16 August 2023 , 11:02
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BBC producer and presenter David Harper has revealed he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 10 years ago.
David, who has recently worked on projects for the BBC and ITV, announced his diagnosis in a short video posted on Twitter. He explained how he had experienced 'difficult moments' as a result of having bipolar, a condition that affects around 1 in 50 people in the UK.
Captioning the clip: "Bit of an announcement...", David said: "I have something I want to tell you and it’s not going to be terribly easy, because it’s not something I feel massively comfortable talking about. But I’ve decided to do it anyway. About 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Manic Depression if you will." Manic Depression is an outdated term, ditched by clinicians in the 80s, who believed the phrase 'maniac' attracted too much stigma.
BBC presenter David Harper has opened up about his bipolar diagnosis"It’s something I’ve struggled with quite a bit," David admitted. "I’ve probably had it a lot longer than that. And it’s given rise to some difficult moments. I was on medication at one point. I’m not any more." David explained that it can be difficult for those diagnosed with Bipolar to find medication that works for them. Instead, he said he manages his symptoms in "other ways". The NHS website simply characterises the symptoms of Bipolar as "extreme mood swings".
Admitting he has had 'difficult moments', David continued: "Anyone who has worked or lived with me at any point in the last 20 years or so will probably be honest and say there have been moments when I’ve not been the easiest person to be around. But I think it’s important to talk about it. It’s difficult."
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Bipolar Disorder affects around 1.3 million people in the UK (Twitter/ @ThatDavidHarper)His career has been affected, with David worried that even just posting the video could be detrimental to his work. He said: "As you may know, I’m a self-employed person and being open about things like this isn’t always easy. Anything that makes you look potentially a bit erratic or potentially unreliable in the workplace is not necessarily welcomed by employers. Even just doing this could potentially cost me some work. But I rather hope it won’t. Because I’ve decided it’s not really helping anyone to be quiet about it anymore."
David acknowledged that many other people are going through difficulties, but believes people should talk about them more. He added: "A lot of people are going through all manner of different struggles and not talking about it is not making that any easier. And we should be more open about this. I may talk about it a bit more in the coming days and weeks, but from now, that’s what I wanted to say really. I have Bipolar disorder."