampered with and having PCP added to it. The real-life Sharon was invited to guest star on a podcast hosted by GH’s very own Maurice Benard, who plays mob boss Sonny Corinthos.

Sharon spoke about her Y&R counterpart, Sharon Newman, as having bipolar disorder, but she hadn’t been diagnosed until she had been playing the role for several years. Benard explained that as someone who has the disorder (as does his GH character, Sonny) he’s always bipolar; there is no cure so you just kind of deal with it. Case said her character on The Young and the Restless isn't the only bipolar character she’s played, but it's her niche now.

Case told Benard that when she first came onto the show, they didn't really use the bipolar aspect, and perhaps they hadn't even decided to go down that route. She then said that, at some point, they had just started writing what she described as some “really interesting behavior” for her. This went on for a while before it was announced that Sharon was diagnosed. Benard explained that no one spoke about mental illness or bipolar disorder for a long time, which is why he talks about it: because he wanted help. They both agreed that most people don't seek help because they do not know that help is available and that they are afraid of it. The two spoke about why we need more awareness so that others can reach out and help people who cannot — or do not — know how to help themselves.

Benard and Case discussed the importance of staying on prescribed medications. Benard shared that he has been taking lithium for 31 years, and he’s had no breakdowns but did the three times he has been off his medications. Case agreed that her character, Sharon, always has a setback, breakdown, or an event happen when she’s off her medication or it changes.

In her recent storyline involving Ian Ward (Ray Wise) and Aunt Jordan (Colleen Zenk). Sharon’s medication was tampered with, and it caused her target, whom she blamed for her daughter's death. That led to Y&R’s Sharon breaking into an apartment and attempting to poison a whiskey bottle. While that was happening, the man’s wife returned to the apartment and was murdered, and Sharon was so disoriented that she thought she had killed the woman. She ended up dragging the murdered woman downstairs and into her car, then dumping her body into a river. Sharon says, “This is what my character is doing, it's that out there.”

State of Mind with Maurice Benard

State of Mind with Maurice Benard is the actor’s way of normalizing communication and discussions around mental health and wellness. He invites guests of all different backgrounds to share their experiences and, by doing this, encourages his listeners to know they are not alone and to help improve their mental health. For those who are struggling with mental health, this can be a resource for those with anxiety, bipolar disorder, or depression and begin to build themselves a more positive mindset.

Maurice Benard is both an Emmy award-winning actor and New York Times bestselling author who has been speaking out about his mental health journey spanning 30 years, as well as writing several books about his experiences with bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. His podcast State of Mind is available to listen to on Apple Podcasts or YouTube.

Watch Sharon Case on The Young and the Restless weekdays on CBS or stream on Paramount Plus.