Chris Banks A new blog launched tomorrow and supported by the Mental Health Foundation aims to provide an insight into the daily life of a gay man living with bipolar disorder. “Bipolar Bear” is the blog of award-winning film-maker, journalist and musician Christopher Banks, 33, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006 and works for the Mental Health Foundation. “When I was diagnosed, it was both daunting and a relief,” Banks says. “So many things about how my life had been made sense, but it also threw up a whole lot of scary questions: would I have to take pills for the rest of my life? Would I be locked up in a hospital? And worst of all, would the people in my life treat me differently once they found out?” Banks came out when he was 17-years-old in 1994, a year after the passing of New Zealand's Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and disability. Fifteen years on, he says, much prejudice still remains despite the success of high-profile campaigns such as Like Minds, Like Mine and the National Depression Initiative, fronted by John Kirwan. “This is like a second coming out for me,” Banks says of his blog. “Only very close friends and family have known about my bipolar up until now, but it shouldn't have to be something that's kept secret. It affects my life just as physical illnesses like arthritis or diabetes do, and no-one is ashamed of talking about those. “If sharing my experiences can provide other people like me with some support, and help family members and friends of people with mental illness be there and stay involved with their loved ones, then it's a success as far as I'm concerned.” Judi Clements, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, says the more people feel able to share their stories of experience with mental illness, the better. “Real stories make a huge difference for those who may be on the same journey, and for those who are trying to understand. The more we get people's experiences talked about and shared, the better for us all, and we're very lucky to have Chris working for us here at the Foundation.” Banks says he's looking forward to the input and debate that the blogosphere provokes. “The subtitle of the blog is ‘flourishing in spite of it all', but I'm not going to sugarcoat my experiences or opinions, this isn't going to be a treehuggers union. Sometimes it'll be irreverent, sometimes it'll be serious, but I hope it'll always be compelling and interesting. Just like life.” “Bipolar Bear” will begin posting on Monday February 28 on GayNZ.com and at http://www.bipolarbear.co.nz/. A Facebook page is also online at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bipolar-Bear/105834529496605.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 27th February 2011 - 1:19pm