In protest against the neglect and discrimination society shows me I'm growing a long beard.
My story is not an uncommon one in some respects. As a child I was emotionally abused by my father and I had nowhere else to go. Due to my Autism I was, of course, in a more difficult position than some would be. In the culmination to years of being controlled and emotionally terrorised, I was chased out of my parents' house by my dad who had a knife in his hand and was screaming at me.
Years later I live alone in a flat but cannot get a support worker, despite repeat requests to GPs. I've attempted to arrange for a support worker to work for me, in a self-employed basis, (for which I'd pay all the funds directly myself) through my own advertisements I've placed but can't find anyone that way either.
I can't cope doing things on my own and have told professionals this many times. I've been in 4 psychiatric wards, detained against my will. Now I'm 32, no friends in my local area, no prospects.
My beard is already longer than it's ever been after 2 weeks of unshaven growth. I'm not going to be trimming it so will let it grow out naturally and freely.
