Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black says he’s recovering from a “serious head injury”

Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Milk and creator of FX’s Under The Banner Of Heaven, posted on Instagram this week (via Entertainment Weekly) that he “sustained a serious head injury” a month ago that put him “out of commission.” After not showing enough improvement, he says, “my doctors ordered me to shut off my brain in hopes of it healing.”

Black did not say what caused the injury and did not offer any other information on his condition, but he did share some vacation photos with his husband (Olympic diver Tom Daley) and explained that he took a trip to get away from work, since “this has been a challenging, frightening time for a creative type who depends on what’s in his skull to work, care, and love.” He also mentioned in his post that there will be “more to come” and noted that it was only recently that he felt comfortable “sharing a bit again.” Here’s his full statement from Instagram:

So I vanished for a while… A month ago I sustained a serious head injury that put me out of commission. Showing little improvement, my doctors ordered me to shut off my brain in hopes of it healing. This has been a challenging, frightening time for a creative type who depends on what’s in his skull to work, care, and love. And now I understand the road back will be long. But this week my sweet, over the top husband took us to the Greek Islands to make me shut off. I can already feel this trip is a step in the right direction, and I finally feel safe sharing a bit again. Thank you for all of your love and patience. More to come. Promise.

Black, who also wrote J. Edgar and worked on LGBTQ rights miniseries When We Rise, has a documentary adaptation of his memoir Mama’s Boy coming to HBO on October 18. It details his childhood and how his relationship with his mother (who had polio) inspired him to become an activist.