All language subtitles for the not so secret life of the manic depressive - 10 years on - 2016
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1
00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:07,880
Stephen Fry is one of Britain's
most-recognised public figures.
2
00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,000
He's enormously popular and successful.
3
00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,320
I know it's been...a very tough year
for many of you.
4
00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,480
What with the shock of both
George Clooney and me
5
00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,720
being removed
from the matrimonial market.
6
00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:21,240
7
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He also has a mental illness
that four-million other people
8
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in Britain struggle with.
9
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Looking back on it, can you think about
what started it for you?
10
00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:34,840
Where did it start to go wrong?
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Just some feeling came over me
that this was...this was the end.
12
00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,640
This was the time to bring the curtain down,
to finish.
13
00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,720
There was nothing on Earth to live for.
14
00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,440
Ten years ago,
Stephen made a groundbreaking series
15
00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,240
that explored this condition.
16
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'There's no doubt that
I do have...extremes of mood
17
00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,960
'that are greater than just about
anybody else I know.'
18
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I'm fully aware
I'm a very awful person to be with.
19
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I find it difficult to meet people's eyes.
20
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I find it very difficult to connect
with people. I find it very...
21
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I just want to be alone, frankly.
22
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Speaking openly for the first time,
he encouraged others to do the same.
23
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My father actually killed himself
just over there, actually.
24
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So, er...it's not...it's not the best place.
25
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The programme's had a huge impact
26
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and helped start a more open conversation
27
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about living with manic depression,
28
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or bipolar, as it's now called.
29
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I so very much bitterly resent
having manic depression.
30
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I wish I could say otherwise,
but that's how I feel.
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The series also urged that,
as a society, we do more to help.
32
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So, ten years on, have we?
33
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And do we understand bipolar better?
34
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HE SINGS
35
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The entire world is looking at you
36
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predominantly, 70%, like, "You're a fool".
37
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Alien. Wow!
38
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Is treatment for bipolar better?
39
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He went to the doctors
40
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and he was prescribed
some antidepressants of some sort.
41
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One sent him worse than ever
42
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and the other, he just was like a zombie.
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I had a week where I had no feelings
and no emotions and, you know,
44
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that was a concern for me.
45
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Is it any easier for young people now
to admit they have bipolar?
46
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'Shared it on Facebook.
The response I had was just amazing.
47
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'I never expected that.'
48
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And it would just say positive comments
and messages and emails.
49
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And how is Stephen coping a decade later?
50
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You will have this for the rest of your life,
in my view.
51
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What you're not talking about is curing me.
52
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I do think the medication will reduce
the severity.
53
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So, ten years on,
54
00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,960
is there a brighter future for those
with bipolar?
55
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HUBBUB
56
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Four years ago, Stephen's bipolar life
reached a critical point
57
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whilst he was filming in Africa.
58
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'I can recall interviewing
an Ugandan minister
59
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'who was a foaming, frothing homophobe
of the worst kind
60
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'behind the bill in Uganda
61
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'that was supposed to make homosexuality
a capital offence.
62
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'In other words, a death sentence.'
63
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- How do you do?
- Thank you. My name is Stephen.
64
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It was a very passionate interview
and I was very...
65
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strong in my opinions and he was
very strong in his opinions.
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I will arrest you. I will arrest you!
67
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Don't promote, don't recruit,
68
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don't encourage others to come into your...
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I hope, um...
70
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'There was nothing else to do, so
I could go back to the hotel.'
71
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- OK, thank you.
- Thank you.
72
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I knew I had a bottle of vodka in my room
73
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and I knew I had a whole sponge bagful
of pills.
74
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And I paced around,
75
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trying to analyse what it was that
had disappeared from me.
76
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And it seemed as though
the whole essence of me had disappeared.
77
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Everything that was me was no longer there.
78
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Just some feeling came over me
that this was...this was the end.
79
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And I just carefully lined up
80
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I don't know how many of those damn pills
81
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and drank all the vodka that there was there
with the pills.
82
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The next thing I remember was I'm on the floor,
83
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an embarrassed member of the hotel
84
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is looking down at the carpet in the doorway.
85
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"You've just got to get into a hospital."
86
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It took two days to get Stephen back to the UK.
87
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He'd never been as low before.
88
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He decided he had to see a psychiatrist.
89
00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,920
It's easy to think that his slightly
manic presentation
90
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is part of his personality.
91
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And therefore, that when he says
he's down, it's fake.
92
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That somehow, it's an act.
93
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But that Uganda depression
was clearly very deep.
94
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I have a dim memory of arriving here and...
95
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Well, you arrived, let me remind you,
96
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- sorry that you were still alive.
- Yes, I was.
97
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And wanting to die and feeling
that you should have died.
98
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From two years ago when we first met,
99
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just like being very depressed,
100
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you were also extremely manic in your speech.
101
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You talked and talked and talked about
102
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the purposelessness of your life,
how your skills meant nothing.
103
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Your talents seemed meaningless
104
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- and your future seemed hopeless.
- Yeah.
105
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So it was valuable to...put you
on the anti-manic medication
106
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and to get rid of the alcohol at that point
107
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and look at your mood state.
108
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And I can remember that, that
I was in pain, but I can't recreate it.
109
00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,400
But I remember thinking it and I meant it.
110
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Stephen's psychiatrist immediately
admitted him to hospital.
111
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Had he not expressed willingness
to accept treatment,
112
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I would have applied for a section
113
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under the Mental Health Act at that point.
114
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Because I was worried enough about him
115
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to believe that he might actually kill himself.
116
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We had somebody outside his door
for most of the first day and night.
117
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There were two very bad days
and then suddenly,
118
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- you began to see a chink of light again.
- Yeah, that's right.
119
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And brightened up very quickly.
120
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At the age of 56,
121
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Stephen got a formal
mental health diagnosis
of cyclothymia.
122
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Mood swings that lead to
disturbed behaviour.
123
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But with the diagnosis came the medication.
124
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And that immediately made him feel
much better.
125
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It's often said that early diagnosis is crucial
126
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to helping people live a happier, safer life.
127
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- How do you do?
- Hi!
- How nice to meet you. I'm Stephen.
128
00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:07,760
- Lovely to meet you!
- Hello! Come in. I mean, that's what you say.
129
00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:11,120
In the first series, Stephen met Cordelia,
130
00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,400
who was diagnosed at 22,
131
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after a distressing time
at Oxford University.
132
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I'm not going to be a lawyer
133
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or a doctor or something with my illness...
134
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Cordelia, then 26, but struggling
even with medication,
135
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to manage her mood swings.
136
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Eight: Inflated self-esteem,
rapid thoughts and speech,
137
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counterproductive simultaneous tasks.
Yes, I recognise that one.
138
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That's about where I was when
I was in hospital, about eight.
139
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- No, I think you were at nine.
- I was not!
140
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I had not lost touch with reality!
141
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- You...
- I was not paranoid and vindictive!
142
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Stephen watched Cordelia tell
her therapist
143
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how destructive bipolarity was to her
dreams of becoming a writer.
144
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What I...had thought is that when
I was depressed,
145
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I would be able to write
about being depressed,
but I actually can't.
146
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I can't even write about being depressed
when I'm depressed.
147
00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:02,880
I can't really write about anything.
148
00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:04,800
I'm never going to be able to write again.
149
00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,640
I'm never going to be able to, you know,
go out and socialise again.
150
00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:09,920
I'm never going to be able to do anything
again.
151
00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,560
I mean, what does it say about you
if you can't write?
152
00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,880
She looks as though she wants to walk out now.
153
00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,880
The writing is something that I'm good at and...
154
00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,520
So, if you can't do that...
155
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- that's the final straw?
- Yeah.
156
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First impressions ten years on seem positive.
157
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Cordelia has written a novel and
a daily blog charts her mood cycles.
158
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'June 9th, 2014.
159
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'What you should be doing is resting,
regrouping, sleeping,
160
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'but you're buzzing and you can't sleep,
can't sleep, can't sleep.'
161
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When she's low, she even gives a name
to her depression.
