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Mental health
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Onset of mental health problems
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Losses & gains: affects on everyday lives
Discrimination - mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
Subject index
Clip
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Dolly - Interview 14
>>
Dolly says doctors do not understand side effects, but is pleased her current doctor supports her in managing dosage herself.
Dolly, a 36 year old writer and author of The World is Full of Laughter, is of mixed ethnicity (White/Asian), and first experienced psychosis aged 14. She finds Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Buddhism and meditation very useful.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 60 - 69
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Ataur - Interview 03
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Ataur describes the side effects he experienced when he reduced his dose of medication and what happens when he gives up medication; says he feels the
This 60 year old, Bangladesh-born man moved to Britain in 1964 and developed depression aged 17. He believes a weak mind makes it difficult for him to deal with life's problems and finds talking with friends the best way to manage his depression.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 30 - 39
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Sara - Interview 32
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Sara says her mental health team were patronising and didn't listen; she didn't feel like a "free citizen" when she returned to the community after le
Sara, 34, describes herself as Indian and has a diagnosis of depression. Sara's food bingeing was interpreted as psychotic behaviour and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In her late twenties, however, a specialist diagnosed an eating disorder.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 40 - 49
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Hanif - Interview 30
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Hanif thinks sharing experiences of recovery gives people hope. He still experiences "highs" but is able to manage them.
Hanif, 49, describes himself as Indian and has lived in the UK for 25 years. Hanif experienced cannabis induced psychosis and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 23. Hanif works in mental health, campaigning to reduce stigma.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 20 - 29
>>
Patricia - Interview 16
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Patricia believes that a cure for mental health problems is unlikely. She's got used to feeling anxious and having panic attacks and says it's importa
Patricia, 25, describes herself as White European. She was born in Portugal and came to the UK to work and has been here for 9 months. For the past five years, Patricia has felt anxious every day and experienced numerous panic attacks.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 40 - 49
>>
Niabingi - Interview 01
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Niabingi describes being in hospital and how it prompts her to ask "what is wrong?" and often leads to the "stark realisation" that she is unwell. (Pl
This 42 year old Black, British born woman was diagnosed at the age of 25 with paranoid schizophrenia but disagrees with the paranoid part. She believes that her mental distress was caused by the racism she experienced when growing up.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 20 - 29
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Chapman - Interview 20
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Chapman says that taking medication did not help his symptoms and he has tried several different types.
Chapman, 23, describes himself as Black-African and was born in Zimbabwe. He has been in the UK for 7 years and is awaiting the decision of an application for asylum. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 20.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Marlene - Interview 23
>>
Marlene was separated from her parents and brought up in Pakistan by her grandmother and thinks this contributed to her mental health problems. (Playe
Marlene, 38, was diagnosed with anxiety aged 24. Marlene's father is Pakistani, and her mother is white. Her sister, Shareen, was also interviewed.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 20 - 29
>>
Chapman - Interview 20
>>
Chapman stopped taking his medication in case the weed and alcohol he was using affected them and says having the injection is easier than remembering
Chapman, 23, describes himself as Black-African and was born in Zimbabwe. He has been in the UK for 7 years and is awaiting the decision of an application for asylum. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 20.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 60 - 69
>>
Anton - Interview 13
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Anton takes no medication - he felt the doctors gave up on him.
Anton, 64, is an Asian man who came from Sri Lanka to the UK in 1962. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 45 and was given various medicines but none worked. Now he is not receiving any treatment: he was told by doctors they had "given up" on him.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 40 - 49
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Devon - Interview 12
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Devon says he was given bigger dose because he is Black, and couldn't walk properly as a result, but he listened to the doctors because he wanted to g
Devon, 49, is married and was born in Jamaica; he came to the UK in 1965. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia aged 22 and depression aged 48. He is a founder member of the organization Sound Minds - www.soundminds.co.uk - a user-led music project.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Niabingi - Interview 01
>>
Niabingi describes what her voices say and compares hearing voices with "a song that keeps on coming into your head". (Played by an actor).
