Lauren Alex Hooper

After BHASVIC, I completed a BA in songwriting before continuing my studies with a MA in songwriting, which I will complete in late 2021. During this time, I had to take three years out (split over two occasions) to manage my mental health. I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at twenty, in 2015, as well as depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and then Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and ADHD in early 2021. Managing my health, mental and physical, takes a lot of work but it’s also provided me with opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise: I’ve performed at charity and awareness events, spoken at conferences, and taken part in research studies. Advocacy for these issues has become a big part of my life. It’s also a big part of my music as I write a lot about my experiences with mental health and as a neurodivergent person: my first single, ‘Invisible,’ is about not getting the support I needed for my mental health (all profits go to the young people’s mental health charity, Young Minds) and my first EP, Honest, documents a period of my mental health and how it started to get better when I began writing and talking about it. I’m currently finishing my MA, working on new music, and looking forward to several new projects that I’ll be starting at the end of the year. If any of this resonates with you, feel free to reach out on social media or send me an email: laurenalexhooper@gmail.com