162
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She calls it, the Panther.
163
00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,520
'November 6th, 2014.
164
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'Waking up, late,
there's a heavy weight on my chest.
165
00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,960
'Opening my eyes,
I see the Panther next to me,
166
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'one huge paw draped over me.
167
00:09:07,560 --> 00:09:10,120
'"I've been expecting you," I say.'
168
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I was 26 years old and
I had this optimism that
I would overcome
169
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my mental disorder and go on and live
some much more productive life.
170
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And, of course, I haven't.
171
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I'm still dealing with my mental disorder
every day of my life,
172
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as is everyone else I know who has one.
173
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'May 1st, 2015.
174
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'There's a wren flying around the house,
175
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'trying to get out, and she can't.
176
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'And you're chasing after her,
trying to coax her towards the door
177
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'and you've got to, got to,
got to chase her out.
178
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'The wren flies into your mouth and down
your oesophagus
179
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'and the flapping wings of the tiny, terrified bird
180
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'are beating in your head now
181
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'and in your throat and in your heart.
182
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'And your heart beats too fast
and your chest is tight.
183
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'It doesn't stop.
184
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'This is anxiety.'
185
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It happens when my mood is too high,
or too low,
186
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or sometimes it just comes out of nowhere.
187
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I can be in a safe place and suddenly
the bird is flapping
188
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around inside my head and my stomach
and I have to leave wherever I am.
189
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When she's depressed,
she's so totally negative about everything.
190
00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,440
She thinks that she's worthless,
her life is worthless.
191
00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:22,160
She keeps saying, um...
"Why can't I just die?"
192
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And she has tried to, um...
commit suicide four times.
193
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Ten years ago, Cordelia could still
lead a social life,
194
00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,760
going to London with her friend, Naomi.
195
00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:40,920
Now, Naomi's life has moved on.
196
00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,680
She is happily married and has a baby.
197
00:10:43,680 --> 00:10:48,280
They still meet up, but Naomi
sees just how much being bipolar
198
00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,080
still shapes Cordelia's life.
199
00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:55,040
To me, it seems like you're doing loads.
200
00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:59,600
You're managing your blog every day
and it's great. Yeah?
201
00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,440
- And you're working.
- Yes.
202
00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,880
- You are...
- A whole two days a week.
203
00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:07,960
- And you're maintaining a relationship.
- Yeah. Well,
204
00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,560
I am maintaining a relationship,
that's probably the main thing I'm doing.
205
00:11:11,560 --> 00:11:15,520
- Do you still feel that you have
as many highs, as well? - Yeah.
206
00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,440
- And as extreme?
- Yeah.
207
00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,320
- Really?
- yeah. My highs are a bit worse now.
208
00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:23,760
I think it's because of adding all these
new drugs in. And it's like...
209
00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:25,200
You know, if it was sort of,
210
00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,880
"Here's something that will
make you happy and thin"...
211
00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,000
..then that would be one thing.
212
00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,600
But it's, like,
"Here is something that
will make you fat
213
00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:36,760
"and make you sweaty and not be able
to sleep,
214
00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:38,160
"but you've got to have it".
215
00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,040
And that's just not a very nice choice.
Or not choice.
216
00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,040
- There isn't a choice.
- Yeah.
217
00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,360
LOW CHATTER
218
00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,960
'She's extremely hard on herself.
219
00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:50,480
'I can't stress that enough, really.'
220
00:11:50,480 --> 00:11:52,600
She's achieving so much in her life
221
00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,480
with all these difficult things
going on for her
222
00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,560
and the way that she feels and it's...
223
00:11:57,560 --> 00:11:59,800
You know, it's just never enough for her.
224
00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:01,520
And she's brave and courageous
225
00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,040
and all these things that
she doesn't see at all.
226
00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:12,040
It's ruined any chance she could have had
227
00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:15,600
of having the sort of life
that her friends have.
228
00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,320
When she's depressed, she won't speak
to them.
229
00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:24,280
She won't return their phone calls.
She doesn't want to see anyone.
230
00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,880
She just wants to be left alone
231
00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,880
and it's not a very good basis
for a friendship really.
232
00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:36,560
So, she lives a very restricted sort of life,
really,
233
00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:38,280
for somebody of her age.
234
00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:41,640
Two years ago,
235
00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,040
that restricted life suddenly got
much worse.
236
00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:48,760
Cordelia discovered she developed
a major physical illness too.
237
00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:51,200
This is a CT scan
238
00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,920
and we're going to be scanning
through your chest
239
00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:55,520
and your abdomen and pelvis.
240
00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,200
A rash on her breast Cordelia
had ignored
241
00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:00,680
was diagnosed as breast cancer,
242
00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:03,320
which has now spread to her skin
and lungs.
243
00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:08,480
Breathe.
244
00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,920
'Here we are at the hospital
of death and cancer.
245
00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,720
'Going to turn it into a scan to see
if my cancer
246
00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:18,800
'in my lungs is better or worse.'
247
00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,440
Ten years ago, I had everything
to look forward to
248
00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:25,400
and now, basically, whether
they slow it down a bit or not,
249
00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,080
I'm terminally ill
250
00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,640
and I'm basically dying.
251
00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,200
They don't know how long,
they don't know if it will or it won't.
252
00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:36,640
But...
253
00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,520
every time we thought
there might be some hope,
254
00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:44,280
it always turned out worse
than we expected, didn't it?
255
00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,200
I think we've just given up hoping
for things now
256
00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,240
and we're just trying to have
as much fun as we can.
257
00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:05,640
Almost every week,
258
00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,800
Cordelia visits London Zoo
with her mother.
259
00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,200
Normally, it calms her.
260
00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,080
Oh, he's coming over to see us.
261
00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:16,160
- He's coming over to see us. Hello,
hello, JJ. - JJ.
262
00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:17,720
Do you see any of the cubs?
263
00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,280
But today her mood is changing.
264
00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,440
Her normal pattern is 5 months high,
3 months low
265
00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,480
and she's starting to feel low again.
266
00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:32,360
I just feel really tired now.
267
00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:33,920
I expect you do.
268
00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:41,080
Just feel quite sad, haven't got
much energy,
269
00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,640
finding it very difficult to do
my basic things,
270
00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:48,200
like going to the gym and
I really just want to sort of
271
00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:49,640
be with my mum and...
272
00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,400
Yeah, like now, I just really want
to sit down.
273
00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:57,560
I just feel really, really, really exhausted.
274
00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:00,600
It's just as if a light has gone out, isn't it?
275
00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:02,240
I can always tell.
276
00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,960
I can't really explain it now because
I'm actually just too tired.
277
00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,760
Well, I think you'll just have to try
and believe me
278
00:15:10,760 --> 00:15:14,400
when I say that in two months' time,
you will be feeling much better.
279
00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:16,760
- Let's hope so.
- Yes.
280
00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:18,760
I'm hoping I'm still alive by then.
281
00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,440
Breast cancer doesn't annoy me
all the time.
282
00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,640
It's not like every day I think about it
283
00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,960
in the way that I think about
my mental disorder every day.
284
00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,760
It's weird. It's really quite,
quite different.
285
00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,760
Depression is just worse than anything
286
00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,400
because it's, you know,
287
00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,840
mental anguish and mental agony.
288
00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:50,000
With her early diagnosis,
289
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,360
Cordelia knew why she had severe
mood swings.
290
00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,160
But clearly it's not helped her to live
with them.
291
00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,000
For Stephen though, his diagnosis
of cyclothymia
292
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,760
brought treatment that seemed to help,
293
00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:11,360
but recently his behaviour
has been causing concern.
294
00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:18,960
Despite being on medication,
he's becoming increasingly manic
295
00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,040
and his psychiatrist is considering
a new diagnosis.
296
00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,840
When I had that very manic episode
earlier this year,
297
00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:28,440
when I was hyper,
298
00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,120
I was changing the colour shades
of the trousers
299
00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:35,200
hanging in the wardrobe,
so that they went in one proper gradation
300
00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:39,640
and I was being, I suppose, some people
call it OCD.
