Gail Porter: I’m relieved to have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder

Gail Porter has said she was very much relieved when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder because it gave her an explanation for while she did “crazy things”.

Bipolar disorder, previously referred to as “manic depression”, is the name of a range of mood disorders which include periods of “mania” (extremely elevated mood and energy levels, including unusual thought patterns and impulsiveness) followed - either directly or following an emotional lull - by periods of major depression.

She explained recently: “Of course you don’t want it to affect other people’s lives. I don’t want [six year old daughter] Honey to see me all over the place - but I wouldn’t not have it.

“It’s the thing that’s made me do all the crazy things in my life, and what I think has given me that extra drive.

“And although I don’t regret a thing, it’s also nice to know there’s a reason why I do things. That I’m not completely insane.”

Gail’s diagnosis came after she suffered from post-natal depression in 2004, lost her hair to alopecia areata in 2005 and began self-harming “I thought I’d be on that miserable path forever, but I managed to get off it, thank goodness.

“It’s hard to get out of a habit, like self harming, even if it’s bad for you. It’s hard to stop that pattern of behaviour in your head. It’s almost easier to carry on than change, even if it will inevitably make your life better if you stop.”

She added: “I hope I’m an example of how, with certain battles like depression and so on, they don’t ever end - you’re not ‘better’ - but you can get on and enjoy life.

“Everyone has their ups and downs. It’s nice for people to know I’m human. I have a tendency to be up and down, but I know how to deal with it.”