Part 7 Secret Life of the Manic Depressive

I know how he feels. You can be really, really good at something but on the off-days you think you are the worst person who ever decided to take up that skill or hobby.

Wonderful for him to share that part of himself with us. It's not just a factual account of the condition; it's a day in the life of a successful, eloquent gentleman who has dealt with it since puberty.

This documentary may already have saved lives. Every doctor should be made to watch it, I think.

After having always be in awe of the brilliance and gentleness of Stephen Fry, it really effects me that a person I have so admired could possibly have gone through this, possibly felt as I have. If he could have low self esteem, then it somehow makes me feel a bit of hope. He is so clearly wrong about himself. So incorrect when he runs himself down, it makes me see my own thinking may be equally inaccurate. What a generous gift to make this film.

I fucking hate the world and all it's incompetent people. I swear to god that I am going to kill my self because of it.

you need a strong anit phycotic and an antidepressant

This is certianly an interesting series-and I'm so glad that you put this up here. General MD's MUST listen to this. I was misdiagnosed as Bipolar and I do not show any signs of this. From what you say about yourself, and how you go out and find people with Bipolar-some not so bad, and that one lady that was so bad! I think some doctors get so hung up on what they are taught in a textbook-that they jump to conclusions-when they see someone that is just irritable and bitchy. Like women can get.

I've got the same voices in my head like Stephen does, but we both know that they are not real and they are just our mind. I think schizophrenics don't know it's their own thoughts and not someone else talking to them.

Exactly. The voices and such that a schizophrenic experiences are just as real as the real world.

It was a pretty interesting disclosure that it was Hugh Laurie who first got contact with Stephen after the breakdown. It really took a grip of you, what he told. And one of the most dark things, is that a character of his described a suicide-attempt in his and Hugh's series "A bit of Fry and Laurie" . which was eerie similar to what he did. Fry is extremely charismatic, and so far, this have been a very interesting and thoughtful documentary.