Scott Peddie

• Peddie has publicly identified himself as living with bipolar disorder. In evidence to a UK parliamentary committee in 2018, he said that he had been living with a diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder for about ten years and that he had previously been diagnosed with major depressive disorder. [1]
• He has continued to discuss bipolar disorder publicly through writing and educational events, drawing on both his professional perspective as a psychotherapist and his lived experience. [2][4]

• Peddie has spoken about his experience of mental-health inpatient care, which he described as traumatic and lacking continuity between hospital and community services. [1]
• He has also said that difficulty accessing appropriate psychological treatment affected the course of his illness, how long he was able to remain at work and his ability to pursue meaningful goals. [1]

• Peddie has said that medication is an important part of managing his bipolar disorder, but that psychological therapy has also been necessary for him. He described cognitive behavioural therapy as helpful the first time he received it but less suitable when it was offered again later. [1]
• Because suitable psychological therapies were not always available through the NHS in Northern Ireland, Peddie has said that he paid privately for treatment he felt he needed. During hospital admissions, he also found occupational therapy and contact with a psychologist helpful when they were available. [1]

• Drawing on his own lived experience, Peddie has emphasized that it is possible to find hope and meaning while living with bipolar disorder. He presents living well as a matter of how a person responds to an enduring diagnosis rather than simply whether the diagnosis remains. [2]

• Peddie has worked as a mental health advocate and has spoken publicly about problems in access to mental health care. In evidence to the UK Parliament, he drew on his own experience to argue for better continuity between hospital and community services and improved access to psychological therapies. [1]
• He also provides public education about bipolar disorder, drawing on both professional and lived experience to discuss stigma, meaning and living well with the condition. [2][4]

“There is much hope in the midst of our struggles.”

— Scott Peddie [2]