http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work Just another bbPress community en-US Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:46:23 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/search.php http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-281363 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:41:13 +0000 MurderofRavensinFugue 281363@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>When I first saw the documentary, it was as though I could hear Michael Jackson singing &quot;you are not alone&quot;. So many things fall into place. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-281163 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:21:02 +0000 SusanX 281163@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Thank you, Stephen, for being such a kind and compassionate person. Although I don&#39;t get more depressed than the average person, The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive was really interesting and it helped me to underderstand those I know who have depressive illnesses. My heart goes out to anyone who has to go through this. I hope you can see your illness as something that is happening to you which deserves sympathy, and not as something to feel guilty about.</p> <p>All the best with the recovery, Stephen, and thank you for all the happiness you have brought into my life.</p> <p>Hugs... </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-280679 Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:48:17 +0000 nanny rabbits 280679@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>i have had a great fondness for mr.fry since watching his television programme on the spectacled bears and thank him for the work he continues to do for them as well as for his heroic quest to remove stigma from mental illness. in my imagination i often picture him as a bear in shining-armour. narnia has a wise, just and noble lion and we have a wise, just and noble bear.</p> <p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p> <p>i wrote the avboe on another thread before discovering there was a place here to say thank you </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-280387 Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:21:04 +0000 mellbluemerle 280387@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Yes thanks too. Being a highly confused bisexual, with depression and other stuff I now realise I may have manic depression. Hey ho &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_eek.gif&quot; title=&quot;8O&quot; class=&quot;bb_smilies&quot; /&gt; </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-280359 Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:58:20 +0000 Drac0 280359@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I&#39;ll add my thanks &amp; appreciation for this great documentary.</p> <p>At the times this aired in Australia I only had the idea I was bipolar, having lived a number of years with a diagnosis of major depression. I could relate to so much that was said during the two episodes.</p> <p>I&#39;ve now hit the sticking point Stephen had during the show, the question of the use of lithium. My doctor seems to think it will do me good, but I&#39;m unsure if I want to take that step. Despite the danger &amp; stress involved my manic episodes, it&#39;s also the time when I feel most creative &amp; &#39;in touch&#39; with the world. So I&#39;m considering my options carefully right now.</p> <p>Thanks again for the great documentary &amp; for your courage in opening your personal life to the benefit of others.</p> <p>Cheers </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-278481 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:54:41 +0000 ALO 278481@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>TThis week we were finally informed of my father’s actual illness after almost forty years. He is bipolar. During my upbringing it was difficult to understand why he behaved the way he did. Not knowing about the illness created a lot of pain, guilt and sometimes even anger in me. Your documentary is the first information about manic depression that I have received and I&#39;m ever so grateful for that. After I watched it I called my father and I could finally understand his world a little bit better. I asked him a great deal of questions about his emotions, thoughts but I also said sorry to him if I ever had treated him badly in the past. I never really knew how to communicate with him before. It&#39;s not easy for a child to have a parent with a bipolar disorder. He answered that he was the one who should apologize for not being there for me. So it seems that getting the actual diagnose and seeing your documentary is bringing us closer and healing our father and daughter relationship. I’m ever so thankful for that Stephen. I wish you all the best and that you find a way to balance your manic depression in the way you find most suitable for you. Anne-Louise </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-278469 Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:10:32 +0000 3kh0 278469@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Dear Stephen,<br /> I know this is a one way conversation but seeing this documentary it was like finally having someone take my hand and say its OK.<br /> my tears well up again as they did watching the candid way you put so beautifully the depression i struggle to explain to those around me. To hear my own questioning as being normal. would i get rid of this? does it help making me well me. all these things that i thought made me a freak really. &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_redface.gif&quot; title=&quot;:oops:&quot; class=&quot;bb_smilies&quot; /&gt; suddenly I wasn&#39;t alone lost in the ocean of humanity. hearing the others and yourself talk about the reality not from a text book but from life i realized i can&#39;t run anymore from this. Bipolar isn&#39;t going to disappear from my life.</p> <p>Thank you i see Bipolar now as a light not a train now. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-278011 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:37:33 +0000 N. Wilson 278011@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I watched Stephen&#39;s documentary last night and just had to express my amazement and admiration.<br /> Despite being a dedicated disciple of Fry for some years now I approached the programme with trepidation; so many other presenters would have created something mawkish, patronising, tawdry, etc. Such a delicate subject must also be difficult to adequately explore within two episodes.<br /> How wrong I was! The intelligence and sensitivity which pervaded the entire programme enriched my attitude towards mental illness, both in its manifestation and the manner in which it can be discussed.<br /> Stephen&#39;s personal experiences of bi-polar disorder bestowed an integrity and authenticity on the endeavour which I never thought possible and the choice of interviewees helped to convey the complex and subjective nature of manic depression.