“Sometimes, being alone is better than trying to fit in. I try to survive not get better. No-one understands me, I feel pretty worthless at times.”
Charlie, who 34, was homeless and lives with several mental health issues.
Often to be found at Giffin Square in Deptford, a venue well-known by the local homeless community, he considers anywhere to be his home, keeping his most valued possessions, including his sleeping bag, by his side at all times.
Of course, Charlie hasn’t always been homeless and has spent time recently in several temporary housing units but due to his mental health conditions, he has been evicted on multiple occasions as people simply do not understand his sometime erratic behaviour or the habits and traits which make him feel at ease.
Charlie has an obsessive compulsive personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder from violent episodes he experienced in his teenage years. As part of his journey, he lost contact with his family, and often finds it easier to remain homeless, living with the solitude, but when he needs to escape the heat of the summer, he finds himself searching for shelters in school playgrounds or churches.
“There are times when you think why am I here? Who would notice if was dead? At night, it was the hardest, darkness in your head and all around you.”
Like many who are homeless, getting the right help and treatments for his mental health problems was a huge challenge for Charlie. He was unable to access any kind of support from a doctor, and even when he was seen at the local NHS hospital, he was confronted with incredibly long waiting times to access treatment, and furthermore, was not really offered signposting to other organisations who could help.
Sadly, Charlie’s story is just one of many that we know of that demonstrates the extent to which the NHS in Lewisham, is still unable to provide people with the care and support they need in relation to mental health. This is especially the case with those who are homeless and this is a issue that we are desperately trying to resolve.
We have been working with Charlie for about 4 months now after he came to see us when an Outreach Worker told him of 999 Club. His journey away from his mental health issues and homelessness is a complicated process involving 999 Club bringing together multiple agencies so that he receives the right levels of support.
We are incredibly proud of his journey so far. He has a tremendous inner strength and is making great strides in addressing the challenges he has lived with for so many years. We are also pleased that he has reconnected with his sister and we have recently found him accommodation where he feels comfortable.
There are though hundreds of people who are homelessness but also who are at risk of becoming homeless. By signing our petition, you can help us send a message to Government asking for a significant investment to ensure people like Charlie can receive the help, treatment and support they need.
We’re calling on the UK Government to invest in local health services. Please sign our petition and together we can work towards better support for those who are homeless in South East London.
Click here to visit our petition page >>