I'm new here!
I was born in London but spent much of my childhood growing up in Tunisia with my grandparents. I returned to the UK at age seven and lived with my parents and siblings in East London. I attended local schools and college, where I earned A-levels and an AS-level. I felt connected and loyal to my community.
At eighteen, I went to university away from home. During my first semester, my grandad passed away, which affected me deeply. Around this time, I started smoking cannabis. I struggled academically and failed my first year. I tried again at a different university, hoping for a fresh start and extra funding, but I failed again. The lack of family support, not having a private space to study, and my cannabis use made it difficult to focus and succeed. I felt isolated and uncertain about my future.
By the age of twenty-one, I tried to reintegrate into the community but found no clear path forward. I stayed at home to rest and recover, but I began experiencing delusions related to the internet and ideas of reference — feeling that unrelated events or messages were directed at me. Around this time, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Later, I faced serious family conflict. My father falsely accused me of hitting him during an altercation, leading to my being kicked out of the family home. My mother, sister, and others sided against me, leaving me homeless. Despite seeking help from the council, I was not given housing and ended up sleeping on the streets. Struggling to survive, I committed theft and was involved in altercations, which resulted in an eighteen-month prison sentence.
During my time in prison, the system helped secure accommodation for me upon release. However, I met people in prison who fueled my anger about the unfairness and stigma I felt from society and the system. Since then, I have spent time in several bed and breakfast accommodations and have been in and out of prison.
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In my heart, I knew I was in the right. But I felt my human rights were violated in ways that left me angry and defensive. I became argumentative, determined to prove my experience was real by any means necessary. Yet, I refused to talk openly about what I went through, which only deepened misunderstandings. That doesn’t justify the discrimination and prejudice I faced — that’s on those who judged without knowing.
I wasn’t naïve enough to think the whole community was against me, but I needed my story to be heard and preserved. Conflicts of interest kept arising around me, which may not have been personal attacks, but as a 26-year-old navigating adulthood with little experience, I felt misunderstood. Compassion and understanding were what I longed for — experience is a kind of knowledge, and I was still learning. I also struggled with taking my medication consistently and wasn’t always receiving the benefits I was entitled to. I’m part of this society, and I wanted to be treated as such.
I’ve always been comfortable with my diagnosis, but when you’re
