In our latest SKYE By Brora Portrait, we meet Rosie Viva, author, presenter, and mental health activist. Passionate about creating a more candid conversation around Bipolar Disorder, Rosie speaks openly about her own experience managing the condition. Her recently released debut book, Completely Normal and Totally Fine, captures the complexity of living with Bipolar Disorder with honesty and nuance, showing us that a diagnosis does not define a person.

How did you come to the decision to start your book? Do you remember where you were when you started writing?

I have written a diary since the age of 12, but my day-to-day life changed so drastically after my Bipolar diagnosis in 2018, aged 22. From that point on, I was writing so often from a negative headspace as I tried to piece together what had happened - a psychotic episode lasting three months, followed by a suicidal episode lasting seven months. A lot of what I felt was anger and confusion around my new diagnosis, simply because I didn’t know much about the illness. My lack of understanding, combined with the intensity of the situation, made me feel as though I had been robbed of a normal life. Being constantly told by doctors that it was a serious and lifelong condition felt extremely overwhelming - and not something I wanted to hear.

In this state of confusion, I turned to books to better understand what was going on. And, as wonderful and open as many of these stories were, the tone often felt very formal for someone my age. The bedside manner also felt awful at times, with constant accounts of suicide attempts and lives full of hardship. All I wanted was to read a book in the same style I had enjoyed before my diagnosis: candid, humorous, girly books. Eventually, after spending five years learning how to manage my Bipolar much better, the idea for the book came about. I wanted to give girls at that tender age something I know would have helped me so much when my opinion of myself was at rock bottom - a relatable book their friends could also pick up and read. Perhaps even a gateway into a community of people learning about Bipolar together.

What has been your biggest career achievement to date?

I’d say my biggest career achievement was probably going back to work after my episode. On paper, other people might think it’s something else - like a big brand I’ve modelled for - but the anxiety around becoming independent from my parents again was so overwhelming after spending a few years needing daily monitoring and moving back home to be cared for so intensively.

That first step was becoming a Field Sales Assistant for a kombucha brand, which I actually ended up getting fired from because I hated it so much and gave minimal effort! But the step itself symbolised so much and kick-started my recovery in many ways. It was about trusting myself again — trusting that I could exist in a professional setting, away from my parents between 9 and 5.

What has been the biggest career challenge that you’ve faced?

I think the biggest career challenge I’ve ever faced was definitely releasing my Channel 4 mini documentary, Modelling, Mania and Me, a few years ago. It was such a strange experience combining presenting with my own story, especially showing up as myself during a time when my Bipolar was very unstable and difficult to manage. For the first month, I acted a lot, but by the second month I felt comfortable enough with the director to really relax and stop putting on a performance. That meant showing a very sedated version of myself on TV, as well as the huge highs and lows that Bipolar instability can bring. Having thousands of people see me so vulnerable definitely wasn’t easy at first, but it ended up affirming where I wanted to focus my energy moving forwards.

Tell us a bit about your work with Bipolar UK and the campaigns you’ve worked on with them?

Initially, I started by writing a few blog-style pieces for Bipolar UK before they asked me to become an ambassador in 2023. At first, I didn’t really know what that role meant. I was convinced that so many people just had “ambassador” in their Instagram bio because they supported an organisation’s cause! But with a small charity like Bipolar UK, what has been so incredible about the position is becoming a spokesperson for a charity that prides itself on peer support - championing the lived experience of people living with this condition in order to educate and help others.

Last year, I wrote a short film called Maybe It’s Bipolar, which aimed to encourage people to take the test on their website to help spot symptoms of Bipolar. We created a campaign around this and had over 30,000 people take the test. That curiosity was exactly what we had hoped for, especially considering the diagnosis takes an average of 9.5 years from the moment someone first seeks help.

What makes you so passionate about what you do?

I think what makes me passionate about it is knowing how much positive, relatable representation in mainstream media would have affected my depression when I was younger and so self-conscious about the label of Bipolar. Even a tiny article written in a candid tone would have really shifted the loneliness I felt. So many stories online are negative and overwhelming, so putting out brighter endings for young people to find and feel inspired by really drives me.

How do you manage your Bipolar now, and is there anything you would say to someone just starting out on their Bipolar journey?

