Cam is a disability rights expert; filmed here with their dog Vlad - a Romanian rescue who goes everywhere with Cam. Cam was an outpatient at The Castle between 2019 and 2020. They describe how they were supported by fellow patients and nurses through a serious suicide attempt and how group work helped them find a new language for expressing emotions. Cam left anunhappy marriage in this period and began exploring a new gender identity - it's enabled them to escape a socially dictated 'blueprint' and be 'my authentic self'. Speaking out about lived experience is important for Cam.
Cam and Vlad
"And I just think I don't want people to waste years of their lives like I have, like if I could have reached this point like 10 years ago, yeah I would've happily took that. If I could have started having adventures in my camper van and owning a dog and like yeah, doing the things I love 10 years ago because I'd seen somebody else doing like living their authentic self and yeah, I would've wanted that for myself and I guess I want that for other people now."