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Sinéad O'Connor on living with a mental health condition

Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor talks to Ruby Wax about living with a mental health condition since a young age. After experiencing depression as a child, Sinéad was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder following the birth of her children, after which she remained on medication for eight years. 

Watch the video to hear Sinéad talk about the side effects of coming off medications, on seeking help and why she 'couldn't afford to be a poppy in a tsunami', why she believes spirituality is important and what she does to cope with her post-traumatic stress disorder.

 

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Mogul wrote on 01 | 31 | 2013
Thank you
gentletreewater wrote on 01 | 29 | 2013
Thanks Sinead, your frank & honest disclosure had helped me to realise that I have a deep seated sense of being a bad person. The legacy of experiencing violence as a child. Like you I have had depression with stress yet I bring on a lot of problems by constantly trying to make mysekf into a "good" person by workaholism and poor decisions around the type of people I have around me. I'm learning slowly that I am very sensitive and that I cannot withstand people who are negative around me. Thank you-and yes, I'm an artist so the creative process is therapeutic.
norrisb1 wrote on 01 | 28 | 2013
Absolutely brilliant. Raised a number of points that I can relate to, shame my employers could not relate to my condition. Have had to resign after facing therapy for childhood nightmares and no support or understanding from work. I now know I am a good person and want to join the campaign to raise awareness and understanding and change people's attitudes and perceptions.
BollomBrooks wrote on 04 | 18 | 2012
Fantastic video. What a lovely, warm-hearted person Sinead O'Connor is. And Ruby continues to impress me too. Two great ambassadors for mental health. Keep up the good work.
Bubbles wrote on 04 | 17 | 2012
What a fantastic interview and what an inspiring, wonderful woman. She makes so much sense and I can relate to so much of what she says. Everyone needs to see this video!
colleen wrote on 04 | 17 | 2012
Thank you Sinead and Ruby for this. The most striking thing is how one is abused because one is suffering – how cruel is that? So important to fight the stigma and get mental ill health accepted as an illness which anyone might suffer from – as worthy of support and NHS resources just like cancer or heart disease. The issues Sinead faces are also partly because she is a woman in a misogynist culture. So it’s a feminist issue too.
bipolardj wrote on 04 | 17 | 2012
Stumbled onto this site via facebook - very mpressed... Glad to see Sinéad back after such a long departure. I was diagnosed (correctly i think) with bipolar over ten years ago and can relate to the relief of diagnosis. I didn't know much about it at the time but it was good to give it a name. When you are at that place where you don't know whats going on and it is all very scary it is probably quite easy to accept any diagnosis - anything just to put a line under it and start a treatment. I believe mental health treatment is still very much in its infancy and misdaignosis is probably more common than we think. I think the majority of us do trust doctors to get things right but I realised this was not the case quite a few years ago - maybe thats why nurses are known to be such bad patients. I have been to "the nut house" four times now - all with psychosis although learning to read the signs my last visit was only 3 weeks opposed to the 3 month norm. I can also relate to the stigma of having anything I say or do or think being jaded due to my diagnosis, especially a theory (see website) I stumbled onto a number of years ago, although I must admit the local newspaper did me proud. And yes lithium, a mood stabaliser also left me without mood or feelings. Thankfully i got off that as i was given toxic doses that gave me blurred vision after taking it. Anyway - great stuff and Ruby you are a true star and one of my "who would you invite to dinner" people - thanks so much for giving up so much of your time on this. Hopefully it will snowball and you can get some distance back from this mad mad world :)