Mia Thornton‘s estranged husband Gordon Thornton is getting the help he needs after being diagnosed with bipolar 1 disorder.
The Real Housewives of Potomac star, who separated from Mia last year after 11 years of marriage, emotionally opened up about living with the disorder—which causes manic and depressive episodes often requiring medical treatment—during part three of the Bravo series’ season eight reunion.
“Bipolar, in and of itself, causes your mind to really work opposite,” the 71-year-old shared on the April 14 episode. “Your mind tricks you into saying, ‘You are normal, everyone else is slow.'”
While noting how his struggles with bipolar 1 included episodes in which his behavior became unbalanced. However, he explained that only “people around me”—including Mia—noticed the mood swings while he was unaware of his symptoms.
“Things got so bad and so low for me,” he added, “that I went to the hospital and checked myself in.”
Gordon—who shares son Jeremiah, 8, and daughter Juliana, 6 with Mia—was officially diagnosed over two years ago, though he now recognizes struggling with bipolar symptoms as far back as his 20s.