Rachel Bruno: My Dad Frank, Bipolar Disorder and Me

This an article written from the perspective of Frank Brunos daughter about his mental health:

Around one in every 100 adults is diagnosed with bipolar disorder or manic depression. Former boxer Frank Bruno has battled the illness and his daughter Rachel explains the effect this had on her and her family over the years.

I knew who Frank Bruno was, but I didn't really know who my dad was. I'd lost him for a lot of years because of his illness.

When he's poorly, he can't be a dad and it took a big chunk of our relationship away.

He was crowned heavyweight champion of the world in 1995 and became a television personality and national treasure, but then his world was turned upside down. He was defeated by Mike Tyson in a fight the following year that was to end his career.

His eye had been badly injured and he was told by doctors that if he continued to fight, he risked going blind, so retired from the sport.

Although he had been struggling before, retirement hit him hard, and a marriage breakdown and lack of routine and fights to prepare for meant everything started to spiral out of control.

His behaviour became more and more unpredictable. He had a massive boxing ring in the garden that he sometimes slept in, started hearing voices and thought he was other people at times.

His behaviour got so erratic that he was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in 2003, aged 41, and admitted to a mental health unit in Essex. I was only 16 years old at the time and my elder sister Nicola, who was 20, had to sign the papers to have him sectioned. She still feels guilty about this but says she doesn't know where he would be now if he hadn't received help.

It took nine hours to get him into the ambulance and it was so sad because he was begging us not to do it. I think it was the first time a celebrity had ever been sectioned and we were hounded by the press who camped outside our house.

People think celebrities are totally different to everyone else, but my dad is just the same as any other man out there. He was sectioned in exactly the same way as anyone else would be.

The next time I saw him in the hospital, he was heavily sedated and like a zombie. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed medication.

My dad's illness affected us all differently. The saddest thing was my dad always wanted a son and my brother Franklin was conceived via IVF, but the year he was born was the year my dad became really unwell. I wish that Franklin had got a chance to see my dad the way my sister and I did.

When my dad was manic, he never needed to sleep or eat, he was really restless and lost a lot of weight, because all he knows is to go to the gym, but going to the gym once or twice is not enough, he has to go three or four times.

He has this look of mania in his eyes when he's really poorly and I think he had psychosis at times as well, but other people are different with bipolar and they can be very low.

I wanted to find out more about the illness so that I could understand it better and spoke to psychiatrist Dr Mark Salter who told me that the condition affects a person's moods, which can swing from one extreme to another.

"The chemical side of treating manic depression seems to be about stabilising or preventing major mood swings or emotional storms from welling up from the [part of the brain that affects your mood].

"That emotion you see at the bottom of the brain pushes ideas out of you when you're manic. It gives you so much energy. It's almost as though when you're high there is a disinhibition of all your raw desires and instincts."

I asked my dad how he used to feel during a manic episode and he described it to me.

"Sometimes when you get high… you're rushing and you're tripping over yourself, you know what I mean. Your brain is speedy, more than you should be speedy and you may lose control."

Stressful or life-changing events can sometimes trigger the symptoms of bipolar disorder and it is likely that my dad's retina injury and retirement could have been a trigger. My dad was sectioned again twice last year, but after leaving hospital this time knows he needs to take his medication. I think it took a long time for him to realise he was actually poorly.

Mark Salter says that having bipolar disorder doesn't mean your condition can't improve.

"We say in this business nothing predicts the future like the past. If a person has had illness and come out of it, they will come out of it again. It might sound silly but each one of [his] relapses is a chance to learn how to do it better next time. You can bounce back."

I think unless you've been through it yourself, or your family has been through it, people don't really understand what bipolar disorder is, how difficult it is to manage and how it can break up a family.

My sister and I found out about a support group where we could meet other people with bipolar and their families who were going through the same emotions as us.

I did worry that bipolar disorder is thought to be linked to genetics and that family members have an increased risk of developing the condition. I have always been hyperactive, but I know the signs, and it's never got to a point where I'm too hyper or too low. I know that I don't have it and Dr Salter has reassured me that genetics only plays a small part.

