Adam Healey | Bi-polar at work, burnout and recovery

Conscious Leaders with Ruth Farenga

Adam’s career started out the way everyone expected. His father was a Partner at one of the big consulting firms and this was his path. Indeed, it was as Adam accelerated up the promotion ladder to Partner at Accenture and then onto PwC.

But brewing in the background were Adam’s mental health issues. Despite his success, he noticed issues dating back to when he was at university. Looking back, he realised the lows became lower and the highs higher. This was exacerbated by COVID. Eventually he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and admitted to the Priory for 2 ½ months. As part of that he admitted he was an alcoholic and is now sober.

Adam shares all of this with us and takes us on a journey of self-awareness– from someone who worked hard/ played hard, building strong bonds with colleagues, at times over-sharing or drinking more than he should have, to someone who has become a more stable leader. As part of his recovery, he realised he needs to balance his strong ability to connect with more awareness of those around him.

You will take away:

• His journey from burnout, being admitted into the Priory, to recovery
• The highs and lows of bi-polar disorder and alcohol addiction
• Balancing connection with equity in teams
• Maintaining mental stability through medication, support groups and therapy.