I have mixed emotions on this. Having watched Stephen Fry's The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, i understand that he chooses not to take medication for his bipolar disorder, and I respect his choice.

However, speaking as someone who has spent most of her life struggling with major depression, I feel that if a person is dealing with a chronic condition that affects one's thinking, especially if that person chooses not to use medication, the person needs to be especially mindful of their state of mind and how it's affe...

I have mixed emotions on this. Having watched Stephen Fry's The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, i understand that he chooses not to take medication for his bipolar disorder, and I respect his choice.

However, speaking as someone who has spent most of her life struggling with major depression, I feel that if a person is dealing with a chronic condition that affects one's thinking, especially if that person chooses not to use medication, the person needs to be especially mindful of their state of mind and how it's affecting their interactions.

Fry knows he's bipolar and that he's choosing not to use medication to address it. Given that, he needs to learn to not respond to mild criticism – from strangers, to boot – with over-the-top responses like "obviously I suck and should just shut up so nobody has to read my horrible tedious thoughts" (paraphrased, obviously).

There are times I stay off the net entirely because my depression is acting up and I know I'm likely to take things entirely too personally. I think Stephen Fry would be better off (happier, steadier, more content, better able to respond to the challenges of life) if he could work on similar self-awareness.

(If you haven't watched Secret Life, I highly recommend it. Fascinating.)