A look at being diagnosed with a mental illness.

Depression: diagnosis and stigma

“You just want to step out of it, to step out of the whole race, the whole business. The monstrosity of life overwhelms you.” Following a nervous breakdown in 1995, actor and journalist Stephen Fry discovered he was suffering from bi-polar disorder – commonly known as manic depression. Symptoms of fear and sadness (often classed as ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ if they are diagnosed) are the most common ‘mental disorders’ in Britain that people seek counselling for. This collection of videos looks at what can happen when people are overwhelmed by such profound feelings of sadness that they can’t carry on with their everyday lives. Fry, along with Trisha Goddard and engineer Jim Brown, share their personal struggles and experiences with diagnosis and drug use, giving us a glimpse into the journeys they have taken.  

This material forms part of The Open University course D240 Counselling: exploring fear and sadness

'The Secret life...' footage appears courtesy of RTF and BBC.