Dov Degen

• Degen was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder during his second year of medical school. He has also said that he was first hospitalized during medical school. [1][2]
• Around the time he was diagnosed, his thinking became markedly altered; he later recalled that at times he believed he was Jesus and said he was clearly “not myself.” [2]
• For many years, Degen kept the diagnosis relatively private. In 2015, he decided to begin speaking publicly about it and contacted SANE Australia, appearing in a video campaign in which he shared his story publicly for the first time. The following year, he spoke about living with bipolar disorder as part of Jewish Care Victoria’s Reach Out, Speak Out campaign. [1]

• Degen has described experiencing episodes at both extremes of mood, which he characterized as periods of “soaring heights and soul-destroying lows.” Around the time he was diagnosed in medical school, his thinking became markedly altered; he later recalled that at times he believed he was Jesus and said he was clearly “not myself.” [1][2]
• He has also spoken about the isolation of psychiatric hospitalization. Degen said that some people in his life stayed away while he was in hospital, something he found painful, and later used that experience to emphasize the importance of continuing to support people during mental-health crises. [1]

• Degen has described living well for long periods between episodes and continuing to build a demanding medical career despite recurrent bipolar disorder. He has said that, when well, he is able to function at a high level and has for the most part maintained a productive and relatively balanced life while living with bipolar disorder. [1]
• Degen has emphasized that functioning well does not mean the illness has disappeared. He has described being able to live a productive and relatively balanced life while continuing to have bipolar disorder. [1]
• He has spoken publicly about continuing his medical career while living with bipolar disorder and has emphasized that the diagnosis does not define who he is. [1]

• Degen has been a SANE Australia Peer Ambassador and spokesperson since 2015 and a Beyond Blue spokesperson since 2018. He has used his experience as both a doctor and a person living with bipolar disorder to challenge stigma and encourage greater openness about mental illness. [6][4]
• A particular focus of his advocacy has been mental health within medicine. Degen has argued that healthcare professionals are often expected to appear constantly capable and “invincible,” and has called for greater openness about mental-health difficulties within healthcare. He has also called for greater acceptance of vulnerability and less stigma toward clinicians experiencing mental-health problems. [4]
• In 2026, his work in both medicine and mental-health support was recognized with the Medal of the Order of Australia. [6]

“I acknowledge my illness, but it is not who I am.”

— Dov Degen [1]