I’ve been in and out of psych wards all my life. When I was four years old, they held me at the Royal Children’s Hospital – that was when I was beginning to hear voices. Having schizophrenia, the best I can describe it is if you put ten radios around the room and turn them all on – you can’t cope with that, so I got locked away a few times.

I feel like I was lucky to get in at Corpus Christi. I’d been at a rooming house for 15 years before here, and it was rough. I’ve got a 16-year-old daughter and she helped me get moved – she’s a smart kid! The food’s good and the staff’s good, and my family can come and visit me here.

I’ve made a few friends here and have started doing art, drawing and making dreamcatchers. I also volunteer doing woodwork for the Salvation Army – I’d like to go back to work eventually.

The blokes here, we’ve done nothing wrong – we’ve just been unlucky. But I’m still alive, and since I moved here, for the first time, I’m beginning to not hear voices, I’ve calmed right down. I feel much better now.