Executive producer of Channel 10’s ratings nightmare Wake Up, and producing veteran Adam Boland has spoken out about his well-publicised breaks from the breakfast show, bravely revealing his bipolar disorder and “breakdown” that followed the show’s premiere, in a piece published on The Hoopla today.
Ten’s breakfast show, featuring a panel of hosts – James Mathison, Natarsha Belling, Nuala Hefner along with the now-axed Natasha Exelby – broadcasting from Sydney and pitting themselves against the veritable breakfast TV monopoly of Karl & Lisa Vs. Kochie, has not earned the same initial success as some of Boland’s previous programmes, such as The Morning Show, which Boland led as executive producer in 2007.
Writing on The Hoopla today, Boland candidly revealed the extent of his ‘black dog’ and struggles with biploar disorder – conditions which unfortunately culminated last month and resulted in a bout of “deep depression”. Boland writes, “The anxiety attacks were daily – in fact, sometimes hourly. They were also exhausting – but sleep wasn’t an option. This happened at the precise time my show needed its leader. My partner tried his best to keep me away from social media and wayward headlines. When I did see them, I felt a deep sense of guilt. I would scream “I need to be at work” before again landing on the floor. I didn’t feel safe anywhere. I would move from the couch to the bed to the floor and then back again. When I wasn’t rambling, I was crying.”
Perhaps most significantly, however, is Boland’s insight on the stigma associated with mental illness. “It genuinely saddens me that many people still don’t see mental illness in the same way they’d view any other form of sickness. I received a tweet from someone I have never met telling me to “man up”. […] Many people with mental illness already feel guilty. That shouldn’t be compounded by the ignorance of others.”
Read Adam Boland’s piece in full here.
Readers struggling with depression, bipolar disorder or any other mental illness are encouraged to seek help from The Black Dog Institute’s website or call lifeline on 13 11 14.
