Somnolence

What if the very thing that slows you down is what finally saves you?

Toby Smith's journey begins in the suffocating corridors of secondary school, where depression and anxiety turn every lesson into survival. As he grows up, the battle deepens - through the chaos of Sixth Form highs, the heartbreak of unspoken love, and the manic euphoria of university freedom that spirals into psychosis.

After hospitalisation and a long road back to stability, Toby rebuilds his life piece by piece. Now twenty-seven, he finds peace not in speed or success, but in the quiet rhythm of Somnolence - the drowsy stillness brought on by the medication that keeps him grounded.

Through computing, creativity, faith, and community, Toby learns that a slower life can still be a full one. Somnolence is a deeply personal coming-of-age story about mental illness, medication, and the rediscovery of meaning.

Poignant, honest, and ultimately uplifting, this is a memoir for anyone who has ever felt broken, tired, or left behind - and proof that even in life's quietest hours, hope still hums beneath the surface.