Stephen Fry - The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive BBC2 9PM

[ShiverMeMolesworths]

Tonight!

Did anyone watch it?

Did pretty well at explaining and hopefully de-stigmatising manic depression I thought. More interesting when he was talking to ordinary people rather than his starry 'chums'.
Terrifying to see that the US diagnoses as young as 3 - the meds that those teens were on were pretty shocking. Shades of Tipper Gore and her ritalin crusade

Missed it. Is it repeated?

missed the first half, but found it very interesting

Yes, the interview with the royal yacht man was fascinating. I like it when SF speaks about himself too, but there was an awful lot of "my very good friend "

It wasnt on our regional BBC2- too close to home for me,my cousin has been living her hell on earth with Manic Depression-20 years in and out of Psychiatric Hospitals sectioned.They should have interviewed me,i could of told all those ghoulish stories people like to hear.
rant over

not my idea of entertainment!

Was it supposed to be entertaining?

Message withdrawn

The descriptions of depression were chillingly accurate I thought.

I'd always wondered what had happened to Tony Slattery when he dissapeared, good to see he is well at the moment. I found it very illuminating as I'd never really understood what the manic bit was like.

Yes! Tony Slattery was everywhere for a while in the ?late 80s? then disappeared really suddenly. It was good to see him again, but wow doesn't he look old?!

Started off badly but overall interesting.

Scary to see what's happened to Tony Slattery though

well I guess not but I tonight I wanted entertainment so ......

I do think it is good that a high profile and well-loved celebrity such as SF is "coming out" about his mental illness. Hopefully more programmes like this would help to remove the stigma that still exists

Crikey yes! I guess I still expected him to look like he did on "Who's line", it has been a long time.

I didn't realise that bipolar disorder runs in families.

Scary really. I'm not bipolar but I do have depression, so did my dad, and I fear for dd.

He was doing the "My good friend" act because he wanted to show famous people who also had it, his whole idea was to take away the stigma of mental illness and show role-model type people who were willing to talk about it.

Wasn't Kerry Fisher really scarey? She looked awful (so does her ex, Paul Simon, mind). I know someone like that in real life (also diagnosed bipolar) and I find her equally sad/scarey. I know a lot of bipolar people, though, so think I'm over-sensitised.

Depression does run in families, really strong in mine .

The Manic bit can be behaviour of a wild animal

I videoed it- so haven't watched it yet. The only manic derpressives I remember being talked about in the media are Spike Milligan and tony Hancock. And maybe Vincent Van Gogh ?

It seems to be tied up with creativity - many very artistic people seem to have creative bursts and then crash for a while.

A tough way to have to live your life.

my uncle is bipolar as was my great grandma and i think i may be border line depression is huge in my family and i thought it was both insightful and very well put together espically re the mother with the disorder

because of our family i have been under the community psychiatric nurse re post natal pyschosis so i thought if this helps bring awareness thats good

even my hubby learnt quite a bit

i really felt for tony slattery he still looked in real pain and totally traumatised.

the children on medication was too much then looked like zombies.

A really interesting and brave programme. Hard to watch as my sil is bipolar and she has put us through the ringer.

I thought the programme was excellent - Stephen Fry is just so good at talking to people.
I don't know much about bi-polarism, but I feel that I now have an insight. Tony Slattery looked to me like a tortured soul - interesting that only that last poor woman, who's life was absolutely consumed by her illness, would choose not to have had the disease in her life.