Carrie Fisher was honored for opening up about dealing with her bipolar disorder and raising awareness about the condition Friday in Salt Lake City.
The Huffington Post reported that Fisher received the Utah Film Center's Kim Peek Award for Disability in Media.
"I grew up in this kind of fishbowl existence and I figured, if people were going to say it about me, then I was going to say it first and I was going to say it better. It's my way of trying to own a situation-either you have a problem or it has you," 56-year-old Fisher explained as quoted by Examiner.
She shared her journey dealing with bipolar disorder that she publicly announced in 2000 in "An Evening With Carrie Fisher" which was sponsored by the film center. Geralyn Dreyfous, the film center founder, congratulated Fisher for being able to share her disorder with humor, defiance and grace.
Fisher also said that people dealing with bipolar disorder face the choice of either being a victim of it or "taking it on and flying in the face of it," Examiner reported the actress' advice.