Struan Logan Personal Journey

2 days ago
2 min read

Comedian Struan Logan joins us to discuss his personal journey with bipolar.

June Meeting Summary: Struan Logan | Personal Journey

This month at our all ages meeting, we were joined online by Struan Logan who graciously shared with us his personal story. Struan is a comedian who returned to stand-up after a five-year hiatus, partially due to being diagnosed with Bipolar Type-1, and is preparing for a new routine that explores his experiences with bipolar.

Who Am I & Origins

Struan describes himself as a "globetrotting" stand-up comedian and writer, and his work has ranged from working for the BBC to selling whisky casks. He knew of no family history of mental illness or neurodivergence when he had his first episode at 31years old, and was diagnosed with Bipolar Type-1 at 33 while he was sectioned. Also, very importantly, he also has an adorable Corgi companion named Maisie.

Mental Illness & Stress

Struan had no prior diagnosis of cyclothymia or ADHD, despite ADHD being a common condition experienced by performers, particularly comedians. Struan had experienced a period of long depression during his time as a student, but his mental illness was exacerbated by his work at Cask88, a whisky bottling company in Scotland. His first episode of psychosis occurred in 2022, which as many of us know, can be a very jarring way to learn about your bipolar diagnosis. Struan experienced subsequent episodes and sectioned in both 2024 and 2026.

Learning to Cope

Struan felt the NHS strongly lacked in the support he needed, but found other resources that have helped him learn to cope and navigate his life with bipolar. He found help in books from Julie A. Fast, author of Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder and other bestsellers, and Kay Redfield Jamison, author of An Unquiet Mind. Struan has also received support from Lu, one of our peer support workers from Penumbra, through our Bipolar Peer Support Service (BPSS). And he has been very grateful for his work as an analyst for the BBC.

Coming Out As Bi

Struan has been working on a new comedy routine Coming Out As Bi that explores his experiences with undiagnosed bipolar disorder. He aims to use his material to help normalise the experience for the public and has been rigorously testing his routine with different demographics across varying nationalities. His routine is rich in topics and threads, including a Kanye West bit that is still in the works. Struan hopes information from his routine can build on itself to create something educational for others. He currently has two different endings he's testing out so we'll have to see it live to find out which way it goes!

Future Projects

Moving forward, Struan is working on multiple shows around mental health, including My Time at BBC and Walf of Whisky Street. He is also writing for On the Line, The National, and other publications.

We'd like to thank Struan for giving us a sneak preview into his new performance and wish him all the best for the upcoming Edinburgh Fringe Festival!