Glenn Close's Sister Jessie Wanted To Kill Herself: Glenn Opens Up Her About Sister's Mental Illness

In the new issue of People magazine, 67-year-old actress Glenn Close opens up, with her sister Jessie, who struggles with mental illness — and how Close saved her life.

"There was a voice saying 'Kill yourself, kill yourself,'" recalls Jessie, 61. "But I knew if I told her I might not do it."

After some time, the sisters drove to McLean Hospital near Boston where Jessie was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 51.

"My first reaction was shock, then relief, then sadness that she was in that much pain," revealed Close.

"I thank God Glennie was there," Jessie divulged. "She saved my life."

According to the Stanford Bipolar Disorder clinic, the illness affects 2.2 million Americans. Typically the disorder starts in adolescence or early adulthood and continues through one's life. Fifteen percent of patients end their lives in suicide.

Thankfully Jessie has not added to that statistic.

Close said that she always knew her sister was different, "She was incredibly imaginative and funny and unexpected."

However, like many that suffer from the disease, she had symptoms of mental unrest from a young age. "I remember seeing my sister rub between her thumb and forefinger until it was raw, and she was really little," The Fatal Attraction star stated. "Hurting yourself like that wasn't normal behavior. But I was only 11." 

As Stanford BDC states, many people that suffer with bipolar disorder have a severe struggle and impairment with job function, social activities and relationships.

Jessie went through five marriages and even took to drugs. "I started drinking when I was fourteen," Jessie said. "I self-medicated with alcohol and cocaine and LSD and whatever else you could imagine. I was a mess." 

Close founded Bring Change 2 Mind in 2010, a foundation to educate the public on the stigma of mental illness. Recently the foundation has partnered with Philosophy's Hope & Grace Initiative to help mental illness efforts.