Managing Bipolar at first feels very strange: constantly looking out for triggers, adjusting medication, sleep, diet, career, and your support network. But slowly and surely, alongside life, you begin to manage it until it becomes second nature. It’s definitely a 360-degree approach and means taking your physical health just as seriously as your mental health — probably more seriously than the average person. I also always mention that accepting medication as part of my recovery was a huge factor in getting better. At the beginning, I felt like it was some sort of failure because I had friends who managed their mental health without medication. But reframing it in my mind as extra help, rather than a weakness, was key to getting my energy back and being able to make use of all the other aspects of management like therapy, running, and eating well.

For someone starting out on their Bipolar journey, I would always say: hang tight and don’t be too hard on yourself while you adjust to taking your health seriously. In many ways, it’s a form of grief - giving up a life where you could be more carefree and behave similarly to friends your age. I wasted so much time worrying about the depression surrounding my diagnosis, which I’ve now learnt is incredibly normal for anyone in their early twenties discovering they have something lifelong to manage.

What is the next project you’re working on?

At the moment, I’m working on my first fiction book, writing a character who - of course - manages a serious mental illness. However, this is very much a smaller part of the book compared to the themes of female friendship and the societal pressures we all face approaching 30. Alongside this, I’m also setting up a company in the food space. Because Bipolar means I have to aim for a healthier, less processed diet, I’ve become really drawn to this challenge. After meeting the perfect business partner last year, I can’t wait to put something of my own out into the world in this space - an excuse to be a foodie!

Is there anyone you look up to, who inspires you or you consider a role model?

I think my greatest role models, as cheesy as it sounds, would be my mum and sisters. I always find it difficult to place people in the public eye into that category because they’ve never affected how I feel in the same way. Every time I spend time with my family, I leave feeling incredibly supported in different ways. Each of the women in my family has a very different love language, but they are all deeply kind and supportive. I would love to make people feel the way they make me feel.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I’ve been given so much advice over the years that has helped me, but one thing someone older living with Bipolar once told me was never to become arrogant enough to think you’ve outgrown your illness. It’s so easy, after years of stability, to think maybe I could come off my medication - and my God, it’s tempting sometimes. But hearing that advice from people much older than me reminded me that this disorder doesn’t always make sense and can rear its head out of the blue years later. Advice from people with lived experience is incredibly valuable. Hearing from others who have been sectioned multiple times has really helped me continue accepting support and avoid creating a narrative that I’m somehow invincible to another episode happening again.

What was the last personal challenge you set yourself?

I think the last personal challenge I set myself was running the Rome Marathon. Even though it was my third marathon, it’s still easy to tell yourself you don’t need such an extreme goal anymore, or make excuses about why life is too hectic to take it on. But no matter how many times you’ve done it, it’s still the same huge commitment to yourself every winter - with early alarms and freezing runs to reach the finish line. Marathons have become so normalised online, but they are extremely challenging. The feeling afterwards is the biggest natural high and such an incredible sense of pride, but training for one will always feel like one of the hardest challenges I can set myself each year.

When did you first discover Brora? What is it that you like about the brand?

I first discovered Brora in 2018 when I modelled for the brand, shooting both campaigns and e-commerce. I loved working with a family run business. The shoot was so memorable - chatting with Victoria over lunch between takes and hearing a female founder light up while speaking about the work she continues to do. I loved the cross-generational appeal of the clothing. Both my mum and I own pieces, and I feel as though the collections complement so many different personalities and body shapes. The quality of the cashmere is also infamous, and I can confirm the pieces in our household have truly stood the test of time.

What is your favourite piece of Brora that you own?

I think my favourite Brora piece I own is the SKYE two-piece - the trousers and jacket - from last season. The fit of the trousers is second to none; I’ve had so many compliments. It’s so lovely to find a set that works both day and night, as well as for casual and smarter occasions. Run, don’t walk! My favourite piece I wore on the shoot today, was definitely the green co-ord skirt and top. The lightweight material was gorgeous to wear on a sunny day and, again, anything that works from day to night always has huge appeal for me when I’m out all day.

How would you describe your personal style? And has it changed over time?

I’d say my style is quite androgynous. As much as I love skirts, they’ll always be longer styles. I think this comes from loving comfort and wearing clothes I can dart around London in — or wear outdoors as well as indoors — because getting outside every day is so important to me. I wear a lot of black and white because I like keeping pieces in my wardrobe for years. It’s one of the reasons I chose two of the styles for our shoot. I know I’ll value these portraits for years to come because I’m wearing something comfortable and timeless that genuinely reflects my wardrobe.

Where can people find out more about you and keep up to date with your various projects?

My main social media platform is Instagram: @rosieviva. I’ve also recently started a Substack called Completely Normal & Totally Fine to continue conversations around Bipolar Disorder following my book and the audience it has created.