301
00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,920
- Forgive me, but you talk rapidly
and you always have.
302
00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:47,720
When you go a bit high,
do you notice that speeds up?
303
00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,120
I don't notice it as much
as those close to me do.
304
00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:52,880
My sister does very clearly
305
00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:55,440
and will text me straightaway
after we've had
306
00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,600
- a conversation on the phone.
- So, friends and family...
- Yeah.
307
00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,680
..can sense that you've gone a little high?
308
00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:03,480
Some people think that being high
is a rather
309
00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:06,600
jolly, happy, great place,
but I think, at times,
310
00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:09,560
it makes you quite distressed as well.
311
00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,920
Absolutely, this particular time
I was saying, I think to you
312
00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:17,200
and certainly to my close friends and family,
I said, "Do you know...
313
00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,960
"Please don't send straightaway
for an ambulance, but
314
00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:23,880
"I think I know how Joan of Arc felt.
315
00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:28,000
"I think I understand some of
this sort of...
316
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:32,680
"radiant sense of absolute purpose and...
317
00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:36,200
"complete confidence and drive
318
00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:40,000
"and connection to the entire universe."
319
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:43,480
It sounded absolute piffle
when you think about it.
320
00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:48,000
So filled with a kind of inner energy of...
321
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:50,440
That is so exciting.
322
00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,880
The character I compared myself to
is Howard Beale.
323
00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:57,160
You know, the posthumous
Oscar-winning performance
324
00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,400
by Peter Finch in the film Network?
325
00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:02,680
I want you to get up now.
326
00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,320
I want all of you to get up out of
your chairs.
327
00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,720
I want you to get up right now and
go to the window,
328
00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,960
open it and stick your head out and yell,
329
00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:18,480
"I'm as mad as hell and
I'm not going to take this any more!"
330
00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,280
He talks about being filled and charged
331
00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,320
with an extraordinary energy.
332
00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:25,480
But he refuses to believe he's man.
333
00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:27,200
He thinks he is a prophet.
334
00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:31,200
And fortunately,
I didn't go down that line!
335
00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,160
Do you think that that was
one of the more manic phases
336
00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:35,520
you've had recently?
337
00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:37,480
Definitely, yes, yes.
338
00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:40,240
Two years ago when you came in,
first time,
339
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,360
we were thinking about a diagnosis
then of next a mixed state,
340
00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:45,440
- sort of cyclothymic state.
- Yeah, yes.
341
00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:47,920
And in the intervening period,
I think,
342
00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,720
we would have to concede that
you've had a manic episode,
certainly one.
343
00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,960
- Yes. - And I think that means we need
to probably review the diagnosis.
344
00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,520
- Yeah. - So that, rather than it being
cyclothymic disorder,
345
00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,640
I think you have to accept now that
it's bipolar type I disorder.
346
00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,760
- Right.
- I think you do have a true condition...
- Yeah.
347
00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:08,800
- ..and we've got to treat that appropriately.
- Yes.
348
00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,760
I long clung to the idea that
I was cyclothymic
349
00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:13,520
which is a sort of mixed state.
350
00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:15,240
What marked it out for Billy,
351
00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,000
and I think I'd kind of come to terms
with it myself,
352
00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,840
was the increasing periods
of mania and sleeplessness
353
00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,680
and restlessness,
which are of a different order to
354
00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,320
the bursting energy
that I sometimes have.
355
00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,560
The lowering thought is that
it is getting worse in me
356
00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,560
and cyclothymia to bipolar
I is a bad jump.
357
00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:38,120
I will have to be more careful with myself,
358
00:19:38,120 --> 00:19:42,800
I will have to be less abandoned
about the way I live.
359
00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:46,640
I need really to know more about...
360
00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,680
what'll happen to me if I'm not careful.
361
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:56,280
This new diagnosis will bring
new medication to help control
362
00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:57,760
Stephen's mood swings.
363
00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,240
One aspect of Stevens manic moments
364
00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:05,440
so far in which he is fortunate,
is that they've happened in private.
365
00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,400
Many with bipolar aren't so lucky.
366
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:16,240
Their manic behaviour is in front of us
- the public.
367
00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,120
And the reaction can be brutal.
368
00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:25,000
In June 2012, Alika, a 21-year-old
budding musician in London,
369
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:28,480
took this train journey from Dollis Hill
to Waterloo.
370
00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:35,120
On board the train he listened
to his music as always,
371
00:20:35,120 --> 00:20:38,640
completely unaware that he was about
to be seen by millions.
372
00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:43,960
# ..tell you
373
00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:48,280
# You don't care if it's true
374
00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:54,720
# I know you've been hurt
by someone else. #
375
00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,280
The man who secretly filmed Alika
from his phone
376
00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,120
uploaded the video that night onto
YouTube.
377
00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,120
# If you let me... #
378
00:21:07,120 --> 00:21:11,240
Within a day, over two million people
had watched Alika's moment.
379
00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,400
The entire world is looking at you,
predominantly 70%,
380
00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:19,920
like you're a fool.
381
00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,160
There's a lot of hurtful things.
382
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:25,880
"Needs shooting."
383
00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:31,600
"Black X Factor for these tuneless,
talentless,
384
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:33,880
"self-absorbed fucks."
385
00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,200
"Alien." Wow.
386
00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,680
"Humans - what a mass of parasites."
387
00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:39,880
Nice.
388
00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,440
I just remember, basically, that was
the beginning of me going,
389
00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,680
"Fuck everything, I want to run away.
390
00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,480
Things like this,
it's literally destroying me.
391
00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,240
"Let me just lock myself away.
392
00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,440
"That's it."
393
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:55,040
Alika's mum saw her son's
mood change.
394
00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:58,520
We hardly see him.
395
00:21:58,520 --> 00:21:59,840
He hardly slept.
396
00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:02,800
I realise, this boy is not sleeping,
he's not eating.
397
00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:05,360
He's not going to work.
398
00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:07,920
This was one of the things
I was doing in my room
399
00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,200
while I was secluded and this is
like a baby picture I've got.
400
00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,680
At the back of it I basically wrote
what I thought was my will,
401
00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:16,960
because I really thought
I was going to die.
402
00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,040
The first thing it literally says is,
403
00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,040
"Alika, you are not a bad person."
404
00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,520
This is actually stains of water
405
00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,920
which was from my eyes
as I was writing that.
406
00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:29,920
So, this is literally my dry tears,
407
00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,120
writing it in a dark room.
408
00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:33,680
I asked him, what is happening?
409
00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:35,600
He said, "I've taken some few days off."
410
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:37,960
That went into a week, into two weeks.
411
00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,160
And I say, "Something is not right here."
412
00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,920
Eventually, Alika decided to take
a dangerous step.
413
00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,080
Basically climbed out of my room
414
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,280
and just wanted to get away
from everything.
415
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:05,160
I was really trying to end it all.
416
00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:09,480
And then my brother came in and
he seen on my laptop
417
00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,640
that I had researched,
418
00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,920
"How to commit suicide."
419
00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,400
And I think he thought I was bluffing
and that it was all staged.
420
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,600
So, I climbed out even more
and I was basically kind of like
421
00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,960
right at the top and I was thinking...
422
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:26,240
And I was pretty much ready to do it
and that's when, I think,
423
00:23:26,240 --> 00:23:28,480
my brother realised it was real.
424
00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:30,760
And that's when they called police.
425
00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,000
Finally, I'm getting literally picked up
426
00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:37,120
and carried like a dead body
427
00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:39,640
down the stairs, handcuffs on my wrist,
428
00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:43,320
dragging me down
in the most weirdest position.
429
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,880
We carry him. Some on the legs,
someone on the hips, someone behind.
430
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:48,600
And he's screaming.
431
00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,800
"Don't let them take me,
don't let them take me!"
432
00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,720
"Mum, you can't let them do this!
You can't...
433
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:55,320
"I don't want to go!"
434
00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,440
"I'm not crazy, don't let them take me!"
435
00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:59,560
I just kept on screaming that out.