This 42 year old Black, British born woman was diagnosed at the age of 25 with paranoid schizophrenia but disagrees with the paranoid part. She believes that her mental distress was caused by the racism she experienced when growing up.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 50 - 59
>>
Lorenz - Interview 11
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Lorenz says his psychiatrist took on a "bizarre" appearance; he felt he was being spun around and pushed downstairs.
Lorenz is a 50 year old Black Afro-Caribbean man who has been in the UK since 1966. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20 and this is now controlled by the anti-psychotic Aripiprazole (10mg daily) enabling Lorenz to work as a social care assistant.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Dolly - Interview 14
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Dolly says medication is not a cure.
Dolly, a 36 year old writer and author of The World is Full of Laughter, is of mixed ethnicity (White/Asian), and first experienced psychosis aged 14. She finds Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Buddhism and meditation very useful.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 50 - 59
>>
Edward - Interview 10
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Edward experienced "delusions about world domination" and uses hindsight to distinguish between delusions and reality.
Edward, 59, was born in Australia and diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20. A former head teacher, he took early retirement for health reasons and now stacks supermarket shelves. He believes his condition is caused by genetic and environmental factors.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Dolly - Interview 14
>>
Dolly says it's difficult to distinguish paranoia from reality because sometimes "paranoias are really happening to you".
Dolly, a 36 year old writer and author of The World is Full of Laughter, is of mixed ethnicity (White/Asian), and first experienced psychosis aged 14. She finds Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Buddhism and meditation very useful.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Michael - Interview 31
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Michael says he did not experience any hallucinations or delusions but professionals accused him of being delusional because he made complaints about
Michael, 49, describes himself as a European Ashkenazi Jew. He has been given a variety of diagnoses, including bipolar affective disorder, personality disorder, paranoid schizophrenia, learning disability, and severe mental impairment.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 50 - 59
>>
Lorenz - Interview 11
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Lorenz has unusual thoughts and "tangled" thought processes; he knows he's unwell if the television and radio seem to talk to him.
Lorenz is a 50 year old Black Afro-Caribbean man who has been in the UK since 1966. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20 and this is now controlled by the anti-psychotic Aripiprazole (10mg daily) enabling Lorenz to work as a social care assistant.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 20 - 29
>>
Patricia - Interview 16
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Patricia experiences a constant feeling of anxiety, "like going to an exam" every day.
Patricia, 25, describes herself as White European. She was born in Portugal and came to the UK to work and has been here for 9 months. For the past five years, Patricia has felt anxious every day and experienced numerous panic attacks.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 50 - 59
>>
Edward - Interview 10
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Edward describes his symptoms, including anxiety, shallow breathing, negative thoughts, feeling sad, powerless, empty and not caring for himself.
Edward, 59, was born in Australia and diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20. A former head teacher, he took early retirement for health reasons and now stacks supermarket shelves. He believes his condition is caused by genetic and environmental factors.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 30 - 39
>>
Shareen - Interview 22
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Shareen feels suicidal and has intrusive thoughts about hurting herself; she feels like she's climbing a ladder but keeps slipping. (Played by an acto
Shareen, 39, describes herself as Asian. She was born in the UK but lived in Pakistan between the ages of 11 and 19. Shareen experiences panic attacks, anxiety and depression. Shareen's sister, Marlene was also interviewed.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Shaukat - Interview 17
>>
Shaukat found it difficult to sleep because he felt constantly anxious and tried hypnotherapy to see if it helped.
Shaukat, 36, was born in Pakistan and came to the UK aged 9. He has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorder. He finds going to support groups and talking to other people with similar experiences supportive and helpful.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 20 - 29
>>
Tariq - Interview 06
>>
When Tariq first began feeling unwell he didn't know what it was, but said it felt "normal" like having the 'flu. But he was still too embarrassed to
This 21 year old Asian student was diagnosed with manic depression and then schizophrenia. He disagrees that the mental health system is institutionally racist, saying that he encountered discrimination due to his mental health not his ethnicity.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 40 - 49
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Sarah - Interview 28
>>
Sarah began having difficulty sleeping when gangsters were threatening her and her husband in their business; at the time, she was also having financi
Sarah, a married mother of 4, is Chinese and came to the UK from Hong Kong when she got married. She was diagnosed with depression when she was 46. Sarah gets a lot of comfort from her religion - she says she would feel very depressed without it.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Shareen - Interview 22
>>
Shareen first became depressed after being told she couldn't have any more children. (Played by an actor).
