Steve Bedwell reveals his mental health battles

Radio star Steve Bedwell has gone to extreme lengths to get well, including shock therapy, after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. But he says the road back can be littered with potholes.

Writer, comedian and broadcaster Steve Bedwell believes employers should be more supportive of people living with mental health challenges.

Bedwell, who was a top rating breakfast host for Triple M, was diagnosed as bipolar in 2007 and has been extraordinarily open and honest about his mental health battle.

However he said his honesty has held him back from career opportunities.

“I don’t think society is in a place quite yet, generally, particularly in the media, where they can accept somebody with a mental health issue,” Bedwell told the Herald Sun Sacked: Showbiz podcast.

“It is a penalty in some regards, in that I don’t think people are willing enough to accept it.

“If I did not go to work for six months because I had a badly broken hip people would welcome you back with open arms (because) it is just a broken hip. If you have a broken brain they don’t want to know about you, because it is too hard for people to fathom, they don’t want to have to face it, it is difficult to discuss and redemption is a very difficult thing.

“You can’t give yourself redemption, you have to earn it and that is what I am trying to do at the moment is earn redemption for what I have done in the past.

“If you are a footballer or a really high profile media personality and you have a breakdown or you root your best mate’s missus, people will forgive you and before you know it you are back on the TV doing stuff.

“But if you have a go at somebody who is a program director because you don’t like them then it is different even though the illness may be similar or the same.”

Bedwell has carefully managed his mental health since 2007.

“Bipolar is a genuine chemical imbalance that really throws the polarity of your brain out and I take Lithium for it,” Bedwell said.

“Lithium is the best thing in the world for it and it is a natural salt.

“I have had ECT which is electroconvulsive therapy. (It) used to be called electric shock treatment and they changed it because it was not that palatable. But electro and convulsive don’t exactly make it sound like fun. I had several treatments of that.

“I have had stays in hospital, mostly just for meds changes.”

Bedwell continues to write and create program formats.

“I am feeling good about stuff, feeling positive about things and am just getting on with my life,” he said.

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