Sometimes you learn about things when you least expect to – and when you don’t want to. Have you ever heard of poverty delusion? It’s an official psychiatric condition. I hadn’t heard of it until … I wish I’d never heard of it. I hadn’t heard of it until … my sister had it. Until she took her life.

Nicolas is a writer, a teacher of writing, Chair of Writers Victoria, and the founder and host of Spirit of Punk, an open mic event for emerging writers.

You can find Nicolas on his website and Instagram.

Memoria is written, produced, edited and presented by Natalie V.

Poverty Delusion is written and read by Nicolas Brasch.

Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions, “Pat Dog” and “Heliotrope”.

Illustrations by Peta Manning. Her book, See Me Doodle, is out now.

02-05, andrew1280, CC BY 3.0, Chair on Wood – Slow.wav, PsychoPancake, CC BY-NC 3.0, Crying Man, scottemoil, CC0 1.0, Female Sobbing, Idalize, CC BY-NC 3.0, tape calculator, Tomlija, CC BY 3.0, nixeno – hospital room ambience with clock, heart beeb and paging, nixeno, CC BY 3.0, Sad, By Ross Bugden, CC BY 4.0, woman crying sobbing cry sob sad, bulbastre, CC BY 3.0