EastEnders storyline gave A Place In The Sun star clue that she had bipolar disorder | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV | Express.co.uk

Leah continued: “I remember a scene of Stacey walking through the market on her way home in the morning, after a whole night out on a bender. She’d been up all night, she’d been doing God knows what and her family at that point confronted her and said ‘What’s going on?'”

When her uncle followed her back home, he discovered bags full of purchases stashed under her bed – evidence of her online “shopping sprees”.

“She had all these bags of clothes and things that she hadn’t even taken out of the box, she hadn’t unpacked – and that was me!” Leah exclaimed.

“I wasn’t somebody who ever was a binge drinker, who went on benders or stayed out all night or left my partner to go across town at one o’ clock in the morning to have a party on the other side of London – like, that’s not my vibe!

“It’s not me, but suddenly I was doing all these things and felt compelled to, and no-one else was keeping up with me,” she explained.

This, coupled with depressive episodes at different times, led to Leah attempting suicide, but she was thankfully talked down from an eighth storey window by a friend.

Days later, things came to a head when the tearful TV star prepared to fight her “final battle”, passing a suicide note to the receptionist at her doctors’ surgery.

Finally, she received a diagnosis and, instead of relying on anti-depressants, was able to get treatment personalised to her condition – but Leah is concerned that not enough has been done to connect bipolar sufferers with the right help.

She is now feeling much better and, having reverted to her natural personality, has teamed up with the mental health charity Bipolar UK as an ambassador.

Bipolar UK is the only national charity dedicated to supporting people affected by bipolar. Bipolar UK provides a range of services, including information and advice, a network of support groups, an eCommunity, workplace training and telephone and email peer support. Bipolar UK also works in partnership with research organisations and campaigns for change to tackle critical issues. For more information, visit www.bipolaruk.org

In addition, if you or someone you know has been affected by this story, Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. Alternatively, you can find more information on the Samaritans website here: https://www.samaritans.org/

Leah also has her own mental health-focused Instagram page at @illuminatemh.