hfychology textbook. >> reporter: in carrie fisher's one-woman broadway show puishful drinking," the actress used her bipolar disorder as a punchline. >> so i'm not crazy. that (bleep) is. oklaughter ) >> reporter: in 2009, fisher spoke to charlie rose about her illness. >> if you declare something, it has less power over you, far less. say your weak things in a strong voice. >> reporter: it's that exact sentiment that turned mourning into meaning for people suffering from mental illness around the world. "in honor of carrie" is a hashtag sports reporter julie dicaro created when she heard that fisher had died, revealing her own battle with depression. >> when you see all these people saying it, maybe it changes the ideal for people of what mental illness is. r: reporter: since fisher's foath, thousands have followed her example and opened up about their own struggles. jen ramos met the actress in a college class and wrote, "my mental illness does not define me. it does not have me, as carrie said to me.