Have you ever stereotyped someone with mental illness? Well why not take a listen to the students at REMIT, a mental-health based education project, they might help you look at things differently. Listen to stories told by students with mental health problems... These personal audio stories have been recorded and written by six people with enduring mental health problems especially for the BBC Leicester's Telling Lives project. Alan's story...  | | Alan Mettham |
Seventy five year old Alan Mettham is Leicestershire born and bred. He's an ex-miner from Glenfield who enjoys taking art and pottery classes at REMIT. Alan has suffered from depression since 1997. His story is about a mining accident that happened during his time at Snibston and the effect it had on his life... "I thought this was it! I was bent over under the rocks but my helmet proved to be my saviour. It had stopped the pressure of the roof doing more damage. My mates came rushing across... You'll be all right Alan! We'll get you out!" Julie's story...  | | Julie Blakey |
Julie Blakey's story was inspired by looking through old family photographs. Julie was born up north, moved to Lincolnshire but then came to Leicester years ago to train as a nurse. She wanted to tell this story to validate happy times from her past as her illness cause her to focus on the unhappy ones... "I have felt frustrated and depressed, feeling that I was too distant from my children when I've been ill. But this photograph reminds me that there have been times of so much joy with my children that will always be part of my future as well as the past." Nick's story...  | | Nick King |
Nick King is 31 and has suffered mental health problems since the age of 15. Nick is an artist and decided to write his Telling Lives story about the reasons behind his work. He feels he doesn't get enough respect for the way he has to work through his illness to create art... "When I'm ill I cannot string the words together to articulate what the problem is. In terms of depression I am ill all the time." Pauline's story...  | | Pauline George |
Sixty eight year old Pauline George is a big BBC Radio Leicester fan who's lived in Birstall for the last 40 years. She enjoys computer and pottery courses at REMIT. Pauline's story was inspired by thinking about the birth of her daughter and how her life was back then. "The hospital was on bond street, just a row of terraced houses. The rooms were very small, just two beds to a room. My husband was over the moon when she was born, he bought me a lovely bunch of red tulips." Philip's story...  | | Philip Smith |
Twenty three year old Philip Smith is a proud Welshman, born in Glamorgan, but lived in Leicester for the last nine years. Philip enjoys taking ceramics and performing arts classes at REMIT. He's also a massive Dr Who fan, and his love of the programme inspired his 'telling Lives' story. "As soon as I heard the music start I would be so scared that I'd run behind the settee. My Mum and Dad would say ' Come out - nothing to be scared of', but I'd just peer around the corner, to watch the cyber men and the Daleks." William's story...  | | William Quinton |
William Quinton has been at REMIT for the last five years. He enjoys writing, poetry and listening to music. He was admitted to a mental hospital in 2000, he had been suffering from undiagnosed schizophrenia. William's frank Telling lives story is about that very experience. He hopes his account might raise awareness of mental health issues and of what some people go through.. "At first I still felt like the Messiah, like a star among the dark coals of the other sedated patients on the ward. Later I was to learn I would become a coal as my star was wrenched down from above." | 
