David’s mum was diagnosed with schizophrenia and he can’t remember when his mum was well. The house was not kept well and he remembers her not being able to cook. He was admitted to hospital when he was 18 as he had come out of a club near a station and walked on top of a train, and had come into contact with live wires. When David was 17 he hitched down to Bournemouth, where his brother was living, and got drunk, did drugs and began to sleep rough. When he went back home he was in a right state’ and his family called the psychiatrists and he was admitted to hospital. Over the next five years he had eight admissions to hospital. When he was first admitted he thought he could just walk off the ward, and was given a three-day section. He says that it is difficult to remember a lot of this period, but knows that he felt intense bewilderment’ and was meandering around the place’. He was given a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.

Later he had varying experiences of social workers, including one who didn’t do anything’ for him. However one social worker sorted out his mum’s benefits, which he appreciated, and was very professional’.

David did amateur dramatics at a local arts centre and they did performances at local day centres. In addition to this, David has completed level two and level three in a counselling course and wants to complete a diploma. David finds that he is more comfortable in the company of service users, but occasionally he goes to a local Irish pub. He noted that mental health problems were more common amongst Irish migrants, and wondered if that was because Irish society was more anarchic’ and English culture more procedural’. He finds the diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia hideous and says that schizophrenia is horrible’ and a big word’. However his experience is just disordered thoughts or not reading situations well’. He has recovered now; once he was walking around in rags on the ward, but now does a lot more things in his life.

David’s family have been supportive. Last time he was in hospital they decorated the flat for him. Although some of his family live abroad he has siblings close by. He thinks he was a pain in the arse’ at times, and knows he has been violent in the past, although now he wouldn’t say boo to a goose’. He had contact with police for smashing up a telephone, but can’t remember much about it. Now he does have a drink problem’ but he is getting it under control and has been to AA. When he separated from his partner he felt bad and got fed up of thinking’, so got drunk. He went to a support group but felt alienated and heard some real horror stories.

To keep himself well day to day, David makes sure he has a shower, and has a diary to jot things down in to make sure he turns up. He thinks it’s important to get involved with the service user movement and is involved in the positive mental health group and a group called Sure Search Service Users in research. He also does role play for the BA Social Work course. He says that he did get nervous going to groups and it could be hell’ but now he doesn’t get nervous.

Over the years he’s had high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but now he has started eating more healthily and also takes vitamin pills in the morning. He has written some memoirs at a local day centre because he wanted to share his experiences. He doesn’t particularly like day centres, but does enjoy the camaraderie. Generally he finds them a bit depressing. He has done lots of creative writing and helped set up a local poetry trail. About 18 months ago, he went to a service user conference, but got the date wrong, and as a result felt like a right idiot’, got drunk, and then had a hyper-manic episode’. Now he feels a bit burnt out creatively. He says that he has been trying to learn the guitar, and that art and gardening are really good therapy. He says that although it’s never the same again when you’ve been to hospital, you do get better.