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David Harbour isn’t one to hide what he’s been through. The ‘Stranger Things’ star has started opening up about how intense psychotherapy has changed his life, both on and off screen. He’s talked about struggling with bipolar disorder for years, describing the impact it’s had and how deeper therapy now helps him keep things on track.
By being so honest, he’s knocking down some of the stigma around mental illness and showing others they’re not alone.
Living with bipolar disorder
Harbour first spoke about his bipolar disorder a while back, in a few early interviews. Reportedly, he was in his mid-twenties (26) when doctors finally figured out what was happening, after a brutal manic episode landed him in the hospital. As he shared, he remembers feeling those wild highs — bursts of energy, strange beliefs, even a sense of spiritual awakening — before he understood what was really going on.Still, despite all of this, Harbour kept working in Hollywood, even when he was fighting addiction and his own mind. And now, his story isn’t just a series of dramatic breakdowns — it’s more about the day-to-day effort and sticking with it, even when things get rough.
Digging deeper with psychotherapy
Reportedly, Harbour’s been in therapy for a long time — since 1999, actually, after he got sober and started facing some old wounds. At first, therapy helped him untangle the roots of his addiction and pain.
Harbour told Future of Personal Health in a recent interview, “I have been in therapy since I got sober in 1999.” He added, “When I quit drinking, it forced me to confront a lot of demons that rose to the surface. I was very poor. However, I still was able to work once a week with a [Clinical Social Worker] who put me on a sliding scale.”But things really shifted when he hit 50. That’s when he dove into what he calls “intense psychotherapy.”
In his own words, “Only recently have I started intense psychotherapy, and it has made a world of difference in my treatment.”This wasn’t just talking through feelings; it was about digging deep, looking at old patterns, and facing the stuff at the core of his bipolar disorder and past trauma. He swears it’s changed everything, helping him find more stability and understand what can set off a manic episode.He’s clear about one thing: it’s not just therapy, and it’s not just medication.
It takes both, plus a real commitment to keep at it. Since taking this intense approach, Harbour says he hasn’t had another manic episode — a sign that the work is paying off.
How mental health shapes his work and life
Harbour’s mental health journey isn’t just something that happens off-camera. It seeps into his acting, too. In fact, one can see some of his real struggles as Hopper in ‘Stranger Things’ — the rawness, the vulnerability, the fight to keep going. That honesty, both in his roles and in real life, has helped open up bigger conversations about mental health in Hollywood.He’s still respected for his work, but it’s his willingness to talk about these things that stands out. For instance, the 50-year-old actor recently pulled out of Tony Gilroy’s drama film ‘Behemoth!’ alongside Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, and Matthew Lillard, prioritizing his well-being. In fact, insiders familiar with the project told Variety that Harbour was overwhelmed by the end of ‘Stranger Things’.
English (US) ·