To experience psychosis is to temporarily lose your connection with reality. It can involve hearing voices, delusional beliefs, confusion and difficulty communicating. Psychotic episodes are common to a number of severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia. Not all experiences of psychosis are negative – but some people may be hospitalised after a particularly serious episode. … Continue reading A Fragile Recovery: Life in a supported housing unit
Lavilla’s Story: Suffering in silence
One day, Lavilla just stopped talking. For over two years, she didn’t utter a single word, in public or in private. A series of traumatic events triggered a breakdown that saw her repeatedly hospitalised and lose contact with her son and her family. I met Lavilla through Ace of Clubs, the day centre that has … Continue reading Lavilla’s Story: Suffering in silence
“It feels like the people in power have no clue how people are living here” – Mosaic Clubhouse’s Maresa Ness and Lee Elliott on mental health and the impact of austerity
Mosaic Clubhouse in Brixton has been a lifeline for Lambeth residents suffering from mental health problems since 1994. Funded by Lambeth Council and the borough's Clinical Commissioning Group, it provides education and employment opportunities, housing and benefits advice, advocacy, a supportive community and a safe space in the evenings for those in crisis. According to … Continue reading “It feels like the people in power have no clue how people are living here” – Mosaic Clubhouse’s Maresa Ness and Lee Elliott on mental health and the impact of austerity
Why people use Foodbanks: An interview with Jon Taylor
Jon Taylor has run the Brixton branch of the Norwood and Brixton Foodbank on Ferndale Road since 2011, and now manages a debt centre for Christians Against Poverty as well. In that time he’s seen demand grow fivefold – from providing food for 1,287 people in 2011-12 to 6,536 in 2015-16. He talked me through … Continue reading Why people use Foodbanks: An interview with Jon Taylor
How Government cuts are pushing people into food poverty, debt and mental illness
Sue Noel has been helping struggling Lambeth residents at Brixton Advice Centre (BAC) since 2009. Unlike some of BAC’s specialists, she advises on all the issues the centre covers – from benefits and debt to housing, disrepair and homelessness. It means she has a unique overview of why people come to BAC – and how … Continue reading How Government cuts are pushing people into food poverty, debt and mental illness
Lambeth: Living with the cuts 