The Daily Novel

They exhibit inappropriate sexual behaviour when in manic flow. I do not quarrel with this as a fact. But it is misleading to focus on the sexual aspect, although that might be the one which is most obvious to the observer. The reality of the manic depressive is quite different. His sexual urges do not suddenly happen when he is manic. They are present throughout the depressive period, but in the hopeless mood they seem impossible to fulfill.

I came across a better way of describing what is going on inside the manic depressive just now on the web site of the Manic Depressive Fellowship. They say that they ‘may be more talkative, outgoing or sexual during’ manic periods.

That is one hundred per cent accurate. The release from gloom and introspection re-awakens the urge to commune with other human beings and to have some fun. Including the sexual contact. But it does not mean that the manic depressive suddenly has an uncontrollable urge to jump on any human being he fancies.

The distinction is important because focussing on the sexual often leads to wrong diagnosis and wrong treatment.

The sex life of the manic depressive is not that much different than that of most human beings who are not manic depressive. Just think of all those MPs whose inappropriate sexual behaviour you have read about at great length in the papers. Starting with Jack Profumo and including Jeffrey Archer and John Prescott, as well as a huge number of MP’s who have not been important enough to stay in the headlines for long.

And, as any parliamentary lobby correspondent will tell you, there are a large number who have behaved in similar ways but have not been exposed by the press.

Like the manics, they do have sexual urges, but what drives them into non-marital beds, is a complex of factors, including that powerful human need to feel loved for what they are, even when they have their trousers down.