Richard Dreyfuss

• Dreyfuss has said he recognized from childhood or early adolescence that his inner experience differed from that of other people, and that what he experienced was later diagnosed as manic depression. He continues to prefer the term “manic depression” to “bipolar disorder.” [5][1]
• He has spoken publicly about the diagnosis for many years, including in Stephen Fry’s 2006 documentary The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive. Dreyfuss has said he never felt ashamed of the diagnosis and did not view public disclosure as “coming out” about something he had hidden. [6]

• Dreyfuss has described manic periods in which his speech became increasingly fast and loud and he felt unusually certain that he would succeed. He has said that for much of his life he experienced mania positively and believed it probably helped him as an actor. [1]
• By contrast, Dreyfuss has described depression as involving “sadness and grief and self-hatred” that could arise without an obvious cause. He has elsewhere described the depressive side of manic depression as “horrible and unendurable.” [7][8]

• Dreyfuss has said he first entered psychotherapy not specifically to understand manic depression but to understand himself. [8]
• He later took lithium and recalled that about ten days after starting it, the extremes of his moods became inaccessible, which he initially experienced as a relief. After about a decade, however, he said he “really missed” himself. In a later interview, Dreyfuss said he was no longer taking lithium but remained on a medication “protocol.” [8]

• Dreyfuss has described a prolonged search for medication that worked for him. He said it took four years to find an effective medication protocol and that the treatment substantially improved how he was functioning. [8][6]
• He does not describe stability as the disappearance of manic depression. Instead, he has said that it has remained part of his life and identity, while emphasizing the importance of learning whether he is directing the illness or allowing it to direct him. [6]

• Dreyfuss has spoken openly about manic depression for decades and has argued strongly against shame and stigma surrounding the diagnosis. He has argued that bipolar disorder should be treated as an illness rather than a source of shame, and has called for greater openness about mental health. [6]
• He brought that perspective to a wider audience by appearing in Stephen Fry’s 2006 BBC documentary The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, where he discussed his own experience alongside others living with bipolar disorder. [9]

“There’s no shame involved here. It’s like being ashamed of being a tree.”

— Richard Dreyfuss [10]