ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on bipolar type II disorder which is diagnosed on the basis that an individual experiences at least one episode (i.e. persistent feeling over several days or weeks) of severe depression and symptoms of hypermania. In an attempt to address mental health stigma a number of academics, practitioners, individuals living with distress and carers have turned to alternative methods to communicate what it is like to experience mental distress and attempt to empower individuals experiencing distress from the position that they are the experts of their experience. The chapter discusses the implementation of Blackout event to show what it is like to live with a mental diagnosis. It presents the words of the audience to express their experience of Blackout. By offering up something multi-sensory and immersive, Blackout adds an additional way to give voice to those experiencing distress, offering more than the traditional ‘expert voice’ of the psychologist.
