Another Interview on BBC Radio 5 Live

This morning, I spoke again on BBC Radio 5 Live about the effects bullying had on me. If anyone's interested, the first interview from February is here.

I didn't listen to much of the radio programme after what is recorded in the video below, but I did flick it on a while later to hear bullying being mentioned, and it seemed to be that Chris (the other person interviewed) and I had a positive impact. There were positive comments at the end of the video (thanks Mum!) but a not-so-positive comment was interesting:

"Well done, letting these people go through exactly what happened to them again, it's not exactly going to help."

OK, if you were the person who left this message, do you think I was forced to go on the radio and give my story? Do you really think that somebody from Radio 5 twisted my arm behind my back and made me talk about the bullying? No. They didn't. I was contacted this morning and asked if I would talk. I was really pleased to be asked, and the person I spoke to this morning would have quite happily let me say no. But I didn't. I CHOSE to go on the radio and tell a part of my story.

I tell a lot of 'my story' about bullying and schizophrenia but no one is forcing me to do so. I tell it because I want to show people what can happen as a result of bullying and also what life is really like with schizophrenia. Also, I speak out to show others about the damaging effects of NHS cutbacks (which I was really pleased I was able to mention!) and how this current government needs to reverse NHS cuts, in all areas, not just psychiatry. The NHS does a good job; the cutbacks is what is causing the poor care. The last thing this country needs is for the full privatisation of the NHS to go ahead. (If you didn't already know, the government has passed laws that will allow the NHS to be privatised, and bit by bit, the NHS is being sold off.)

But anyway, here's the video. There's a tiny pause in the middle where the story cut to breaking news, but it returned immediately to the bullying story. I come in at 5:40.

Oh and Chris, if you're reading this, you did really well. I hope this has built up your confidence!

EDIT: One thing I want to add, while the teachers knew to some degree that I was being bullied, my parents did not. With hindsight, I would have told them.