Tory MS opens up about suicide attempt and life with bipolar disorder

Emily Price

Less than a year before Gareth Davies was elected as a Member of the Senedd, he arrived at the A&E department of Glan Clwyd Hospital and told the receptionist he had made a plan – he was going to kill himself.

The next day, he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder – a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings ranging from from feeling very high and overactive, to suddenly very low and depressed.

This week, the Tory MS opened up to Nation Cymru about how his own experience with a mental health condition encouraged him to become an ambassador for National Charity, Bipolar UK.

‘Only solution’

In 2020, prior to being elected, Gareth was working for the NHS when his episodes of mania and depression had become so severe that he felt taking his own life was the “only solution”.

He said: “In the build up to that day I went A&E – I wasn’t addressing my problems. I would convince myself that my episodes of depression would go away and quite often they would pass – but that’s the nature of being bipolar.

“The highs and lows would play deeper into the ambiguity of it all. In the end, the mood swings snowballed becoming worse and worse until I felt that ending my life was the only answer.

Help

“I’m pleased there was something inside me that made me go and get help. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon when I went to A&E. From my own experience of working in health care, I knew there was a chance that they would turn me away and tell me to go and see my GP the next day.

“But when I walked in and told the receptionist what I wanted to do to myself, she pushed back her chair and told me to hold on whilst she went and fetched someone – she could see herself that I needed help.”

Gareth was seen immediately by a member of the hospital’s psychiatry liaison team and was later sent to the psychiatric unit next door where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Following his diagnosis, he took three months off work and undertook a programme of medication, talking therapies and treatment.

Suicidal thoughts

The Vale of Clwyd MS was elected the first ever Conservative to represent the area in 2021. He was appointed the Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Early Years in a shadow cabinet re-shuffle earlier this year.

In 2022, he became the first MS to openly talk in the Senedd’s Chamber about life with bipolar disorder and his experience of suicidal thoughts.

He said: “I felt like it was the right time to talk about it to others as I was finally in a good state of mind – I didn’t want to break down or get upset. It coincided with a debate on mental health and it felt good to chat it through publicly and get it on the radar.

“I know that for myself my diagnosis was very quick and for that I’m grateful. But my denial of my symptoms dragged out any hopes of treatment over a very long period of time.

“I found that being diagnosed was a strong foundation to begin the journey of getting better – it’s the part where you understand the condition you have and work out how to live with it.

“After that, with help, depending on the individual, you can build yourself back up on a new footing and analyse what’s gone wrong, what the triggers are and how they can be managed.”

Physical health

It currently takes an average of 11.9 years for a person to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder in Wales – in England it take 11.4 years.

2% of Wales’ adult population is estimated to be living with the condition – that’s 50,000 people.

The Bipolar Commission found people with condition are 50% more likely to be obese and are more likely to die 10-15 years younger than the general population from all forms of mortality including cardiovascular disease, cancer and suicide.

Gareth says taking care of his physical health has been key to meeting the mental symptoms of bipolar disorder halfway.

He said: “I always joke that I will be a good candidate for a knee replacement when I’m older because I do so much running and walking. I find it helps me with my symptoms.  But I’m also very lucky in many ways because I have a good support network around me – I have a wife and kids and a good family.

“Sadly though, there are some people who are not as lucky as I am. So as an MS I want to begin a public discussion about mental health and promote awareness of bipolar disorder.

“In a lot of ways, it has taken a lot for me to talk about these things – it doesn’t feel natural for me to talk about being bipolar all the time.

“But over the summer I reached out to Bipolar UK and asked about becoming an ambassador so I can share my story and use my role as an MS to help other people in Wales.”

‘Honoured’

As an advocate for ending the stigma around mental illness, Gareth says the right infrastructure and training will speed up diagnoses of bipolar. As the shadow minister for mental health, he says he’s focused on ensuring that mental health support remains a political priority in Wales.

He said: “I’m really thankful and honoured to be given the brief. I’m passionate about my previous experience working in mental health in the NHS and having a mental health issue myself. I think I can bring a lot to the role in the Senedd.

“For my own constituency, I can see some very slow signs of improvement in terms of plans for a new outlet unit in Glan Clwyd over the next few years.

“But in terms of the diagnosis rate for bipolar – 11.9 years in Wales is just far too long. I think there needs to be a multi-disciplinary solution to that, there has to be more awareness and a better understanding of the illness from health professionals and employers too.

“It’s good for employers to understand that people can have a variety of different problems, whether that be physical or mental health. Having training sessions or management courses would be a step in the right direction when it comes to accommodating those who need it.

“People can think sometimes, ‘how can they hold down a job?’ – But I’m proof that you can – especially if you have people around you who understand.

“When I look back at myself, and how I put off my own diagnosis, it makes me think about others who might be not want to speak to someone about their own mental health struggles.

“No one should ever have to suffer in silence – speak to your GP, a professional, someone that you can trust and explain what you’re going though. The process of being helped and supported can’t begin until you make a start on that conversation.”

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis and require urgent help, contact the Samaritans free on 116 123 or via email at [email protected]