Celeb chef Heston Blumenthal reveals the disturbing early symptoms of psychotic mania that left him in hospital for 3 weeks.

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has revealed disturbing details of the start of a manic episode which saw him hospitalized and eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

In a revealing interview, the father-of-three described a collection of ‘highs’, visions and suicidal thoughts – all of which were exacerbated by only getting an hour or two of sleep each night.

A severe illness – which involved Blumenthal thinking “there was a gun on the table” – led doctors to admit him to a psychiatric hospital last November, where he stayed for 20 days .

The 58-year-old said his incident had sparked a desire to “save the world” and to “love everyone”.

He continued: ‘I was throwing up memories… I was so happy. Talking about doing things. It was real madness.’

The celebrity chef was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, with at least one episode of insanity.

Bipolar two include common episodes of depression.

About 1 in 100 people will be diagnosed with bipolar disorder at some point in their lives.

Many people with mental health problems go from one emotion to another. They have periods of depression and feel very low and depressed, they also suffer from insanity, feeling ‘high’ and hyperactive.

However, unlike mood swings, the NHS explains that bipolar disorder can last for several weeks.

Blumenthal told the Financial Times that he thought he had suffered from bipolar disorder for ‘such a long time’.

He suggests that the insomnia he experienced early in his career, when he was emailing colleagues before dawn, may have been a premonition.

Reflecting on the mood swings she’s experienced over the past year, she described going from wanting to ‘love everyone’ to getting angry when someone moves too much like Post- note it.

‘…then bang – I’d be so angry at the world, I wouldn’t say my words,’ he said, comparing his mood swings to a child’s.

These feelings began to intensify and became an ’emotional danger to him’ due to suicidal thoughts.

Doctors said that the sleepless night and the state of excitement were causing stress on his body which could be dangerous.

Blumenthal’s wife, entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson, described his reaction as a ‘whirlwind’.

Recalling the moment he was forced to admit her to hospital, Ceysson said: ‘That’s when I pressed the red button,’ adding that the result was ‘the most terrifying hours’ of her life.

Blumenthal, who detailed the ‘horrifying’ ordeal on The One Show in July, said: ‘These normal downward spirals were getting stronger and stronger all the time.

‘I was on a high and I was there for a few days. I had visions, hallucinations, and even suicidal thoughts.’

He explained: ‘Melanie made the difficult decision for me to be sectioned, which involved me having to rest.

‘There was a knock on the door, there’s a policeman, then five firemen and a doctor with an assistant and I said ‘What’s going on here?’ Then I saw the doctor take out this big syringe and I woke up in the hospital.’

The TV chef added: ‘Since my diagnosis I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’ve realized that a lot of my creativity comes from being depressed.

‘I hope that talking about it can change the way we see the situation and bring it to light for all the right reasons.’

Although he doesn’t want to be crazy again, he admits that he doesn’t regret the contribution that light events may have had in his earlier career.

He now prioritizes sleep and says the medication has stabilized his mood which means he can now express his feelings.