David Harbour reveals he recently began intense psychotherapy: 'It has made a world of difference'

"Medication alone is only half the battle… there is only hard individual work,” the Marvel actor said

David Harbour is opening up about his mental health journey and the impact that recently starting intense psychotherapy has had on his life. The Stranger Things star, who has been candid in the past about living with bipolar disorder, shared that deeper therapeutic work has significantly improved his overall well-being.

Harbour explained that while he has been in therapy since getting sober in 1999, it wasn’t until recently that he committed to a more intensive form of psychotherapy. “Only recently have I started intense psychotherapy, and it has made a world of difference in my treatment,” he said, noting that the combination of therapy and medication has helped stabilize him in ways he hadn’t experienced before.

The actor, now 50, said the newer approach has had a profound effect on managing his bipolar disorder. “I have not had a manic flare-up since I started psychoanalysis with a good therapist,” Harbour shared, emphasizing the importance of sustained professional support alongside medical treatment.

Harbour also reflected on what manic episodes were like for him earlier in life, describing how they distorted his perception of reality. “Thought becomes disordered and chaotic… things that have no meaning became meaningful,” he said. He added, “Names, numbers and colors acquire a twisted symbolism,” and explained that, at its core, mania can create “a fundamental narcissism… that makes me think I am the center of all things, for good or for ill.”

While acknowledging that access to mental health care can be challenging, Harbour stressed that medication alone is not enough. “Medication alone is only half the battle… there is only hard individual work,” he said, encouraging others to seek out therapy, support groups and any available resources that can help.