Mikael Persbrandt: I Have Caused So Much Chaos

In an episode of Vänligen Lars Lerin to air 20th January on SVT, Mikael Persbrandt opens up about his battle with drink and drugs, being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and the impact it has had on his family:

“It’s been such bloody chaos in my life. I have caused so much chaos so it has been difficult to have a relationship with me… I eventually put drugs and alcohol before everything that is good in life.”

“You can try to romanticise it as long as possible, or you can deny it, but in the end it is not possible anymore.”

Mikael Persbrandt goes on to say that being diagnosed with type 2 bipolar disorder has helped him to stay sober:

“Without it, I wouldn’t have fixed it now either. It is quite clear. I get such peaks and cases where I do not understand what this life is all about.”

“It usually starts with the colour scheme of TV4’s listings and programme leaders. Then I go in to free fall, I lose hope in humanity.”

“Now I can handle the colour scheme and I can even watch some TV shows that I never thought it possible to watch. The question is whether it is a positive thing but on the whole we would probably call it positive,” he laughs.