Alan Ritchson gets candid about how his bipolar disorder affects him on and off set.
The Reacher star, 41, shared in the magazine’s latest cover issue Men’s health that he is still learning to manage his bipolar disorder — which he was diagnosed with at age 36 — in everyday life and even at work.
“It’s something like, ‘I need to find perfectly white shoes that look like sneakers but aren’t.’ “Three days later, eight pairs of shoes show up that are all identical. And I’m like, ‘Oh, s—, now I’m manic,'” he said.
The actor also noted that he has more of a manic than a depressive side to bipolar disorder, but both can manifest in problematic ways while filming.
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Alan Ritchson for Men’s Health.
AB+DM for Men’s Health
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“When I’m feeling depressed, it doesn’t really matter, because I’m so focused at work. I could go weeks without people even knowing I felt a certain way,” Ritchson said.
“When I’m manic and feel like something isn’t living up to its best potential, it usually comes out in a very—not in a mean way—but in a ‘this has to be better’ way,” he continued. . “Like a very, almost obsessive ‘this has to be better’. ”
Ritchson shared an example of this saying that he would get into a fight with the stunt coordinator in the first season Reacher because of his manic episodes. He revealed that when his stunt coordinator didn’t want him to do a fight scene, the actor would stubbornly put his foot down and refuse to leave the set until he did.
“I was like, ‘I’m pulling a fucking stunt.’ It was manic behavior,” he said. It eventually resulted in the stunt coordinator resigning, though he eventually agreed to return to the show.
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The Ordinary angels the actor admitted that he is still learning to monitor his behavior as he manages his bipolar disorder, and sees a psychiatrist every week to help him distinguish between normal and manic behavior.
He said his wife, Catherine Ritchson, to whom he has been married for nearly 20 years, and an assistant, who are also familiar with bipolar disorder, also help him monitor and treat him on a daily basis.
Ritchson has been open about his mental health journey over the years and has noted in the past that it can be difficult for loved ones to share this experience with him.
In May 2023, in honor of their 17th wedding anniversary, Alan shared a lovely tribute to his wife on Instagram, thanking her for being there for him through good times and bad.
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“Dealing with a bipolar husband who can deal a serious blow to a healthy partner and a level of fame that nothing can prepare you for… I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. However, this is the straw she drew when she said ‘I do,'” he wrote.
He continued about his wife: “Thank GOD for someone with unspeakable strength, tenacity, resilience, patience, grace, love, compassion and forgiveness to suffer through the valleys with me… I am eternally grateful that God knew well enough to give me life with her.”
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Source: HIS Education