Brad has been living at the YMCA in Romford since July 2017 after facing problems at home which resulted in him being made homeless.
“I’ve been suffering with depression and anxiety since 2007 when my Nan died. I knew I was gay but didn’t feel I could talk to my family about it and my nan was my confidante and rock. Before she died, the last thing she said to me was to come out and tell my Mum who I really was. It took me quite a while to pluck up the courage to do this.
Since I’ve been honest about who I really am, it has made a great deal of difference to my mental health. I
’ve been lucky enough to benefit from the local Talking Therapy service and I’m on anti-depressants. I have had a great experience of local support services but I’m aware of others who haven’t been as fortunate.
I think the YMCA #IAMWHOLE campaign is great. There is a lot of stigma around mental health and it is good it is being talked about so much now. Hiding who you are is really tough and I’d encourage anyone in the same situation to be honest.”
