Gradually, I learned to put a scaffold around myself, and started getting back to normal – whatever that means.

Write things down
When I felt utterly overwhelmed, I would write obsessively, to calm myself down

Find someone you can be honest with
After a lot of group therapy in hospital, I started working one-to-one with Dr A

Call Samaritans
I never would have believed that I might be someone who would call Samaritans. But I was. And I did

Get really present
I wrote a list of things to do to bring me back to the present moment. I carried the list in my pocket

See friends
My friend Martin regularly bought me lunch. I had no money, and he could afford it, but I felt awkward

Take lots of exercise
My psychiatrist told me that exercise would do me more good than all the therapy and pills

Get plenty of sleep
Exercise helped me sleep, because it left me exhausted

Notice what’s good
Eventually, after a long time in the dark, I started to notice how good my life is