436
00:23:59,560 --> 00:24:02,160
But I was very frightened,
very frightened.
437
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,600
Alika was placed under section
in a psychiatric hospital
438
00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:12,960
for four months.
439
00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,680
I've been explained and told that,
"You had an episode of psychosis.
440
00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,000
"You're going through one of those times
441
00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:24,200
"that you don't know the difference
between reality and dream."
442
00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:26,360
And then, all of a sudden on the last day,
443
00:24:26,360 --> 00:24:28,720
"Oh, yeah, so, we've decided
you have bipolar."
444
00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,800
I think they even said type I.
445
00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:33,760
Despite the public humiliation
of his breakdown
446
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,440
and what triggered it, in the 3 years since,
447
00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,160
Alika hasn't hidden away.
448
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,000
Instead, he's taken his experience
of being a target of abuse
449
00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,880
and uses it to confront
the stigma surrounding mental illness.
450
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:52,040
# You don't care if it's true. #
451
00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:56,240
# I know you've been hurt
452
00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,240
# By someone else. #
453
00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:04,640
Having bipolar is a very hard thing
to deal with.
454
00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,360
I think the hardest thing about it is
when you know that no one will
455
00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:11,920
really understand, when you become
looked as some sort of freak.
456
00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,840
I know it sounds cliched, but
there is always light at the end
457
00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,920
of the tunnel and if it doesn't kill you,
it makes you stronger.
458
00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:19,480
And I'm proof.
459
00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:21,560
460
00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,480
I thought of it as, "Oh, he's just
another crazy guy on the train."
461
00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:30,720
- Yeah.
- Because you get a lot of that in London.
462
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:35,200
But then after obviously you said it,
I was just like, "Oh..." That's where it hit.
463
00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,320
I feel guilty for laughing at you,
464
00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,360
because I don't know what it feels like
to be in your shoes.
465
00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:44,520
Some of the comments were extremely
racist, or extremely inhumane
466
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,240
and extremely negative, like,
"He should die."
467
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,080
It's like, wow. Someone
was having a breakdown
468
00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:52,840
and singing out loud on the tube
and they should die for that?
469
00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:56,200
When you're, you know, maybe posting
a comment, you don't realise the effect
470
00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:58,880
- that it will have on the person
you're commenting about.
471
00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,040
You think it's banter, but to them
it really hurts and it could keep
472
00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:05,240
them awake at night, what you said.
But behind the computer screen,
473
00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:08,440
you don't realise that. You just think,
"Ah, LOL! I'm being funny."
474
00:26:08,440 --> 00:26:13,040
But for me that's a subject quite close
to my heart because one of my friends
took their lives.
475
00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:17,720
When he passed away, it wasn't us
that was not trying to talk about,
476
00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:21,880
it was the adults that tried to keep it,
like, hushed
477
00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:24,640
and nobody wanted to talk about it.
478
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:29,720
- So, they were creating stigma, when actually..
- We wanted to understand, like, but obviously,
479
00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:33,760
- No one wanted to tell. - No one wanted
to tell that they didn't want to tell us.
480
00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,720
People use bipolar as an insult nowadays.
"Oh, you're bipolar.
481
00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,240
You know, "Get your mood together."
Stuff like that.
482
00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,480
And so you tend to stay away
from people who you think aren't OK.
483
00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:44,840
If we were educated about all these things,
484
00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,800
we'd know that this is literally
an illness.
485
00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,600
The brain can get sick just
as much as the body can get sick.
486
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,760
This isn't a choice.
487
00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:57,480
People who I've spoken with about this
have all been, like, my age group
488
00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,320
and over time they've just naturally
become negative,
489
00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:02,520
which is what I feel like a lot of adults do
490
00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,400
and I hope you guys don't do the same.
491
00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:07,240
Don't judge a book by its cover.
492
00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:10,640
So, before you judge anyone
or before you condemn anyone,
493
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,080
or, like, take part in mocking
and shaming people -
494
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:17,520
just remember that that could be you
- and that's it.
495
00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:18,840
Thank you.
496
00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:21,880
Alika's decision to fight back
against the stigma he faced
497
00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,200
is part of how he forged his recovery.
498
00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:31,560
With the more serious diagnosis of bipolar I,
499
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:36,280
Stephen's psychiatrist wants him
to be aware of what might threaten
his recovery.
500
00:27:38,480 --> 00:27:42,080
I remember in the five-month period
before you saw me,
501
00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:46,080
- you visited 20 countries...
- Yeah.
- ..you'd crossed three time zones...
502
00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,840
- Yeah.
- ..and you were burnt out by then.
- Yeah.
503
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:53,640
And I understand you've now done
a lot of travelling...
504
00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:59,040
Yes, last week I went to
San Francisco for a day.
505
00:28:05,440 --> 00:28:08,480
I literally - I mean,
I landed there at five in the evening,
506
00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,720
I had a series of meetings until
about 11 at night
507
00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,560
and then got up at 5:30 in the morning
San Francisco time
508
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,280
and then all the way through the day
until 4 o'clock
509
00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:20,480
when the flight back to London was.
510
00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:30,920
And then flew to Chennai in India
511
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,760
and arriving there at 5:30 in the morning.
512
00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:43,560
And then that filming went on
till 10:30 in the evening
513
00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,920
and the next day was another 12 hours.
514
00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:51,640
In fact, I was up till midnight and then
I had an hour to get back to the hotel
and pack
515
00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:57,240
and go to the airport because it was a 3:30
in the morning flight back to England.
516
00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:05,360
I don't usually think of myself
as an anxious person -
517
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:07,400
just the act of going out of the house,
518
00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:10,880
I felt this kind of dead weight
of anxiety on me.
519
00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:15,280
Do remember that with people
with bipolar disorder especially -
520
00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:19,840
crossing borders, jet lag -
they're all pressures
521
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:24,240
that can actually cause a disruption.
I'm not going to say that they'll cause
a breakdown...
522
00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,640
- No. - ..they won't necessarily do that,
but they are stressor and you need
to be particularly careful
523
00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:31,720
that you manage them properly.
Does your sleep get disordered?
524
00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:35,240
The most important thing for me now
is to get a solid eight hours
525
00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:39,520
and I know I won't unless
I have an Ambien, you know -
526
00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,160
diazepam or an Ambien and a Xanax.
527
00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:47,120
- So, that's you, in a way, creating sleep.
- Yes.
528
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:51,280
In fact, that and Xanax and
a good couple of vodkas -
529
00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:55,880
I know I will get straight to sleep.
And I know I'll wake up without feeling fuzzy
530
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,960
- or in any way affected. - I want
to pull you up on that, because, frankly,
531
00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:06,200
- that's what I don't think you should do.
- Yes. - It's not wise or safe to rely
on self-medicating
532
00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,560
- with alcohol. Remember, alcohol
is a very powerful drug... - Yes.
- ..it's also a depressant,
533
00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:14,640
you're on an anti-depressant - and, frankly,
if you take an antidepressant with one hand
534
00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:18,840
and a depressant with the other -
they'll meet in the middle of your brain
and have a bit of a car crash.
535
00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:23,760
And little bits going everywhere and that
will mess up your thinking.
So, you will be a little zonked
536
00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:25,000
in the morning.
537
00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:28,000
What can make you high -
as I mention to Stephen regularly -
538
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:31,920
travel, sleeplessness, not taking care
of yourself,
539
00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,480
poor exercise and, of course, drugs
and drink.
540
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:40,680
If you drink a lot, or use cocaine,
or use stimulant drugs,
you may drive yourself into this condition
541
00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,160
because you're already
predisposed towards it.
542
00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:46,320
So, there's an interplay between
what you do with your life
543
00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,040
and the condition you may have inherited,
or you may have developed.
544
00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:54,080
Many people like Stephen self-medicate
their condition
545
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:57,760
with alcohol and drugs to help them
deal with their moods.
546
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:01,400
At the same time, they are often
very reluctant to take the medication
547
00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:04,400
their psychiatrists have prescribed for them.
