“I remember trying to speak to my parents when I was 7 or 8 years old, thinking what I was experiencing was normal, but it turned out I was wrong. I don’t blame my parents for thinking my voices were my imaginary best friend, but it was a lot more than that. I was scared of talking because of how the world looked at mental health.

"I finally spoke to my mum when I was 15. My voices told me I had made the worst decision and that my loved ones and I would now get badly hurt. But apart from this, it felt like I had weights lifted off my shoulders. It was the first time I could properly breathe. Talking saved me. It took minutes to have a talk with my mum but, because of this, I feel a lot better today. It is baby steps but, please, try to express how you feel to someone, whether it’s through art, music, books, etc.”