Shareen, 39, describes herself as Asian. She was born in the UK but lived in Pakistan between the ages of 11 and 19. Shareen experiences panic attacks, anxiety and depression. Shareen's sister, Marlene was also interviewed.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
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Aged 20 - 29
>>
Tariq - Interview 06
>>
When his symptoms got worse, Tariq told people he trusted and they went with him to the hospital; he was given medication and then the crisis team vis
This 21 year old Asian student was diagnosed with manic depression and then schizophrenia. He disagrees that the mental health system is institutionally racist, saying that he encountered discrimination due to his mental health not his ethnicity.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Devon - Interview 12
>>
Devon's mother called the doctor and then the police because she noticed that there was something wrong - although he didn't think there was.
Devon, 49, is married and was born in Jamaica; he came to the UK in 1965. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia aged 22 and depression aged 48. He is a founder member of the organization Sound Minds - www.soundminds.co.uk - a user-led music project.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Hanif - Interview 30
>>
Hanif's father forced him to see a psychiatrist and he thinks it was probably for the best because his behaviour was putting him at risk and he wouldn
Hanif, 49, describes himself as Indian and has lived in the UK for 25 years. Hanif experienced cannabis induced psychosis and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 23. Hanif works in mental health, campaigning to reduce stigma.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 60 - 69
>>
H. Y. Leung - Interview 29
>>
She describes shaking uncontrollably. Text only
HY Leung, 60, was admitted to a London psychiatric hospital. She says her doctors don't understand what she's going through. She feels God accepts and understands her, which supports her to face the challenges of her illnesses and to carry on her life.
Mental health
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Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 50 - 59
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Lorenz - Interview 11
>>
Lorenz describes coming to accept his diagnosis of schizophrenia and why he thinks the diagnosis was justified by his symptoms and not made because he
Lorenz is a 50 year old Black Afro-Caribbean man who has been in the UK since 1966. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20 and this is now controlled by the anti-psychotic Aripiprazole (10mg daily) enabling Lorenz to work as a social care assistant.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 20 - 29
>>
Chapman - Interview 20
>>
Chapman explains why he thinks he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and says if the diagnosis was right his medication would work.
Chapman, 23, describes himself as Black-African and was born in Zimbabwe. He has been in the UK for 7 years and is awaiting the decision of an application for asylum. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 20.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 50 - 59
>>
Lorenz - Interview 11
>>
Lorenz also hears different kinds of voices and they mainly say "good things" but can tell him to hurt himself.
Lorenz is a 50 year old Black Afro-Caribbean man who has been in the UK since 1966. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20 and this is now controlled by the anti-psychotic Aripiprazole (10mg daily) enabling Lorenz to work as a social care assistant.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Jay - Interview 27
>>
Jay says she hears her voices constantly and they say mostly negative things, apart from two voices that encourage her.
Jay, 42, describes herself as Black-British. She was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder aged 34 and now works in mental health. Jay's voices say mainly negative things, but two voices encourage her and give her tenacity and drive.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Devon - Interview 12
>>
Devon says the voice he heard sounded like "my own spirit" and also described believing that the television was talking to him.
Devon, 49, is married and was born in Jamaica; he came to the UK in 1965. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia aged 22 and depression aged 48. He is a founder member of the organization Sound Minds - www.soundminds.co.uk - a user-led music project.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Dolly - Interview 14
>>
Dolly knows she is becoming unwell when she starts to see shadows shaped like humans; she also hears voices, poetry and music.
Dolly, a 36 year old writer and author of The World is Full of Laughter, is of mixed ethnicity (White/Asian), and first experienced psychosis aged 14. She finds Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Buddhism and meditation very useful.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 20 - 29
>>
Chapman - Interview 20
>>
Chapman has seen people who looked real but weren't, including someone attacking him with a knife.
Chapman, 23, describes himself as Black-African and was born in Zimbabwe. He has been in the UK for 7 years and is awaiting the decision of an application for asylum. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia at the age of 20.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Jay - Interview 27
>>
Jay often sees "creepy-crawly things" and animals, and it can be difficult to distinguish between what is really there and what isn't.