"You'll hear an awful lot of things talked [about] especially on the internet where you get some quite sensationalist people that say it's 10 times greater risk, but that's not 10 times greater chance of getting the illness, because genetics is only one small part of the story. It's the life you live, it's the things you do, it's the stuff that happens to you."

When I go on to have kids, it does worry me that they might have the condition, but it's something I will have to deal with at the time.

Finding out more about bipolar disorder has meant we have grown closer as a family and we have started to be more honest with each other. This is the first time since my dad's diagnosis that he's actually following a plan and he's stuck to it.

He's on medication, and I know it's not the dosage that he wants to be on, but he's still following the programme and that's a real positive. There is such a lot of love for my dad and I'm always going to be there to support him.

Hope Frank pulls through somehow.

All but forgotton about these days but always had self esteem issues never really knew who he was meant to be, never was himself. People pulling him 1 way and thee other, his wife, manager, and the public.

Lennox exposed his frailties with the uncle tom comments which deeply effected Bruno who was always consious of his image.

(I take no responsibility for any spelling mistakes which may or may not be apparent in this reply)

Like onetwo has said can only wish Big Frank all the best in his ongoing battle with this. Seems a genuinely decent bloke and whilst I am not going to reinvent history to paint him as some sort of heavyweight great I am confident he would make light work of many a fighter who passes for a contender today.

I never knew Lennox Lewis called Bruno an Uncle Tom? Are you sure?

A little off topic but Lewis only weighed 104 kilos for that fight. Vitali klitschko weighs about 112.

I didn't know Lewis was so light.

winchester wrote:I never knew Lennox Lewis called Bruno an Uncle Tom? Are you sure?

Yes

Hate to use the words Uncle Tom but Frank did play the game of being the scary big black guy with the nice heart.........The sort of big bear that doesn't hurt you so we like him act.....and It was an act..In Ko magazine he said that he said to Lloyd Honeyghan If he played the game more he could earn more money!!

Also complained he only got 3 million for the 2nd Tyson fight.........Quite a nerve considering his non effort......

However I'd wish mental illness on nobody and It's a long road back for him as it is with Gascoigne and good luck to him..

After reading his book however he came across as a sour dislikeable character..........

When really he should have ben happy he'd won the lottery..After all he made money than Tubbs, Thomas, Smith, Witherspoon and all the other non-Holmes Heavies of that era just by being British.........

Lewis should be ashamed of himself. Most of Britain wanted Bruno to win in any case. Lewis is a bit of phoney.

I hate being bipolar, it's great!

winchester wrote:Lewis should be ashamed of himself. Most of Britain wanted Bruno to win in any case. Lewis is a bit of phoney.

It was in response to Bruno saying Lewis wasn't British.

winchester wrote:Lewis should be ashamed of himself. Most of Britain wanted Bruno to win in any case. Lewis is a bit of phoney.

Most of Canada did too..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

After reading his book however he came across as a sour dislikeable character..........

When really he should have ben happy he'd won the lottery..After all he made money than Tubbs, Thomas, Smith, Witherspoon and all the other non-Holmes Heavies of that era just by being British.........

He ain't the only one though Truss, read Holmes book and bearing in mind he is a top ten heavy in anyones book, got out with his health and a lovely family and has more money than anyone could ever need he would struggle to be more bitter. Love the guy but seriously could do with a bit more of a glass half full outlook

He wasnt British in the way Bruno was. Lewis spent the majority of his time in the U.S, Canada and Jamaica and he boxed for Canada in the Olympics.

Holmes did it the hard way.........This guy had everything given to him..

Did Lewis fight for Canada ??.......news to me...

He is Canada's second greatest heavyweight Truss.

Rowley wrote:He is Canada's second greatest heavyweight Truss.

Used to have some subtle fun on the old 606 with this subject back in the day....huh......

