Frank Bruno thanks nurses who helped him recover from mental illness

The former world heavyweight champion (pictured) was speaking at a conference on the experience of black and minority ethnic people within NHS mental health settings.

Mr Bruno said, however, that the lithium that had been initially used to treat his bipolar disorder had left him ‘unable to function’.

‘Someone could come back in a week and I would be sitting on the same position on the couch,’ he said.

‘I can’t criticise doctors and nurses, but what I can say is the medication they give you makes you a little bit zombified,’ he added.

Mr Bruno was talking at the Working with Ethnicity Race and Culture in Mental Health conference in London last week.

He was sectioned for 28 days following erratic behaviour, which he said was brought on by a number of problems in his life, including the break-up of his marriage and the suicide of his trainer.

Since then, he has recovered and now keeps fit physically and mentally by working out in a health spa every day.

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