548
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:08,280
There Must Be An Angel
by Eurythmics
549
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:13,280
They hate the side effects and try
to manage their lives without medication.
550
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,960
That led Stephen to his crisis point in Uganda.
551
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,080
It's brought Scott Martin,
a chef in Lincolnshire,
552
00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:23,760
to a crossroads in his marriage and his job.
553
00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:27,720
I had a bit of delusions where,
it was like an obsession with Annie Lennox.
554
00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,720
# No one on earth could feel like this... #
555
00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:37,200
I was listening to her songs and
I believed there was hidden messages
in the songs just for me.
556
00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:41,880
Particular lines in the songs that
I thought, that's me, you know.
557
00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,080
# Must be talking to an angel
558
00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,440
# Must be talking to an angel
559
00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:48,680
# Must be talking to an angel... #
560
00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:53,520
Thursday night he had completely lost touch
with reality
561
00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:55,640
and really frightened me.
562
00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:57,840
# Must be talking to an angel... #
563
00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:03,280
And he just thought he had time travelled
to now
564
00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:08,080
and that he was actually the age
that he is now, but in the '80s.
565
00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,480
- This weren't all real to him.
- OK.
566
00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:15,920
She's obviously been put on this Earth to write the song for me
567
00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,560
and it all adds up and, you know, this is how I am.
568
00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:23,120
This is what frightens me, Naomi,
because he last lost touch with reality
569
00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,480
and I'm telling him that this isn't true
and I'm worried that one day
570
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,080
he's going to wake up and think
that he's some sort of angel.
571
00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,560
If he does believe he's an angel
and he could fly, would he actually attempt to fly?
572
00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:35,080
But this is sort of why I want him sorted now.
573
00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,200
I've said to him - the last time
he was in a real bad place -
574
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:42,360
I sort of said, if you don't get sorted,
you're going to lose everything.
575
00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:52,360
He could be like a bear on a morning shift
576
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,880
and then in the evening when he comes in -
577
00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,360
completely different - raring to go.
578
00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:03,960
For the last five years,
Scott's held down a chef's job here,
579
00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:05,440
but only just.
580
00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,360
And only because his boss is determined
to help him.
581
00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:13,840
The difference in temperament
within a 12 hour, six hour span,
582
00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,360
was quite marked really.
583
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,840
He's one person and then
his another person.
584
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,720
He changes from being happy to then,
like,
585
00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,840
being moody and then just snaps back
to how he was.
586
00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,040
Just don't chuck away that pan, though.
587
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:34,080
He slowly loses all his friends
because his sudden outbursts -
588
00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:37,400
on some people they can have
such an impact,
589
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:40,640
they'll never speak to him again.
So, yes.
590
00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,680
Park bench material is where he could be.
591
00:33:46,920 --> 00:33:49,840
Scott's family life is no easier.
592
00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:54,280
His mania is making him so anxious,
he simply cannot enjoy going out
593
00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:56,800
with his wife and children.
594
00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:00,720
I don't think I can do this. I don't know
if I can do this. I just look around and think,
595
00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:04,680
who's that there and do I know them?
It doesn't look busy, but to me
it just seems like
596
00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:09,320
loads of people.
I can hear everything they're saying,
it's just,too much for me.
597
00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:13,400
I'm nervous and worried and people
are staring, I suppose,
598
00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,360
and paranoid and all of it.
599
00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:18,000
600
00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:27,280
This isn't the first time that we've gone anywhere
and he's ended up sitting in the car on his own
601
00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:29,600
while I've gone off and done whatever
with the kids.
602
00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:33,400
Sometimes he thinks, "Yeah, I'm going to try
and do this and I am going to do it."
603
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:36,840
And then he gets here and he can't.
He just can't make himself to it.
604
00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:45,720
Scott's increasingly disturbed behaviour
has driven his wife to breaking point.
605
00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:51,000
Hayley said, you know,
this can't go on no more.
606
00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:55,640
If you're not willing to help yourself
- you've got to go and take something,
basically.
607
00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,200
I mean, it's like an ultimatum of -
608
00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:00,880
it's either this or nothing, really.
609
00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:04,160
So, Scott now finds himself back
at the psychiatric clinic
610
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,240
he came to over a year ago.
611
00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:11,600
Then, he was put on medication,
but after just a few weeks on the drugs,
612
00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:13,200
he came off them.
613
00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:19,920
He was very anti-medicine,
because he told me very clearly that
614
00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,080
taking medication from a psychiatrist
615
00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:26,000
is very stigmatising for him.
He didn't believe in it.
616
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:31,960
We discussed about a lot of treatment options
and I told you to go and read about it.
617
00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:33,640
Have you gone through that?
618
00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:37,760
- Yeah, I have sort of picked one what
I'm particularly interested in. So...
- And that is?
619
00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:41,160
- Which appeals to me the most. So...
- And that is?
620
00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:42,960
- Lithium, yeah.
- Oh, good.
621
00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:47,360
Lithium is a very strong, very powerful,
622
00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:52,680
- very well established, very evidence-based
mood stabiliser.
623
00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:57,240
- How it works, even now in 2015, we don't know...
- OK.
624
00:35:57,240 --> 00:36:02,360
but it works very well. It goes to your brain
and alters the mechanism
625
00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:07,240
- and within a week or two you'll feel
that mood gets stabilised.
626
00:36:07,240 --> 00:36:11,880
But like any other chemical that we use,
it also has side effects.
627
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,800
Some people feel that they have
some weight gain.
628
00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:17,840
I mean, that is an issue for me, so...
629
00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:22,080
- Yes, so we'll talk about it, yeah?
- Yeah. It's sort of known as like a zombie drug,
630
00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:26,240
and that was my big issue with it.
But you've covered...
631
00:36:26,240 --> 00:36:31,040
- No, I don't think it will cause you
that zombie feeling...
632
00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,240
When I looked through all of the drugs
available,
633
00:36:35,240 --> 00:36:37,920
they all had these side effects.
634
00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:41,560
I think you just have to learn that
the side effects are going to be there,
635
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:44,320
but you've got to give it the patience
to carry on with that.
636
00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,440
But last time Scott didn't have that patience.
637
00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:53,800
Within a month, he came off his meds
because, in his words,
638
00:36:53,800 --> 00:36:55,880
he felt fat and like a zombie.
639
00:36:56,960 --> 00:37:00,240
A complaint voiced by many who
have been put on antidepressants
640
00:37:00,240 --> 00:37:02,360
and mood stabilisers.
641
00:37:02,360 --> 00:37:05,680
The question is, will it be different now?
642
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:09,960
He can knock pans and knock things off
and catch plates.
643
00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:14,040
His processes were a little slower than
he usually moves about,
644
00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:18,360
which I thought was the worry of him
of taking this particular drug, as well.
645
00:37:18,360 --> 00:37:22,240
I've had a week where I had no feelings
and no emotions
646
00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:26,560
and, you know, that was a concern for me.
Because I was quite an emotional person
647
00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:30,880
and to suddenly realise what it's like
to have no emotion,
648
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:32,840
then you think there's something wrong.
649
00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:40,720
Scott has retreated into his own company
and in the second week of his medication,
650
00:37:40,720 --> 00:37:43,240
discovers another worrying side effect.
651
00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,760
I was sleeping - nightmares -
652
00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:50,880
and I felt as if I was awake in my sleep.
653
00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:55,760
It was frightening to think,
is this going to be like this for
every night I go to sleep?
654
00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:01,760
Towards the end of that second week,
he's staying up till the early hours
of the morning
655
00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:05,160
because I think he was scared
that he was going to go into it again,
656
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,240
so he'd stop himself going to bed.
657
00:38:07,240 --> 00:38:10,840
I always just wonder about,
when he's down on his own at night,
658
00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:13,800
if he's not well, he didn't ought
to be left on his own,
659
00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,240
even though he tells me he wants
to be on his own, he doesn't really.
660
00:38:17,240 --> 00:38:18,840
I know he doesn't really.
661
00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,240
It's now six weeks and Scott is still
on the meds.
