Karl Lokko grew up on a south London estate where gang violence was all around him. He saw friends killed and became involved in crime himself, until he managed to turn his life around. Now he’s a mentor, campaigner and poet. Karl says he knew little about mental health when he was younger and that in his community, anxiety, stress and PTSD were prevalent — he himself still has to override his fighting response. He has learnt techniques to deal with his mind that range from meditation and prayer to poetry and exercise.
