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

[ShiverMeMolesworths]

Tonight!

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Found it absolutely fascinating. Dh did psych for a while and found it really interesting to see what he had talked about in reality. I think it's really quite brave to put yourself on the line like that esp the bit at the end where SF got results from the Dr and was clearly quite taken aback at the increasing severity of his own condition. Looking forward (in an academic) way to next week.

I thought it was an excellent programme - and not at all sensationalist. Very moving in places - especially that poor woman at the end who made a good contrast to those, like Stephen Fry, who said he wouldn't be rid of it even if he could (though I imagine if you asked him the same question in one of his depressed periods he might have a different answer).

I haven't seen Carrie Fisher for years and was shocked at how dreadful she looked - and SF's little 'to camera' piece after he talked to her when he pointed out she was heavily medicated - and we could only imagine what she'd be like if not

The Robbie bit I found a bit pointless - he isn't bipolar is he, 'just' suffers from depression? I didn't know about Rick Stein's father either (and as an aside...that house !)

Did anyone else find the bit with the two American boys rather worrying? SF raised, but didn't pursue, the point that surely it was a risk if bi-polar disorder became the new 'fashionable' diagnosis. Those boys clearly showed the manic side but I don't recall any mention of depressive periods (other than the younger one was exhausted after an episode). And disagnosing 3 years olds with it seems dangerous to me - don't most 3 years olds manifest some symptoms of manic behaviour?

Above all, I just kept thinking what a lovely, lovely man SF is - he treats everyone with equal respect and genuine interest. I'm very glad he didn't kill himself - he'd be a great loss.

Must change my name back...

I thought it was so interesting and very brave of SF to do it - especially when his own test results came back - I thought he was shocked when they said how far up the scale he was.

Tony slattery - I loathed him in the 90s but goodness me he looked terrible and I felt very sorry for him.

the woman at the end was a good contrast I thought to all SF's celeb mates - how grim her life seemed.

I missed this, does anyone know if it is repeated?

I missed the first half of this , and I'm they didn't mention any repeat at end of prog, although second part is on next week.

I didn't realise that bi-polar and manic depression were the same thing. I got the impression from the programme that there is an element of a continual scale for diagnosis. To be 'just' diagnosed depressed means that you are at the bottom of the scale and diagnosed bipolar puts (somewhere near?) the top.

I heard a trailer for this yesterday afternoon where SF explained how he sat in his car in his sealed garage for 2 hours contemplating committing suicide (carbon monoxide) - I sometimes forget that I did this once .

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I thought it was a good programme but sad to watch obviously. I can't say i've ever been a huge fan of Stephen Fry but he did come across well in the programme. I used to love Tony Slattery, still do. I find it interesting that a fair few 'comedian's' are afflicted by this awful illness.

I'm pretty sure my mum's bi-polar though I don't think she's had a formal diagnosis. She'd never ever admit it though. It's a hard thing to deal with and I was surprised that some said they'd choose to 'keep it'. However, when my mum is manic she'd swear black is white and is all knowing and I think she likes herself when she's like that as she's more positive. The rest of us prefer her when she's down. Very sad but true. I don't like to think of anyone tearful and depressed but being manic is hell for all concerned

I shouldn't say prefer, I mean she's easier to cope with.

If Stephen Frys diagnosis was that serious he cant be that poorly if he is doing telly

I thought it was a really excellent program. I didn't have high hopes for it because I'd seen a review of it that was bad, but I thought it was really well put together and humane. I think the point about including Robbie was to point out that bipolar and "normal" depression are two very different diagnoses, really. I worried abotu the US kids too- there was clearly somethign wrong but the amount of medication they were taking, for people who are still developing neurologically, was utterly shocking.

I suffer from bi-polar and found it a moving programme to watch , it also help dp understand me a bit more and prompted a very frank, open and honest discussion in our household last night.

notasheep not the case at all, I suffer from very serious bi polar - have needed to be hospitalised for months in the past but manage to hold down ( actually not just hold down but excel at ) a very demanding job.

I am thinking on the lines of permanent hospitalisation,so very,very serious .......

I am confused but Stephen Fry didn't say that he needed to be hospitalised. I thought if anything that he looked shocked at being told that his depression was as serious as the scale he took part in seemed to suggest

doesnt help that i didnt see the programme,just getting the idea of it here.
And my experience within the family of manic depression is only one patient,so maybe i am being all doom and gloom

I had the same reactions as Marthamoo.
SF did talk about some pretty confronting experiecnes, though - being put in a young offenders institution, his coke habit, his medical treatment (not hopsitalisation, but only because he was treated privately by an American doctor while holed up on the coast for months and months. Ans about his serious suicide attempts, He also talked to people much more seriously ill.
Lovely man, brave, warm, honest, clever and genuine.
He was out on a boat in Norfolk, filming, a month or so ago. He waved to DS and I because Ds waved. I wonder if they were filming something for next week's programme?

"Lovely man, brave, warm, honest, clever and genuine."

hear, hear Blu

Twin-Well Done YOU.Sound like you are on top of it.
Sadly its been drowning my cousin although at one point she had some cracking jobs with the BBC and Channel 4-and now has only 3 visitors(her parents and me)
Enough said

God have now upset someone else! I might start emailing people my picture so they can throw darts at it!

I was not trying to be egotistical ot criticise anyone else, was jsut trying to point out that as with other disabilites you can ahve bi polar depression and have a fulfilling career.

Think I might go back to my lesson planing before I become a public hate figure.

I found the programme very illuminating as in my youth I did many of the things that SF had spoken of but had never linked them to my bi polar - just assumed it was me being selfish, stupid, dysfunctional or a combination of all three. It gave me a lot to think about.

I love Stephen Fry. Brave, warm, lovely, funny. Programme reflected that completely. He managed to show what a variable condition bipolar is and how very, very awful it can be with characteristic fantasticness, never once letting strong emotions stray into mawkishness and communicating brilliantly with the wide range of participants. He is a national treasure. And an extremely courageous national treasure at that.

Agree with moo and tamum about being very concerned by the American kids- totally unconvinced that you can diagnose bipolar @3

Hey Twinset - you're doing ok, no dart throwing in your direction!