Who Is Hilda Spellman's Mental Illness?

When asked by the Canadian TV Guide to name the most common message she receives in her fan mail, actress Caroline Rhea stated, “I get ones that say, ‘Dear Aunt Hilda, I'm crazy too’”(“Magic,” 1999). Rhea, who plays Hilda Spellman on the wildly popular television series Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, does not deny her character’s oftentimes unconventional behaviors. In fact, both the actress and her fans adore Aunt Hilda Spellman due to the character’s charmingly ecstatic and immature personality. Hilda’s personality is not solely a defining feature, however; it is a result of her mental illness. Although it was never stated on the show, Hilda Spellman suffers from Bipolar II disorder, but it is treatable and will not hinder her ability to function

727). Hilda Spellman frequently talks too fast and often succumbs to her own racing thoughts. In the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch episode, “The Long and Winding Short Cut,” Hilda is heavily portrayed as an annoying woman who cannot think independently, misunderstanding simple conversation and becoming easily distracted by shiny objects (Hart, 1996). Hilda contributes to conversation with points unrelated to the topic at hand and is usually focused on her own individual thought process while ignoring the statements of

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