Lived Experience Blog
Silencing
As I sit down to write, to put down in words the past events and experiences that shaped my present I hear a familiar noise. Every time I peel back a new layer of my story I hear familiar words running through my mind and body, not running, yelling. Old threats, old manipulation and traps. Old…
Duality
How we view the world and the people in it depends on our internal filter. A filter constructed from our experiences and understanding, from the flow or otherwise of our nervous system, and from the surroundings we live in. 2 people viewing the same event will see and experience it in different…
Uncomfortable
We are going to make you uncomfortable. Our truth is going to shake your illusion. Our words and our message are going to raise questions you don’t want to ask, never mind answer. Our vulnerability transforms to strength as you listen, read and understand. Our rawness will surprise you. And I’m no…
Finding Belonging Away From Home
I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to belong — not just to live somewhere, but to feel that deep exhale of “this is home.” Is it possible to truly belong to a place you weren’t born or raised in? Is belonging something we’re invited into through acceptance — or something that grows…
RAS-A-Mataz! Your Brain’s Sixth Sense in Action
Ever walked into a room and felt something was off before anyone said a word? That’s not imagination — it’s your Reticular Activating System (RAS) at work. The RAS sits deep in the brainstem and acts like your inner filter. It decides what information reaches your awareness and what fades into the…
When People Try to Turn Others Against You
It’s something we see everywhere — from gutter media & politics to workplace bully's, even within families, so called friendships and community groups. Someone hears something they don’t like or disagrees with your truth, and instead of having a respectful conversation, they try to influence…
How Far is “Farthest”? Rethinking the Language of Welfare and Worth
When the Department for Work and Pensions classifies someone as “furthest from the labour market,” it might sound like neutral language — a simple policy term. But for the person it describes, already living in a state of survival, it can feel like a final verdict. “Farthest” sounds unreachable.…
4 Years
Convicted of a less serious offence” “Cleared of more serious charges” “Prostitution related offences” “Is now a mentor and advocate….his six-week business course that he's been teaching fellow inmates, "Mr. Combs can reach so many more on the outside than he can on the inside." “Transported male…
The Streets of…
“Let me take you by the hand.. And lead you through the streets of London Show you something to make you change your mind” Lyrics from a well known song by Ralph McTell, released in 1969. I wish the world I knew could be shown to those who don’t see it. That I could take them by the hand, lead…
17 Years of A Positive Start: From Rock Bottom to Rising Strong
Seventeen years ago today, I began a journey that I called A Positive Start. At the time, I’d been working on myself for a while, trying to make sense of why I kept ending up back at square one. The thing about dysregulation and survival mode is that while you’re living in it, you don’t see it —…