662
00:38:23,240 --> 00:38:26,320
His psychiatrist wants to do
a follow-up assessment.
663
00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:30,200
So, let's talk about,
what are the good things that
have happened to you?
664
00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,920
What are positive things
that have happened?
665
00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:35,680
I think the positive thing is
I feel a bit more calmer,
666
00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:39,600
a bit more able to be in social situations
667
00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,560
and perhaps my mind's clearer, as well.
668
00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,400
That's the big thing, for me.
I've not been overthinking things.
669
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,400
Have you noticed any change
in your sleep pattern yet?
670
00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:54,720
Initially, I was...I felt as if
I was staying awake a bit more
671
00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:58,120
and I had a few...
like a nightmare type symptom.
672
00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,200
What sort of nightmares?
673
00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:02,960
It was a kind of like
I was awake in my sleep.
674
00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:08,800
And it sort of put me off going to sleep,
so then I was staying up.
675
00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:12,120
- But that's passed now.
- Passed now? Oh, good.
676
00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:15,240
Yeah, I think that was about 2 or 3 weeks
into it.
677
00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:16,920
So, on a scale of zero to ten,
678
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:21,840
if zero was where you started
and ten is very well,
679
00:39:21,840 --> 00:39:24,440
where would you put yourself now?
680
00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:28,080
- Six, seven. - Six, seven?
- Yeah. - That's very impressive.
681
00:39:28,080 --> 00:39:30,000
They've took to me well, you know.
682
00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:33,200
Other medications,
I didn't have no faith in, but this one just,
683
00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:36,040
yeah, I feel more myself.
684
00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,760
But there is a sting in the tail for Scott.
685
00:39:38,760 --> 00:39:42,080
To build on the success of lithium so far,
686
00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,440
Dr Jha wants Scott to double his daily dose.
687
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,400
- What did he say?
- I need to double my dosage.
- Right.
688
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,520
Because my levels aren't quite higher,
689
00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,720
so he wants to stick me onto 800
instead of 400.
690
00:39:54,720 --> 00:39:57,960
Will they not get worse with it being
a double dose?
691
00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:01,080
He never mentioned,
so we've just got to see how it goes.
692
00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:03,800
Well, I just know when you
first started taking them,
693
00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:06,640
- you felt quite poorly for a start, didn't you?
- Yeah. Well...
694
00:40:06,640 --> 00:40:08,560
Could that happen again?
695
00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:11,000
Potentially. I'll see.
696
00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:13,120
- I feel well, so...
- Yeah.
697
00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:16,200
If I have any problems,
I can just contact him, can't I? So...
698
00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:19,560
But, again, you can say this now,
because you've been good, just lately.
699
00:40:19,560 --> 00:40:22,840
When you're not good, will you still be
saying the same then?
700
00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:26,880
Or will you be telling me off because
I'm interfering and controlling and...
701
00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:30,160
- We'll wait and see, won't we?
- Yeah.
- We'll have to wait and see.
702
00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,480
Oh, well.
Hopefully it won't come to that.
703
00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:34,720
Come on, kids. Jump in.
704
00:40:34,720 --> 00:40:40,000
Scott then surprises Hayley
by agreeing to a trip to town with the family.
705
00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:43,600
MUSIC: Dog Shelter by Burial
706
00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:57,800
I mean, I'm pleased, but...
707
00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,600
you're the sweaty! You've got the hot hands.
708
00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,480
Keep following Daddy.
709
00:41:04,480 --> 00:41:08,520
I think they've definitely noticed
that Daddy's calmer and happier
710
00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:13,000
and, you know, happy to be around us all
and have us all together.
711
00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:14,880
I think he does try to do it.
712
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:18,880
I think it's still there eating away at him,
you know, the anxiety of it all,
713
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:22,440
but he just tries to do it and tries
to control it.
714
00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:28,320
MUSIC: Dog Shelter by Burial
715
00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,960
I do think that he can do this
if he really wants to do it,
716
00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:35,360
but when he's low he's not himself,
717
00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:40,360
he's not always in control of what
he's saying and what he's thinking
718
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:44,560
and that's when I'm worried that he'll say,
"No, I'm not doing any more."
719
00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:48,880
I believe lithium works better
the longer you've been on it,
720
00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,600
so we're talking, like, years
not weeks or days.
721
00:41:52,600 --> 00:41:58,600
I do think it's the beginning of the journey,
but hopefully, he'll get through it.
722
00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:02,640
When Scott was first diagnosed,
Hayley thought this was a breakthrough -
723
00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:05,080
Scott's behaviour will improve.
724
00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:10,840
Now she realises it's an illness she
and the family will have to cope
with the rest of his life.
725
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:17,680
And Scott will have to accept
taking medication is a vital part of that.
726
00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:20,760
There is no guarantee of the condition easing.
727
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:26,080
MUSIC: BBC NEWS INTRO
728
00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:30,960
The American actor and comedian
Robin Williams has been found dead
729
00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:32,880
at his home in California.
730
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:35,120
Police say they believe he killed himself.
731
00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,960
The worst thing that has happened to me
in terms of just reminding me
732
00:42:39,960 --> 00:42:43,760
of how serious this is was
the suicide of Robin Williams.
733
00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:47,440
A man of such extraordinary grace
and kindness.
734
00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:50,800
There's a myth around that manic people
are all very happy people.
735
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,160
They're often not - and having
to be the funny person in the party
736
00:42:54,160 --> 00:42:59,160
and the one that everyone relies
on to be the life and soul is very exhausting
for a lot of people.
737
00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:02,120
And that's why some comedians
and some very funny people
738
00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:06,040
become extremely depressed
when they go down and often, of course,
suicidal.
739
00:43:06,040 --> 00:43:09,840
And there are, as you know,
many comedians who have actually
killed themselves.
740
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:13,240
- How many are born of your... I mean, it is...
- It's a gene pool.
741
00:43:13,240 --> 00:43:15,760
- Of your gene pool?
- You have children?
742
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:18,520
When the gene pool's a Jacuzzi,
this is what you get.
743
00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:22,840
- "You've had children?" Yes. "You have spawn?"
Yes. - There must be a Robin Land somewhere
744
00:43:22,840 --> 00:43:27,840
- where there are more of you. Where you can...
- There's others who can speak this language.
- Yes!
745
00:43:27,840 --> 00:43:31,560
It reminded me that this is not a condition
that is ever going to go away.
746
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:35,800
That what you're not talking about
is curing me. You're talking about...
747
00:43:35,800 --> 00:43:39,200
how best I can cope with something
that's going to live with me.
748
00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:41,840
Robin Williams's death just reminded me -
749
00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:43,800
he was older than me -
750
00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:47,760
that...these things, these ghosts, don't go away.
751
00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:51,920
No, but I think we can do lots
to reduce the risk of anything...
752
00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:54,520
- Yeah.
- ..awful happening to your thinking,
753
00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:57,320
so that it drives you towards
doing something to yourself.
754
00:43:57,320 --> 00:44:01,600
- But I think you're right - you will have this
for the rest of your life, in my view.
755
00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:06,040
We will do what we can to reduce
the frequency of the attacks,
756
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:10,640
but the tendency is for - as people get older,
757
00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:14,800
- for the interval between episodes
tend to shorten slightly.
758
00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:20,000
But with good treatment we can make that
as manageable as possible
759
00:44:21,560 --> 00:44:26,520
I am more alert now than
I've ever been in my life to my own moods,
760
00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:31,120
but it's never going to get off my back, this monkey
- this is always going to be there -
761
00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:35,000
and no matter how things seem to be going well,
762
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:38,400
one day there's always the possibility of...
763
00:44:39,560 --> 00:44:41,120
..just me getting it wrong.
764
00:44:45,840 --> 00:44:49,480
Stephen now accepts just how dangerous
his mental illness is.
765
00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:55,880
Managing it going forward is a daunting prospect,
766
00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:57,800
but Stephen's in his fifties.
767
00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:02,640
For a teenager discovering they are bipolar
means decades of treatment
768
00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:05,000
and a life change for ever.
