Andrew
Andrew, 24, lives independently in a flat near the seaside. He has been living independently since 2006, and enjoys it. He lives close to extended family and sees his auntie and grandma from time to time. He speaks regularly on the telephone to his mum, who now lives in Scotland.
Work options affected by issues with sleep
Andrew works two days a week at a local supermarket, a ten minute drive away. Andrew drives his own car, has an interest in motor vehi- cles and recently completed a diploma in Motor Vehicles and Repair. When we interviewed Andrew, he was awaiting his certificate and thinking about the future possibility of working in a garage.
Issues in early adulthood
Andrew says that his main difficulties are with sleep. He has always found it very difficult to get to sleep at night, and cannot fall asleep unless he has the television on. Then he has extreme difficulty waking up the next day. Sometimes he has slept through the noise of two mobile phones, seven alarm clocks, the TV on timer at full volume, and a lamp programmed to come on at the same time as alarms.
This has limited Andrew’s options at work, although he has now been able to arrange shift times which suit his sleep patterns. Andrew is due to meet with a sleep expert to discuss his difficulties.
Andrew feels that he is quite reserved and finds socialising difficult. Working in the retail industry, and particularly talking to customers, has helped with this, but meeting new people remains hard for Andrew.
Andrew has also had problems with low mood and anxiety. For instance, he has not been able to attend certain medical investigations (e.g., for a narrow oesophagus) due to anxiety about the procedures.
However, Andrew has also been able to overcome some of his fears. He used to be afraid of needles, but he tackled the fear head-on by getting several tattoos (despite the fact that he initially passed out!).
CdLS Outreach UK & Ireland S1, published on 1 May 2011
