Not Drowning - Waving - / Twitter Trolls - Really Useful Discrimination.

I am visiting a person weekly at the moment that is helping me with my self esteem – this is separate from the 6 years of therapy I have had with John to deal with my chronic depression. Depression is not something that now runs my life.  It revisits me from time to time and I just have to ride it out.

My twitter persona is not real. I am someone who is withdrawn, socially inept, quite isolated, and afraid of people and life. Social media probably gives all of us an opportunity to be the person we want to be rather than the one we really are.

I have not been able to work since August – not because I don’t want to. The situation I found myself in has meant that folk will not employ me. So it has been really tough. I am not used to not working. I have worked since I was 16 and I am now 51. I am finding this period very very difficult but it won’t kill me so I have just got to ride it out.

I received no support at work for my mental health issues. The whole twitter incident was just an excuse for them to get rid of me even though it was I who walked. The fact that I have always been open and honest on social network about my long term fight with depression has not done me any favours.

I was being watched for a long time in terms of my social network activity by my employers. I still believe that the whole trolling thing was set up – that is not paranoia – I have quite a bit of evidence to make a good case. They presented me with months and months worth of my tweets. Like the secret police investigating a spy.

I went down the road of seeking legal advice for constructive dismissal but my problem was I could not afford the fees to take it on further. 

It was very clear I had been discriminated against in terms of my depression and that nothing was done during the investigation process to help me. 

The equalities act went straight out the window. 

For two weeks I was treated like a common criminal by the Really Useful Theatre Group – I ended up convinced I had committed a dreadful crime. 

The level of corporate bullying by one manager in particular is something you would find hard to believe.

I have to move on from all that now. I am not playing the victim here at all – that is not my style. Plus I would not give that awful company the satisfaction.

Hopefully I will sort out my personal problems very soon and get back to work. It is tough because I find it tough facing people. But work is all I know and I need it to feel normal and accepted.

Just wanted to put the record straight in regards to my situation and how dreadful a large Theatre company treated me.

Tim – London - 2016