769
00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:11,000
Three months before - literally,
no sign of anything -
770
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,080
I was just...
771
00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:16,200
No one would have suspected.
772
00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:20,560
Six years ago, Rachel Edwards
lived in this Norfolk village.
773
00:45:20,560 --> 00:45:24,880
She appeared a happy teenager
but she wasn't.
774
00:45:24,880 --> 00:45:29,720
It would be kind of like at night time
when I'm on my own,
775
00:45:29,720 --> 00:45:35,000
I used to cry and stuff, because
I just felt so low, but I didn't know why.
776
00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:40,040
She had a couple of jobs, she worked
at the swimming pool here as a lifeguard
777
00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,680
and she worked also in the old people's home,
she did cleaning.
778
00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:47,280
And she suddenly started getting
really tearful and tired
779
00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:49,240
and I said, "You're overdoing it."
780
00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:54,000
Looking back, we just thought,
"Oh, she's just overworking.
She just wants the money."
781
00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:57,600
I was very, very low for about a week
and I couldn't stop crying.
782
00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:00,040
I didn't know what was wrong with me
783
00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:05,160
and then suddenly my mood started to elevate
784
00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:09,600
while I was away on a college trip to Amsterdam.
785
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:12,000
(Forever Lost by God Is An Astronaut)
786
00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:19,640
When I was in Amsterdam,
I went to an art gallery and I was looking
at all the paintings
787
00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:23,640
and the letters he'd written and
I had an idea that I was Van Gogh.
788
00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:27,000
(Forever Lost by God Is An Astronaut)
789
00:46:29,520 --> 00:46:32,200
The ferry trip back to England was rough.
790
00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:35,960
But Rachel decided she could control
the weather.
791
00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:38,920
She was found on deck screaming
at the storm.
792
00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:44,960
Her parents were called to take her home
to Norfolk.
793
00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:47,600
That weekend, worried about leaving her,
794
00:46:47,600 --> 00:46:51,520
they brought Rachel with them
to their London flat.
795
00:46:51,520 --> 00:46:54,120
I got her into bed and I fell asleep
796
00:46:54,120 --> 00:46:58,680
and then she had got up while I was asleep
797
00:46:58,680 --> 00:47:01,400
and that's when it happened.
798
00:47:01,400 --> 00:47:06,400
I got dressed into a nice outfit,
put my bag on, done my make-up
799
00:47:06,400 --> 00:47:08,360
and went out onto the balcony.
800
00:47:13,360 --> 00:47:16,440
And there was some helicopters outside
801
00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:19,880
and I thought that they were there to film me
802
00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:24,880
coming out on the balcony and that
they were going to film me flying.
803
00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:28,720
Because I felt like I was a really special person.
804
00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:36,600
And then I got up
- because it was like a high ledge -
805
00:47:36,600 --> 00:47:39,040
and stood on that and jumped.
806
00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:47,720
I woke up and she wasn't there and
it was kind of like, "Where is she?"
I thought, "Oh, she'll be in the
807
00:47:47,720 --> 00:47:52,440
"kitchen, or something.
She's gone to get something." And I went,
and of course, the door was open -
808
00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:54,800
the balcony door was open -
809
00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:59,080
and I went out and she was sort of
screaming down the bottom, sort of...
810
00:47:59,080 --> 00:48:03,400
Mum said I was screaming,
"I don't want to die, I don't want to die."
811
00:48:03,400 --> 00:48:07,960
So no intention was suicidal
when I was like this, it was just...
812
00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:11,520
..I was just very confused.
813
00:48:14,080 --> 00:48:17,520
The fall of 50 feet broke Rachel's back
814
00:48:17,520 --> 00:48:20,360
and she spent months in hospital.
815
00:48:21,720 --> 00:48:25,240
It's weird, because I can move my legs,
so you wouldn't think
816
00:48:25,240 --> 00:48:29,320
I'm paralysed, but I'm actually
paralysed from here down.
817
00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:32,960
When I got told I'd never be to walk again,
that was just
818
00:48:32,960 --> 00:48:36,840
the worst feeling ever.
I thought my life was over.
819
00:48:36,840 --> 00:48:40,640
The hospital diagnosed Rachel's broken body,
820
00:48:40,640 --> 00:48:42,920
but not immediately her broken mind.
821
00:48:43,920 --> 00:48:47,800
Perhaps, not surprisingly,
because it usually takes between seven
822
00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:51,320
and eight years of people exhibiting
really troubling behaviour
823
00:48:51,320 --> 00:48:53,560
before a true diagnosis is made.
824
00:48:54,800 --> 00:48:57,880
So, Rachel left the hospital still manic.
825
00:48:57,880 --> 00:49:01,160
18 months later, she had a second episode.
826
00:49:01,160 --> 00:49:04,160
This time, her friends saw it coming.
827
00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:09,520
Well, Mum found this earlier
- this whole folder.
828
00:49:09,520 --> 00:49:13,800
This is some of the stuff that I did.
829
00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:18,760
- You remember writing all of this.
- I remember just going manic
with the colours and the pens.
830
00:49:18,760 --> 00:49:22,360
It just doesn't make any sense, at all.
831
00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:26,440
It just shows how random your thoughts
were at the time.
832
00:49:26,440 --> 00:49:29,200
This was my head, if you know what I mean.
833
00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:31,760
Just all these things, all at once.
834
00:49:33,000 --> 00:49:34,840
You did go really childlike.
835
00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:39,440
Yeah. I think that's how we noticed,
probably, the second episode was coming.
It was...
836
00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:41,680
- Really excitable.
- Yeah.
837
00:49:41,680 --> 00:49:47,000
When I got ill the 2nd time, did you worry,
like, that I was going to have another accident,
or something?
838
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,400
Yeah, I did. I was really worried.
839
00:49:49,400 --> 00:49:52,920
And you were, like, rolling around
on the floor in the supermarket.
840
00:49:52,920 --> 00:49:56,760
- I can't even remember this.
- We just stood there and cried, I think.
841
00:49:56,760 --> 00:50:01,360
We were just...
Because it was such a shock, it was like,
what's happened?
842
00:50:01,360 --> 00:50:04,360
Rachel's behaviour became more
and more troubling,
843
00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:07,320
until one night she decided again to jump.
844
00:50:09,120 --> 00:50:12,920
I still had these feelings that I'd be able
to fly,
845
00:50:12,920 --> 00:50:15,680
despite everything that happened to me.
846
00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:19,720
I went upstairs one night and
I got dressed up again
847
00:50:19,720 --> 00:50:24,080
and I thought someone was sitting outside
my window
848
00:50:24,080 --> 00:50:26,720
and that I was going to fly off with them.
849
00:50:26,720 --> 00:50:29,600
I went to bed and I thought,
850
00:50:29,600 --> 00:50:33,480
I'll do it later when everyone's asleep.
851
00:50:33,480 --> 00:50:37,760
I went to bed and luckily didn't wake up
until the morning
852
00:50:37,760 --> 00:50:40,720
and then I had different ideas by the morning.
853
00:50:42,560 --> 00:50:44,240
I always hate that.
854
00:50:44,240 --> 00:50:47,440
It took that second attempt to jump
before Rachel
855
00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:51,480
was formally diagnosed bipolar
and prescribed medication.
856
00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:58,160
Despite that, she still has severe mood swings
and is judged at risk.
857
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:02,240
Her mental health nurse wants her
to agree to being sectioned
858
00:51:02,240 --> 00:51:05,600
if her behaviour becomes extreme again.
859
00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:08,360
You know, if things got really bad
we would actually...
860
00:51:08,360 --> 00:51:11,880
I don't know what your thoughts
are about using the Mental Health Act
861
00:51:11,880 --> 00:51:14,000
as a last resort, I guess, for you.
862
00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:18,040
- I don't really know what that is.
- The Mental Health Act would be where,
if you felt -
863
00:51:18,040 --> 00:51:22,920
"Pete, I'm not going to go into hospital,
I'm feeling too great, things are amazing..."
