The Wilson Family
Just an ordinary family like many others struck by the tragedy of a serious mental health problem…
Owen
Diving from a great height onto your head champion of 1997, he cruised school, took after his brother with guitar and song writing and his own band (they were always close, despite the age gap) and managed to hold it, and “A” levels, together through Ross’ illness. Mad cyclist (Lands End to John O’Groats – 1100 miles in 10 days for charity, 500 miles in 5 days across the Pyrenees…) and master prevaricator… A gap year working at the Windsor Farm Shop, chilling out and writing and performing music. Degree in Product Design from Loughborough University. Now married with a son…
Ross
He managed to survive to become a showman at school (lead roles in many plays and his own band, Silent Dawn) and an academic high flyer.
Gap year was spent becoming vegetarian, then vegan, then ran open mic nights, his own radio show, recycling campaign etc at Reading university (philosophy and art).
Crashed out of uni after a year to finish recording his album and to become seriously psychotic (cult, destitute in New York, forcible sectionings…). Taught guitar (private, youth club, NHS) for a while, am – dram, agency work, new band with Owen – but, sadly, has now very seriously crashed again…
Peter
“Dad” runs through me, like a stick of seaside rock, but I’m also a director of a small, specialist engineering consultancy – which is both time consuming and challenging (despite 30+ years experience doing it). Part of the day job involves developing and presenting training courses – which may be why I have a element of closet showmanship in my life…
Ran fitness training sessions at squash clubs over 20 years until my back gave in (the long term affects of childhood polio). After a few years of chronic pain (and the associated intermittent depression), I’ve got it under control (dietary supplements and physical regime) and am back in the gym and playing (mild) racquet sports again.
I love spending time with family and friends (ideally over food and wine), read a lot (an eclectic mix of escapist claptrap and philosophy/science) and write a bit of poetry. Ross persuaded me to do stand-up (you think you’re funny dad, so….), and this turned into a new hobby.
Plus, of course, all this. I’ve been on local mental health service committees and into schools with Ross to do anti-stigma shows and also presented at mental health conferences.
More recently divorced and sadly having to go through a very deja vu experience due a recurrence of Ross’ psychosis…
Gillian
An ex teacher, ex careers liaison and ex operational manager for a large careers management company. A serious allotmenteer and prolific provider of home-grown fruit and veg, she is also very creative, designing jewellery and cards. Keeping fit is catered for by weekly serious and high energy dancing – Cîroc and Salsa. Being a good cook made events with family and friends occasions to savour (it just seemed so easy when she did it…). Yet another prolific reader – and not just of cookery books.
Burns night meal with friends, 2019. Ross burns bright, the life and soul. 6 weeks later, we use the anniversary of my dad’s death as an excuse to visit the crematorium together, followed by pub lunch. He is – on edge. After food he becomes vocally aggressive, shouting. I have to leave. That evening he emails. He simultaneously never had a mental health problem (my having him sectioned was abuse) and all his mental health problems were caused by me. Schrödinger’s psychosis.
I spend 2 months putting intense pressure on the local mental health services and finally succeed in persuading them to act. They call to say they will turn up with the team to assess him – on the morning after he burnt down the shed (in which he had been semi-living) in the night and disappeared to, as we later discovered, Bournemouth. I contact the Bournemouth mental health services (local services doing chocolate teapot impressions) and, eventually, he is picked up by the police and taken to Prospect Park hospital in Reading for assessment. Relief is too mild a word. BUT. Fleeting. I’m told that he’s a “trustee”, allowed to come and go as he has promised to be treated in the community. I’m told he will shortly be released into that imaginary community…
Killed his guitar in the woods on new years night, videoed himself painting his room red and dark green, and put up signs like these everywhere.
“Yet to be named” was the last thing Ross achieved before crashing. Re-released as with new band as “Consumed in self”.
Smoked dope for a while, but then tried to give up following some scary symptoms. Wrote “Blame Marijuana”, prescient, but sadly too late…
While I was comatosed
Get him a doctor
Let me be nothing
Going Home
Song of Sickness
Chaos
Hugging Barbed Wire 
then where will you go..
Melancholy 
Don’t Fade