“They saved my life”: Glasgow care leaver launching mental health platform to help others

A 23-year-old Glasgow man said he hopes he can give back to those who ‘saved his life’ through public outreach following a mental health crisis

Robert Hampson, who now lives in Rutherglen, was born in the city, but entered the care system aged five.

“From the age of five up until the age of 16 I was living throughout the care system. I was getting moved around a lot and suffered a lot of abuse and trauma and stuff like that,” Robert said.

Upon leaving the care system, Robert began studying music and law at college and moved into student accommodation. But he says he began to struggle mentally with the impact of the trauma and PTSD he had experienced while living through the care system.

Robert said: “Obviously growing up in the care system and experiencing trauma and PTSD stuff like that, when I left, there wasn't really a lot of help to be honest. And I think that's a big problem these days for kids in care specifically, there's not really a lot of help for after, when they leave.

“I struggled with that and kept a lot of things to myself. I didn't really speak about a lot of things. I just didn't really trust anyone to open up to. I guess from then it was just that build up of just trauma and stress and all these different things, and just because I wasn't opening up to people and not speaking. It got to me so fast forward to last year, that's when everything all happened.”

Last year, Robert reached a crisis point. A passer-by stopped and spoke to him.

He said: “It was actually a member of the public who came and started speaking to me. It's the first time anybody's ever really done something like that for me, to be honest. They pretty much talked me down. They saved my life that day and it changed everything from then on forward.”

After spending time in hospital, where he said he did not receive the help and support he needed, he reached out to a social media page, no1seemstocare, who had posted about the incident.

He commented on the post to thank those who had offered their thoughts and support. That led to an opportunity to perform at a mental health conference just days later.

He said: “I got a message from a person that was running this mental health conference in Glasgow, which was literally only about three or four days after it had happened. They'd reached out and I got a voice note from this lady that was running the event and she asked me to go along and perform out of the blue. I never checked my request. But that day I did and I saw that she'd messaged me. She said, ‘I've seen your story. We would love to have you along to perform at this event’.”

Robert said he thought he’d be going along to play a couple of songs for conference goers. But it would have a much bigger impact.

He said: “And it turned out to be one of the most life-changing moments of my life. There were people there, telling their stories and from all different backgrounds. It was people from New York and Australia, people all around the world that were there telling their stories and just sitting in that room and hearing their experiences.”

Robert said that since that day he has felt like he had a second chance at life.

He said: “Because of the way that the public saved me that day, I feel like I need to give back and all I've wanted to do since is help others going through mental health. I want to raise awareness of and end the stigma.”

It led to Robert creating the Human Story Initiative, a platform where people experiencing mental health struggles can come together and realise they aren’t alone.

He said: “With the Human Story Initiative, the kind of thing that I'll be doing through social media like YouTube and Facebook is to go and interview real people, organisations, charities stuff like that, get them to tell stories and real awareness to manage, and try and make it bigger so people do not struggle in silence.”

He hopes it can help fill gaps he believes are left by NHS funding pressures.

Robert said: “If you look at the NHS then look at the mental health services that they've got with the funding that they have, it's just not possible for them to do it. They try their hardest, but I mean I can speak from experience where I've been, I've gone to see doctors. I went to the emergency room to ask for help.

“And all they do is kind of do a referral and send you home. It's not ideal for someone who's really, really struggling.”

There are spaces for independent organisations, such as charities, as people seek to address their mental health challenges, according to Robert.

He said: “We need a lot more of it, and it's a sad state of affairs when people can't go to the NHS or go to doctors and get the help that they need. They need to reach out to these organisations, but the organisations that are doing this, like the independent ones and the charities and stuff like that, they're saving people's lives and we need them.”

The Human Story Initiative will launch on 4 November and he hopes it will allow people to share real experiences, challenge stigma and bring people together through honest conversations, and Robert’s final message is simple.

Robert said: “Reach out if you can and try and seek help, because too many people struggle in silence.”

If you are struggling, Samaritans can be contacted free on 116 123, 24 hours a day. Breathing Space is available on 0800 83 85 87.