Rosie Viva used to travel the world as a fashion model. It wasn’t until being arrested after a psychotic episode in Stansted Airport that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

On the week of World Bipolar Day, Rosie joins Emilie on Well Enough to ask: what does the world still get wrong about bipolar, especially for women.

Rosie’s book ‘Completely Normal and Totally Fine’ charts her journey with bipolar. She documents mania, depression and recovery all whilst navigating relationships, jobs and her new identity. In today’s episode, she also shares her one rule for drinking on medication, how to manage hypomania without losing the magic, and why thinking she was Susan Boyle for a week taught her family not to challenge delusions.

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Useful links:

Rosie’s Substack

Rosie’s book ‘Completely Normal and Totally Fine’

‘Maybe its bipolar?’ test from Bipolar UK

Samaritans

Timecodes:

00:00 What Is Bipolar Disorder? Breaking Down the Basics

02:46 Type 1 vs Type 2 Bipolar: Understanding the Difference

05:21 Misdiagnosis: When Doctors Miss Bipolar in Women

08:16 The Psychotic Episode That Changed Everything

10:11 Religious Delusions & Mania: My Breaking Point

11:26 Arrested at Stansted Airport: The Baggage Drop Incident

13:01 The Shame Around Mental Illness Nobody Talks About

15:16 Getting the Right Medication: Why It Takes Time

17:26 When Therapy Goes Wrong: My NHS Experience

20:01 Managing Hypermania: Practical Tools That Work

22:16 Navigating Friendships with Bipolar Disorder

24:51 PMDD & Bipolar: The Hidden Connection for Women

27:31 Can Women with Bipolar Be Stable? The Answer Is Yes

29:56 How to Know If You Have Bipolar: First Steps

32:31 Making My Channel 4 Documentary: Telling My Story

35:26 Is My Madness Actually Magic? Reframing Bipolar

38:01 The Euphoria of Hypermania: Like Astronauts in Space

39:21 Drinking with Bipolar: My One Simple Rule

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