Jay, 42, describes herself as Black-British. She was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder aged 34 and now works in mental health. Jay's voices say mainly negative things, but two voices encourage her and give her tenacity and drive.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 20 - 29
>>
Tariq - Interview 06
>>
Tariq saw dead people and people following him around, but has difficulty remembering exactly what he saw. (Played by an actor).
This 21 year old Asian student was diagnosed with manic depression and then schizophrenia. He disagrees that the mental health system is institutionally racist, saying that he encountered discrimination due to his mental health not his ethnicity.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 20 - 29
>>
Ali - Interview 33
>>
Ali feels guilty and helpless, and has suicidal thoughts which seem to help to lift his spirits. (Played by an actor).
Ali, 27, was born in Pakistan and has been studying and working in the UK. Ali says that although it's easier to explain things to professionals from the same culture, as long as the other person is understanding, you can always clarify things.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 50 - 59
>>
Edward - Interview 10
>>
Edward felt suicidal but changed his mind when he began to feel "neutral" - he believes this was "a miracle".
Edward, 59, was born in Australia and diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20. A former head teacher, he took early retirement for health reasons and now stacks supermarket shelves. He believes his condition is caused by genetic and environmental factors.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Sarah - Interview 28
>>
She says it's difficult to communicate with her GP without her children to interpret for her. (Original interview in Cantonese, text in English).
Sarah, a married mother of 4, is Chinese and came to the UK from Hong Kong when she got married. She was diagnosed with depression when she was 46. Sarah gets a lot of comfort from her religion - she says she would feel very depressed without it.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Terri - Interview 24
>>
Terri describes different her symptoms, including not wanting to get out of bed and having to force herself to do housework. (Played by an actor).
Terri, 41, describes herself as Black-British. She was diagnosed with depression in her early 30s. Terri says she now realises that she has an illness and has to take her medication or she will get into a deep depression.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Marlene - Interview 23
>>
Marlene gets tired and loses interest in TV and music and doesn't do things or go out like she used to, but she can still look after her children and
Marlene, 38, was diagnosed with anxiety aged 24. Marlene's father is Pakistani, and her mother is white. Her sister, Shareen, was also interviewed.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Sara - Interview 32
>>
Sara found it difficult to wash and dress, especially when she quickly gained weight through binge-eating.
Sara, 34, describes herself as Indian and has a diagnosis of depression. Sara's food bingeing was interpreted as psychotic behaviour and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In her late twenties, however, a specialist diagnosed an eating disorder.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Sara - Interview 32
>>
Sara started dieting to lose weight, but became obsessed with food and reached a dangerously low weight. (Played by an actor).
Sara, 34, describes herself as Indian and has a diagnosis of depression. Sara's food bingeing was interpreted as psychotic behaviour and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In her late twenties, however, a specialist diagnosed an eating disorder.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Hanif - Interview 30
>>
Hanif experiences periods of mania where his activity and speech is very fast, he has lots of ideas, some of which are "far fetched".
Hanif, 49, describes himself as Indian and has lived in the UK for 25 years. Hanif experienced cannabis induced psychosis and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder aged 23. Hanif works in mental health, campaigning to reduce stigma.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 60 - 69
>>
Mae - Interview 04
>>
Mae describes being "high as a kite" and says her unpredictable behaviour meant people were afraid of her. (Played by an actor).
This 62 year old woman has manic depression and describes herself as mixed race. She enjoys life now and is glad to be alive. She thinks going to groups is important and says black families sometimes push away relatives with mental health problems.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Shaukat - Interview 17
>>
He couldn't describe his anxiety to the doctor and was worried about being given the wrong medication or being sent to hospital, so he told him he had
Shaukat, 36, was born in Pakistan and came to the UK aged 9. He has been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and general anxiety disorder. He finds going to support groups and talking to other people with similar experiences supportive and helpful.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Jay - Interview 27
>>
When she was in hospital, she didn't tell anyone that she heard voices, only that her "head was noisy".
