Jessica Marais battling bipolar disorder

Australian actress Jessica Marais has been battling bipolar disorder since the age of 12. The former Packed To The Rafters star opened up about her condition in an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly, revealing she has been coping with the illness since she was a child, but has chosen to manage it without medication.
She tells the publication, “There’s a history of bipolar in my family and I was diagnosed at one point with bipolar. I’ve had cognitive therapy training, so I choose not to be medicated. I have developed ways to talk myself down from any ledges I find myself on. And I am very lucky that I have a very patient partner (actor James Stewart) who supports me… There’s probably one day a month when I am an absolute mess.”
Marais adds of the condition, “It’s hard to separate what is due to trauma or stress and what is due to a simple chemical imbalance. Suffice to say, it’s become a manageable part of my life. I acknowledge it, I know when an episode is coming on and I work hard to manage it.”