In 2003 I was signed off work for two weeks with anxiety/depression. I haven’t worked since then. It’s now the tail end of 2026 and I’m at the tail end of my forties.
I didn’t fit in as a corporate drone. I didn’t fit into the academic system. I didn’t fit in as what’s called a mental health “service user” and still don’t. I split opinion among psychiatrists (who didn’t know how to categorize me) and psychologists (who either wondered why I didn’t just get on with my life or were too frightened to disagree with medical opinion). I’m in receipt of government benefits and a kind of drifting existence outside of mainstream society. I’ve confused many people, not least of all myself. You can read my writings here and make of me what you will.
I hold absurd beliefs; out of contact with reality. I believe that the opinion of a consultant psychiatrist is not the word of God. I believe that more is wrong with the fundamentally corrupt society we live in than with the people rejected by it. I believe that I am at least as rational as the average person and my perception of my past is as sound as anyone’s. I believe that the psychiatric system can damage people.
Shockingly, I’ve heard similar sentiments in other places. You might understand how friends of mine might be ignorant of the way things work in this life. I’ve even heard my thoughts echoed by great writers, philosophers and even mental health professionals.
To be continued…
Ben Preston 