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“I was living a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade income”.

That’s how this month’s interviewee for Mental Wealth describes his experience of bipolar disorder. Ciaran, a Dubliner working in the hospitality industry, says his life was out of control during difficult times with the illness.

“The manic side, at the time, is brilliant, but when everything gets back to normal you wake up and say to yourself, ‘what did I do, how did I do that, why did I do that?’, that’s when the depression stage hits you,” he explains during the interview.

However, after a period in hospital and extensive care Ciaran has managed to take control of the disorder and shares his story with Newstalk. As with all episodes in this series, Ciaran is keen to offer his take on the tools of recovery, including the benefits of keeping a mood diary, his interest in Pearl Jam and how fantasy fiction can offer periods of respite from the battles of the mind.

Mental Wealth is Newstalk's monthly mental health podcast series about people's experiences and the tools of recovery. Mental Wealth brings a fresh, candid and empathetic approach to mental health discussion in Ireland through intimate conversations with those who have experienced a variety of mental health disorders. It also provides an accessible and engaging platform to discuss difficult issues by using a variety of pop cultural sources in order to create an engaging programme for listeners. 

Previous Episodes:

Episode 1: Depression

Episode 2: Anorexia