After little Tommy is he or has Langford's Canadian passport been found at last ???

Bruno will always be a hero and he did it the hard way to TRUSS.

He had title set backs but came back time and again and was a very good fighter although he was limited.

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:Bruno will always be a hero and he did it the hard way to TRUSS.

He had title set backs but came back time and again and was a very good fighter although he was limited.

Are you kidding me....If he was American he'd have never got off ESPN..

winchester wrote:He wasnt British in the way Bruno was. Lewis spent the majority of his time in the U.S, Canada and Jamaica and he boxed for Canada in the Olympics.

Seriously?

seanmichaels wrote:

winchester wrote:He wasnt British in the way Bruno was. Lewis spent the majority of his time in the U.S, Canada and Jamaica and he boxed for Canada in the Olympics.

Seriously?

Come on Sean as much as you'd like to own Lewis there was a touch of the $$$ in Lewis coming here as there was with the other Canadian middle finger boy Greg Rusedski...................

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

ONETWOFOREVER wrote:Bruno will always be a hero and he did it the hard way to TRUSS.

He had title set backs but came back time and again and was a very good fighter although he was limited.

Are you kidding me....If he was American he'd have never got off ESPN..

How can you aay he got everything easy?

Back in the 80's British heavies were more of a joke then they are now yet Bruno worked hard to reach the top against the main man Mike Tyson.

By getting squashed off Smith, Witherspoon and beating stiffs.......

winchester wrote:I never knew Lennox Lewis called Bruno an Uncle Tom? Are you sure?

Bruno played the "I am British" card and Lennox spoke the plain truth. Other than shipping a right from Rahman, that was the best thing Lewis did.

azania wrote:

winchester wrote:I never knew Lennox Lewis called Bruno an Uncle Tom? Are you sure?

Bruno played the "I am British" card and Lennox spoke the plain truth. Other than shipping a right from Rahman, that was the best thing Lewis did.

Are you saying that any black man who identifies them self as British is an uncle tom?

No.

Next inane question.

azania wrote:No.

Next inane question.

But you are condoning the racist use of the phrase uncle tom.

If you say so.

azania wrote:

winchester wrote:I never knew Lennox Lewis called Bruno an Uncle Tom? Are you sure?

Bruno played the "I am British" card and Lennox spoke the plain truth. Other than shipping a right from Rahman, that was the best thing Lewis did.

Highlighted in bold why it appears you are.

Well done. You failed to understand what the term means.

But this is a boxing forum. Please do not ruin it as you did the news section.

In fairness Frank did see the advantage of being the lovable black guy......that is undeniable especially if I chuck in the Lloyd Honeyghan bit from his KO interview....

Also think that may have had a help in his breakdown..........The apparent selling out and the lack of an everyday purpose in life.......Frank did spend a lot of his book trying to prove he wasn't selling out...(Don't like this "Uncle Tom" stuff) which made one think the Lady doth protest too much..

However you only live once....your main priority is to look after your family so It's no big deal to me.........We all sell out in one way or another..

My problem with Frank is the fact he moans a lot about his pay from Boxing when he should be grateful he got as much as he did!!!!!!

Hope he gets over his troubles, but have never liked him thoroughly rude, nasty man who made millions pretending to be Mr Nice guy. Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Gary Mason before his untimely death met the real nice guy of the British Heavyweight scene.

Agreed..........Hogey....Think after Tyson 2 where he complained about his millions instead of apologising for the atrocious effort to the Brits who flew out to suppport him probably loaning the money to do so.......said it all!!

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Holmes did it the hard way.........This guy had everything given to him..

Did Lewis fight for Canada ??.......news to me...

in the 84 Olympics, lost to Biggs in the semis I think. But back to Frank- I can't help but think that his condition can't have been helped by the manner of his losses- he shipped some big, big shots to the head in his time, Smith, Witherspoon, tyson twice, Lewis, Mccall all had Bruno in big trouble- no one-punch KOs but brutal barrages- can't have done his brain any good at all.