<br /> Well done Stephen! </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-277329 Sun, 16 Oct 2011 19:43:13 +0000 migli 277329@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Dear Mr. Fry,</p> <p>Your documentary on bipolar disorders/ manic depressions has helped me a great deal to understand the life and the feelings of my own mother. I only learned that she was diagnosed as bipolar from going through her medical files after her funeral. </p> <p>For the greatest part of my life, I only knew her as a dishonest, irresponsible and violent alcoholic. I stopped all contact with her after I moved out of my parents&#39; house and hadn&#39;t seen her for twelve years when she died. </p> <p>After seeing your documentary, and from talking with family members about her past (she used to be very creative and energetic) I am starting to understand her feelings and see that the alcoholism might very well have been a result of self-medication. I doubt if I can ever fully forgive her for her actions, but your work has given me new insights into an important figure in my life, which helps me a lot in coping with my past.</p> <p>I wish she would have had your strength in accepting the disorder and the strength to seek help. </p> <p>Many thanks and I wish you all the best. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-274797 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:21:40 +0000 The CatBat Princess 274797@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I too think I should get around to saying thankyou to Mr Fry.<br /> Not only for the warmth and wit of his character that makes me smile and perks me up, but for the help he has given by making his fantastic documentaries, namely &#39;The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive&#39; it has helped to open many peoples eyes and minds.<br /> I would also like to thank him for lending his voice to the Harry Potter series on audiobook. I have oten listened to these at night to help drift off and also in the first few weeks of life they helped my daughter to be comforted and fall asleep too!! A treat for any new mother:) </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/6#post-274651 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 01:17:57 +0000 Nerve 274651@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Dear Mr.Fry.<br /> I´ve been wanting to write you this thank you note for a long time, but thought it was a bit silly. I just saw the documentary for the second time and knew that I had to do it.</p> <p>Thank you for speaking up and teaching the world and me something about this illness. I was diagnosed when I was 18 and have a father and an uncle with the illness. It helped me understand myself and my father a little more. I think you are very brave to expose so much of yourself, and I wish that I was so brave. Ever since I saw the documentary I´ve been writing a blog in norwegian about living with the illness, and now I´ve started writing in english as well. But I do it under a psudonym because I´m scared that future employers will see it and what my family would think of it. It shouldn´t be like that, but it is.</p> <p>As I said I just saw the documentary and it gave me some new hope. My life is not so great at the moment, and I feel a depression on it´s way. But seeing all the people in the documentary reminded me that I´m not alone, I can reach out to someone, somewhere. I´m not as isolated as I might think I am. It gave me some courage and some strength. </p> <p>So thank you so much! I hope the stigma of beeing mentally ill will fade away some day.</p> <p>Sincerly, Nerve<br /> <a href="http://www.nervebloggereng.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.nervebloggereng.wordpress.com</a> </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/5#post-272183 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:53:21 +0000 MrCartoonguy 272183@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>You signed my painting so I am happy &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_wink.gif&quot; title=&quot;;)&quot; class=&quot;bb_smilies&quot; /&gt; </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/5#post-271141 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 06:20:10 +0000 whoami 271141@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Dear Mr. Fry,</p> <p>I also want to thank you for this film. There is such a stigma around this disorder (so much so that I just deleted my reference to the loved one who showed me this film, just in case this post should somehow be traced back to me somehow by someone who knows him). I hope your film helps to erase some of the stigma. And I hope also that someday you&#39;ll make another film, a follow up to this one. </p> <p>Specifically, I wonder if you&#39;d consider making a film that would focus on bipolar addictions...you covered addiction to shopping the first time, but I would be interested to learn about the experience of others with relationship addictions, inability to draw boundaries with others -- I see that in people with bipolar, that it seems as though everything (at least during certain phases) must be limitless and so, if someone out there needs one, one reaches out to help -- even if it is an acquaintance one barely knows who one feels one must send the last $150 in the bank account to, even though one can&#39;t pay one&#39;s own rent, because the acquaintance is stranded with unappreciative relatives and needs a plane ticket away, for example. Or when the person reaching out is the ex-lover one cheated on one&#39;s wife with (well, one of several ex-lovers who fall into that category), who one then winds up rekindling an affair (either physical or emotional) with out of the sheer bloodyminded inability to say no. Or even when the person is a friend, a good friend, who stops by in the evening after work and wants to hang out for an hour but one is trying desperately to meet a work deadline and nevertheless puts every single thing on hold in order to sit there with that friend and watch a movie for two hours, because one can&#39;t simply tell a friend to come back the next day, can one, as that would involve, again, the ability to say no. Do you see what I mean about relationship addiction? And boundary-drawing? Do these sorts of scenarios ring a bell with other people out there? I would so like to see this topic covered in film. </p> <p>Either way, thank you again, as you have made a devoted fan for life out of someone who never heard of you before I saw this film! &lt;img src=&quot;http://www.stephenfry.com/bb-content/plugins//bb-smilies/default/icon_smile.gif&quot; title=&quot;:-)&quot; class=&quot;bb_smilies&quot; /&gt; </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/5#post-270995 Sun, 05 Jun 2011 03:26:36 +0000 Carolina1 270995@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Mr Fry, we love you. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/a-place-to-express-thanks-for-mr-frys-work/page/5#post-270925 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:38:47 +0000 Gwennie 270925@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Dear Mr. Fry,</p> <p>Thank you so much for publicly sharing your struggles with manic depression. There are so many of us who have been touched by mental illness in our own lives, either by experiencing it personally or witnessing a loved one struggle through it. It is an odd paradox that a society, which can now speak openly and unabashedly about topics that were once unspeakable, still remains largely silent when it comes to mental illness. Thank you for helping all of us feel less isolated and realize that mental illness does not have to be barrier from realizing career success, happiness or (most importantly) love.</p> <p>Gwen </p>