864
00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:27,760
- and I was really concerned about
knowing where this could lead in terms
of your elevated mood...
865
00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:32,520
..we consider having you in hospital
for a little while until we can get you back
to stable again.
866
00:51:32,520 --> 00:51:36,720
I do get low, I do get the low days,
like I was saying last time,
867
00:51:36,720 --> 00:51:40,480
but I try and get myself out of them.
868
00:51:40,480 --> 00:51:44,240
- We need to watch both ends of the spectrum,
do know what I mean?
869
00:51:44,240 --> 00:51:47,400
- Hopefully, that won't happen, but...
- Yeah, no, hopefully not.
870
00:51:47,400 --> 00:51:52,560
Because we've got all these other stages
in between to prevent that,
but we have to talk about the...
871
00:51:52,560 --> 00:51:55,640
- The last resort.
- The last resort, yeah.
872
00:51:55,640 --> 00:51:58,120
We need to take steps to ensure
her safety
873
00:51:58,120 --> 00:52:02,880
and if Rachel's gone beyond the point
where she would come in for
a voluntary admission
874
00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:05,640
and has lost capacity due to the mental state,
875
00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:08,280
then we need to protect her from herself
876
00:52:08,280 --> 00:52:11,680
and so we need to get her into hospital
where we can stabilise it
877
00:52:11,680 --> 00:52:14,360
and get her back to her normal self
as quickly as possible.
878
00:52:23,080 --> 00:52:25,640
Didn't I plants some blackberries?
879
00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:27,960
- No.
- Blueberries?
880
00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:30,560
- The blueberries.
- Yeah, they died.
- Oh.
881
00:52:30,560 --> 00:52:33,880
- I was telling Dad last night...
- Yeah?
882
00:52:33,880 --> 00:52:36,040
..if I was to get ill again,
883
00:52:36,040 --> 00:52:40,400
bringing me up here would probably
be the best thing.
884
00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:43,720
Yeah, it's very therapeutic.
885
00:52:43,720 --> 00:52:48,680
She's very brave and she'd had a lot of pain.
886
00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:53,960
You do question, why her?
You know, what has she done to deserve it?
887
00:52:53,960 --> 00:52:58,880
But it's not up to us, is it?
How these things happen, they just happen.
888
00:53:00,880 --> 00:53:05,760
Knowing now she's bipolar faces Rachel
with a familiar challenge.
889
00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:09,280
Familiar, that is, to the mentally ill.
890
00:53:09,280 --> 00:53:14,520
People don't understand mental health,
or they don't know about bipolar
891
00:53:14,520 --> 00:53:20,600
and I thought, if I told people the truth
that I'd jumped off the balcony
892
00:53:20,600 --> 00:53:25,720
because I thought I could fly, then people
are just going to think I'm absolutely nuts.
893
00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:30,480
Which is why when people asked me,
I'd just say, "Oh, I fell off a balcony."
894
00:53:30,480 --> 00:53:35,240
But one day I saw the
Mental Health Awareness Day on TV
895
00:53:35,240 --> 00:53:37,920
and it just got me thinking
896
00:53:37,920 --> 00:53:43,480
and I just decided to write a blog about it
- about my accident
897
00:53:43,480 --> 00:53:47,520
and about mental health
- to raise awareness, really.
898
00:53:47,520 --> 00:53:52,160
I shared it on Facebook.
The response I had was just amazing.
899
00:53:52,160 --> 00:53:57,040
I'd never expected that and
it was just so positive comments
900
00:53:57,040 --> 00:53:59,080
and messages and e-mails.
901
00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:05,800
Encouraged by the reaction
to going public about being bipolar,
902
00:54:05,800 --> 00:54:10,680
Rachel is now determined to take
her experience to those who most need help.
903
00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:14,480
She's training in Norwich to be
a peer support worker
904
00:54:14,480 --> 00:54:17,680
for people with mental health problems.
905
00:54:17,680 --> 00:54:21,160
So, why would that help somebody,
do you reckon, hearing how you did it?
906
00:54:21,160 --> 00:54:23,960
They might feel more open in hearing our story.
907
00:54:23,960 --> 00:54:28,720
The other week on one of the workshops,
I was chatting to a lady afterwards
908
00:54:28,720 --> 00:54:32,960
and when I left her, she said,
"You've actually really inspired me."
909
00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:35,760
And that was really nice, because...
910
00:54:35,760 --> 00:54:39,480
that is going to be part of our role, really -
911
00:54:39,480 --> 00:54:42,120
to inspire.
912
00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:49,000
Three months later,
913
00:54:49,000 --> 00:54:53,160
she got what she never imagined
would be possible again - a job.
914
00:54:53,160 --> 00:54:58,280
Actually getting a job, to me,
is massive.
915
00:55:01,440 --> 00:55:05,040
One of my older brothers actually
said to me after my accident,
916
00:55:05,040 --> 00:55:08,240
"One day you'll use what
you've been through to help others."
917
00:55:08,240 --> 00:55:11,320
I didn't really ever think about it,
but now I'm doing this,
918
00:55:11,320 --> 00:55:14,640
it kind of feels like
I am meant to be doing it.
919
00:55:17,160 --> 00:55:20,800
Being open about her mental illness
is now central to how Rachel
920
00:55:20,800 --> 00:55:24,960
lives her life and how she intends
to survive with her condition.
921
00:55:26,320 --> 00:55:32,000
I didn't lose any friends, they gradually
brought me back into the world
922
00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:36,680
and they'd come round and see me,
sit with me while I cried...
923
00:55:39,640 --> 00:55:44,280
They don't feel sorry for me,
they just include me in everything.
924
00:55:44,280 --> 00:55:46,520
Let's get in front of the stage, right.
925
00:55:46,520 --> 00:55:48,800
926
00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:58,480
We've been to festivals, even though it's hard
in the mud getting around,
927
00:55:58,480 --> 00:56:01,560
they always include me in everything.
928
00:56:01,560 --> 00:56:03,720
Which is what you want really.
929
00:56:03,720 --> 00:56:06,960
I wouldn't want people feeling sorry for me.
930
00:56:06,960 --> 00:56:09,320
Because...
931
00:56:09,320 --> 00:56:12,520
to me, now, I'm just...I'm fine.
932
00:56:17,880 --> 00:56:22,800
Ten years on, it's still difficult for people
who are bipolar.
933
00:56:22,800 --> 00:56:26,880
They struggle to take medication,
to get quicker treatment
934
00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:29,800
and to live with stigma and the fear of it.
935
00:56:31,920 --> 00:56:36,880
But as Stephen knows, people like Rachel
show a way forward.
936
00:56:36,880 --> 00:56:40,880
The triumph of spirit over misfortune.
937
00:56:40,880 --> 00:56:43,680
He hopes we get the message.
938
00:56:43,680 --> 00:56:47,160
I'm very proud of the fact that
as president of Mind,
939
00:56:47,160 --> 00:56:50,600
it's more talked about, politicians talk about it more.
940
00:56:50,600 --> 00:56:53,960
You know, it's in the culture more
and it's understood more
941
00:56:53,960 --> 00:56:57,360
and it's extremely pleasing
that so many people
942
00:56:57,360 --> 00:57:00,880
do make a difference and care about it.
943
00:57:00,880 --> 00:57:04,920
As always, it's the young who are
so much more sympathetic now
944
00:57:04,920 --> 00:57:06,960
than other generations before.
945
00:57:06,960 --> 00:57:10,520
They're so much better informed
and that can only increase.
946
00:57:10,520 --> 00:57:15,040
Because you have to find a way for us
as a society
947
00:57:15,040 --> 00:57:18,280
to value everyone - including the mentally ill.
948
00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:21,880
And, in fact, the mentally ill
perhaps more than anyone,
949
00:57:21,880 --> 00:57:26,040
because they are a submerged minority,
but a huge one
950
00:57:26,040 --> 00:57:30,760
and their difficulties make life
harder for them to deal with
951
00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:33,360
and to find the right way through.
952
00:57:33,360 --> 00:57:34,840
They really do.
953
00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:42,360
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