Catherine Zeta-Jones Checked into Mental Hospital to Treat Bipolar Disorder [UPDATED]

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones recently checked herself into a mental health facility to treat her Bipolar II disorder - also known as manic depression - which her people said was caused by the tension of watching her husband, Michael Douglas, fight cancer. This comes months after she flew into a rage at a photographer she claimed hit her in London.

"After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check in to a mental health facility for a brief stay," her spokesman said in a statement. "She's feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on her two upcoming films." Zeta-Jones, 41, spent about five days in the facility, People magazine reported. The celebrity gossip site TMZ said it got a tip on Monday that Zeta-Jones was at the Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, but the actress' publicist denied it. Silver Hill is an elite $1,000-a-night hospital specializing in psychiatric disorders and substance abuse that caters to the rich and famous.
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Catherine and Michael were married in 2000. Bipolar disorder, which alternates periods of manic "up" periods with bouts of depression, afflicts about 6 million Americans. Bipolar II - as opposed to Bipolar I - is marked by greater periods of depression and often leads to suicide. Episodes can be triggered by major life changes.

UPDATE:
Apparently, Catherine's publicists were forced to issue a statement because the National Enquirer broke the story today. According to the tabloid, Catherine checked into the $1250-per-day facility on April 6 under the alias "Terrie Kirny". Michael was with her. During her stay, she was very friendly with the other patients.

"It's been the most difficult year of her life," a family member told the tabloid. "She's been through hell! The pressure has been almost unbearable. She's had more sleepless nights than you could possibly know, worrying about whether her husband would pull through. Catherine had a lot of trouble coping. She was chain smoking and drinking....It was tearing Catherine apart to see such a vital man as Michael in such a weakened state. I think she was crumbling."

She left Silver Hill Hospital on April 11.