Very interesting video - Stephen Fry - BiPolar

[guitar77]

This is a program I just watched on YouTube (It's about an hour or so long).

Video

It's called "Stephen Fry - The Secret Life Of A Manic Depressive". It was broadcast in the UK. Stephen Fry is a famous tv personality in the UK, and has many friends in the entertainment business there and here in the US. The program includes interviews with Carrie Fisher, Richard Dreyfuss, Robbie Williams, and several patients, doctors and psychiatrists. In the course of deciding if and how he wants to treat his condition, he takes a look at what bi-polar is, and the various treatments that are available including CBT, diet, medications, electro-shock therapy, and doing nothing. He talks about and shows psychiatric hospitals, "sectioning" documents (5150s here), and actually takes it look at people who've actually experienced all aspects of the disorder.

Predictably, the pyschiatrists are very pro-drug. There's a blatant example of relapses being contributed to the "return of the original problems, only now worse because they didn't stay on their meds" that we here know to be a fallacy. But he does try to cover all sides, and in the end doesn't recommend one over the other.

The one surprising thing is that every person interviewed said they would not trade their bi-polar life for a normal one. They find it the source of what makes them creative and unique.

I was enthralled by it, I hope you are too.

[Songbird]

I saw that one when it was broadcast on TV here, it was very interesting. They talked a lot about lithium. There were some people who were doing well on the meds, and others who preferred to stay off meds because they were very creative during their manic phases.

[Si in Wales]

I saw this a while back. I'm guessing a lot of members from other countries won't know Stephen Fry. He's pretty much become a national treasure here in the UK after starting out doing comedy shows. He's certainly one of my favourite celebrities

He's a polymath (writer, broadcaster etc) - exceptionally intelligent and knowledgeable on a huge range of subjects, but also very, very funny.

He's had some huge battles with depression though.

[kizzie]

Here's a lovely article about Stephen Fry that was written in a the last few days:

Stephen Fry saved my life: The touching letter comedian wrote to fellow depression sufferer
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:29 PM on 10th October 2009

He is many things to many people. But to Crystal Nunn, an ordinary viewer of his programmes, Stephen Fry may have saved her life.
She was astonished when he responded to her plea to help her through her depression.
The 52-year-old QI host, who has battled the depression himself, provided some characteristically eloquent words of wisdom in a very touching and heartfelt letter.
'Goodness knows, it can be so tough when nothing seems to fit and little seems to be fulfilling,' Mr Fry wrote.
'I’ve found that it’s of some help to think of one’s moods and feelings about the world as being similar to weather.'
He went on to list a series of 'obvious' things about the weather, such as: 'It might be dark and rainy for two weeks in a row. BUT it will be sunny one day.'
Modestly he added: 'I don’t know if any of that is of any use: it may not seem it, and if so, I’m sorry.
'I just thought I’d drop you a line to wish you well in your search to find a little more pleasure and purpose in life.'
Ms Nunn, who posted the April 2006 letter on the website lettersofnote.com last night, wrote: 'I had no idea who to turn to. But I really needed someone to turn to and to ease the pain.

'So I wrote to Stephen Fry because he is my hero, and he has been through this himself.
'And low and behold, he replied to my letter, and I will love him eternally for this.’

She added: 'The letter had helped me so much during the deepest days of my depression.’
Mr Fry's agent today confirmed the story. 'All true,' he said.

STEPHEN FRY'S LETTER TO CRYSTAL NUNN
Dear Crystal,
I’m so sorry to hear that life is getting you down at the moment. Goodness knows, it can be so tough when nothing seems to fit and little seems to be fulfilling. I’m not sure there’s any specific advice I can give that will help bring life back its savour. Although they mean well, it’s sometimes quite galling to be reminded how much people love you when you don’t love yourself that much.
I’ve found that it’s of some help to think of one’s moods and feelings about the world as being similar to weather:
Here are some obvious things about the weather:
It’s real.
You can’t change it by wishing it away.
If it’s dark and rainy it really is dark and rainy and you can’t alter it.
It might be dark and rainy for two weeks in a row.
BUT
It will be sunny one day.
It isn’t under one’s control as to when the sun comes out, but come out it will.
One day.
It really is the same with one’s moods, I think. The wrong approach is to believe that they are illusions. They are real. Depression, anxiety, listlessness - these are as real as the weather - AND EQUALLY NOT UNDER ONE’s CONTROL. Not one’s fault.
BUT
They will pass: they really will.
In the same way that one has to accept the weather, so one has to accept how one feels about life sometimes.
‘Today’s a crap day,’ is a perfectly realistic approach. It’s all about finding a kind of mental umbrella.
‘Hey-ho, it’s raining inside: it isn’t my fault and there’s nothing I can do about it, but sit it out. But the sun may well come out tomorrow and when it does, I shall take full advantage.’
I don’t know if any of that is of any use: it may not seem it, and if so, I’m sorry. I just thought I’d drop you a line to wish you well in your search to find a little more pleasure and purpose in life.
Very best wishes
(Signed)
Stephen Fry

[Songbird]

That is a lovely story. Interesting that he thinks of moods as like weather, I've often thought of them that way myself.

[guitar77]

That is very cool! I can't believe he found the time to respond.