David Harewood: “I tell this story”

Acclaimed actor, director and now creator David Harewood, joins Happiful’s podcast to speak about his new e book Possibly I Don’t Belong Right here: A Memoir of Race, Id, Breakdown and Restoration

David Harewood describes himself as an actor, director, author and “extra importantly, a resilient survivor of psychosis, making an attempt to cut back the stigma hooked up to psychological in poor health well being.” He’s focussed on eradicating the disgrace that also exists round having skilled – or persevering with to stay with – psychological in poor health well being, and he couldn’t be extra proud, he shares, of the olympians and sportspeople who’ve just lately spoken out about theirs.

Learn David’s full interview in Happiful’s October issue – out on 16 September

David beforehand shared his personal expertise of psychological in poor health well being in a BBC documentary David Harewood: Psychosis and Me. Throughout filming he started to recollect traumatic recollections that he’d buried, and the consequence was overwhelming.

Nonetheless, two years after making the programme, and with the time that lockdown afforded, David revisited the medical information he’d been given throughout filming and commenced to jot down his e book Maybe I Don’t Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery. He hoped that by sharing his personal expertise, from his childhood to the present day, he would assist others to really feel much less alone or perceive family members’ challenges.

Writing the e book helped David personally, though it was a tricky course of to undergo. “I needed to sit with my demons and among the uncomfortable issues that helped destabilise me once I had my breakdown thirty years in the past. We bury these fears and insecurities and we by no means need to face them, and it may be tough to take action.”

“I really feel that having written the e book and sat with these darkish secrets and techniques and insecurities, I simply really feel fairly liberated. I do know that I’ve performed a superhero over the previous couple of years, however I do form of really feel that I’ve been given a swimsuit of armor by going through as much as my fears,” he explains.

Personally penning the e book was massively vital for him too. “I’ve to say that I’m happy with myself. I’ve written each single phrase. I assumed it was vital. I inform this story.”

Possibly I Don’t Belong Right here: A Memoir of Race, Id, Breakdown and Restoration is available now.

Take heed to David’s full episode of I am. I have. He discusses new beginnings, psychological well being advocacy, racism and psychological well being, the necessity for better psychological well being help within the performing group and his enduring ardour for efficiency.

Learn David’s full interview in Happiful’s October Problem – out on 16 September

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