Living Better: In conversation with Alastair Campbell on mental health

“Last Christmas I almost killed myself. Almost. I’ve had a lot of almosts. Never gone from almost to dead. Don’t think I ever will. But it was a bad almost.”

Alastair Campbell built a career at the very top of UK politics as the so-called ‘spin doctor’ for former Prime Minister Tony Blair. He has been a vocal critic of the government’s communications strategy throughout the pandemic.

His new book, Living Better: How I Learned to Survive Depression, is a deeply personal account of his lifelong struggle with mental ill-health. It’s a painful but ultimately hopeful story that takes in his childhood, family and work relationships, as well as his relentless quest to understand the condition and the treatments for it.

Stephen Fry has said of Living Better, ‘Superbly readable, supremely useful. Unflinching, clear-eyed, honest, raw and revealing, it may be the most important achievement of Alastair Campbell’s vivid and varied career.’

Listen to his story and reflect on how we might look after ourselves and each other better.

In conversation with James Harding, editor and co-founder of Tortoise.