Actor David Harbour says acting is his "lifeline" when it comes to managing his bipolar disorder.

"First of all, the interesting thing about my own particular brand of it is that I never have an episode when I'm working," Harbour told 'Blank Podcast'.

"So, in some way I've generally been able to see a link between my own creative energies when they are channelled into some kind of work form and that when they are not channelled that it goes off into some kind of madness.

"In that way, it has made working even more vital to me. It's kind of a lifeline."

The 44-year-old star also benefits from regular therapy sessions.

He added: "There are also these intangibles, things that actually keep us alive. To me, talk therapy is really important, and acting. It's important for me to be an artist, and I think if I wasn't an artist I'd be a lot worse off and has made work more vital."

Harbour's parents sent him to a psychiatric hospital when he became convinced that he was connected to "some sort of God" in his mid-20s.