The True Story of Elisa Lam’s Death: The Role That Bipolar Played
Elisa Lam was a 21-year-old Canadian student who had traveled to Los Angeles in February 2013. She had stayed at The Cecil Hotel in Skid Row. Elisa was seen behaving erratically before being found dead in a water tank atop the hotel. Following her death, internet sleuths came up with all kinds of reasons for her death when there was a perfectly plausible explanation. Elisa had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder some years earlier. She had even blogged about it. She had also been hospitalized for bipolar disorder in the past. At the time of her death, she had been inconsistent with her medications. Investigators ruled that Elisa had died in part due to bipolar disorder.
What Happened?
After she died, investigators looked at Lam’s final moments. Several days before she disappeared, Elisa had attended a taping of Conan O'Brien’s late night television show. However, she had been escorted off the property because she was acting erratically.
When Elisa first arrived at the hotel, she had been sharing a room with several other females. She kept leaving strange notes in their beds telling them to “Get Out.” They were concerned about her behavior and asked that she be moved to another room. The hotel moved her to a private room as a result.
On the day she disappeared, Elisa is seen acting strangely in a hotel elevator. She appeared to be hiding from someone and was erratically pressing the elevator buttons. She also displayed psychomotor agitation, which is a common symptom of bipolar.
When the video footage was released to the public, it ignited a frenzy. Some people believed that she came across a nefarious paranormal entity. Others believed that she was trying to hide from someone in the elevator.
The medical examiner ruled her death as an accidental drowning in the autopsy report. Bipolar disorder was listed as a significant factor in her death. However, this hasn’t stopped the endless speculation about how she died. Many people continue to insist that she was murdered.
Why It’s So Hard To Believe
There is a Netflix documentary about Elisa’s death, “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” that talks about her death. Investigators say that Elisa’s behavior was entirely consistent with her diagnosis. Her behavior in the elevator is consistent with bipolar psychosis symptoms. Even so, people still don’t understand how she died. People find it hard to believe that bipolar would lead her to climb into a water tank above the hotel. This explanation seems unsatisfying. Therefore, people continue to come up with alternative explanations like that she was murdered or on illegal drugs. However, there were not any illicit drugs in her system when she died, nor were there signs of forced entry into her room.
Harmful Bipolar Disorder Stereotypes
There are many harmful stereotypes about bipolar disorder. These stereotypes are what makes Elisa’s death explanation so hard to believe. People believe that bipolar disorder is just mood swings, which isn’t true. The reality is that symptoms like paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations can occur with bipolar disorder, and they can be very serious. These symptoms can cause someone to act erratically and unintentionally hurt themselves, just as Elisa did on the days before she went missing.
Learn more about the symptoms of bipolar disorder.
What Must We Do?
When we see loved ones with bipolar disorder behaving in this manner, it’s important to get them help. Start by talking to them. Encourage them to make an appointment with a psychiatrist or other mental health provider.
If your loved one refuses treatment and is so severely ill that they are a danger to themselves or others, you may have to take matters into your own hands. This could mean calling or texting 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If it’s an immediate danger, call 911 and ask for a mental health crisis team if available in your area.