Jay, 42, describes herself as Black-British. She was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder aged 34 and now works in mental health. Jay's voices say mainly negative things, but two voices encourage her and give her tenacity and drive.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Niabingi - Interview 01
>>
Niabingi thought hearing voices was "natural", but when her mum first took her to the doctors, they said nothing was wrong. (Played by an actor).
This 42 year old Black, British born woman was diagnosed at the age of 25 with paranoid schizophrenia but disagrees with the paranoid part. She believes that her mental distress was caused by the racism she experienced when growing up.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Sarah - Interview 28
>>
She told her doctor she had an "uncomfortable" feeling in her chest and back pain. (Original in Cantonese, text in English).
Sarah, a married mother of 4, is Chinese and came to the UK from Hong Kong when she got married. She was diagnosed with depression when she was 46. Sarah gets a lot of comfort from her religion - she says she would feel very depressed without it.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Reena - Interview 07
>>
She wanted "proper help" from her GP so she told her if they didn't admit her to hospital she would commit suicide or "run away from home". (Audio in
Reena, 42, describes herself as Bangladeshi, and came to the UK aged 9. She was diagnosed with depression in her early 30s.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 50 - 59
>>
Lorenz - Interview 11
>>
He says that there's a difference between "normal" behaviour and his symptoms and it might be difficult to distinguish between habits and mental illne
Lorenz is a 50 year old Black Afro-Caribbean man who has been in the UK since 1966. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20 and this is now controlled by the anti-psychotic Aripiprazole (10mg daily) enabling Lorenz to work as a social care assistant.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 20 - 29
>>
Patricia - Interview 16
>>
She was worried that her panic attacks were really a sign of a physical, not psychological problem, even when hospital tests were negative.
Patricia, 25, describes herself as White European. She was born in Portugal and came to the UK to work and has been here for 9 months. For the past five years, Patricia has felt anxious every day and experienced numerous panic attacks.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 60 - 69
>>
Ataur - Interview 03
>>
He describes how, when he gets depressed, he feels as though his head is burning and itching.
This 60 year old, Bangladesh-born man moved to Britain in 1964 and developed depression aged 17. He believes a weak mind makes it difficult for him to deal with life's problems and finds talking with friends the best way to manage his depression.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Shareen - Interview 22
>>
She describes a range of symptoms including feeling hot and cold, "something in my mouth like a ton of bricks" and "twisted" tongue. (Played by an act
Shareen, 39, describes herself as Asian. She was born in the UK but lived in Pakistan between the ages of 11 and 19. Shareen experiences panic attacks, anxiety and depression. Shareen's sister, Marlene was also interviewed.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 40 - 49
>>
Rehana - Interview 18
>>
She also has tinnitus and migraines; she describes similar symptoms for these and her mental health problems and believes they are connected.
Rehana, 49, describes herself as Pakistani and has lived in the UK for 27 years. She experiences severe depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Rehana feels ashamed of having depression and is worried that if people find out they might make fun of her.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Marlene - Interview 23
>>
She feels like a different person and believes that some of her symptoms might be caused by the menopause and finds it difficult to make people unders
Marlene, 38, was diagnosed with anxiety aged 24. Marlene's father is Pakistani, and her mother is white. Her sister, Shareen, was also interviewed.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
David - Interview 15
>>
He describes his various symptoms, including feeling vulnerable, "horrible images" in his head, smashing things and screaming.
David, 37, describes his ethnicity as mixed (White/North African). David was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and severe depression, 29 years after he first saw a psychiatrist. David's wife is also his carer.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 50 - 59
>>
Edward - Interview 10
>>
Edward was so afraid and anxious he felt relieved when he was admitted to hospital.
Edward, 59, was born in Australia and diagnosed with schizophrenia aged 20. A former head teacher, he took early retirement for health reasons and now stacks supermarket shelves. He believes his condition is caused by genetic and environmental factors.
Mental health
>>
Mental health: ethnic minority experiences
>>
Aged 30 - 39
>>
Sara - Interview 32
>>
For Sara, self-harm was a way of punishing herself but now she feels her self-esteem is better she doesn't want to do it, although she still has negat
Sara, 34, describes herself as Indian and has a diagnosis of depression. Sara's food bingeing was interpreted as psychotic behaviour and she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. In her late twenties, however, a specialist diagnosed an eating disorder.
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