He still went to work and showered in the gym. No one knew he lived in a tent

A barber who was left sleeping rough following a devastating breakup has revealed the moment he knew he had hit rock bottom.

Marcus Lewis Roper found himself sleeping in a tent for more than two months after his poor mental health led to the breakdown of his relationship.

The 32-year-old first noticed problems after leaving the Army in 2022. He had served as a bombardier and a physical training instructor for 14 years.

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But struggling to settle back into civilian life, Marcus found it difficult to land a job or find any real sense of belonging.

While he eventually found work as a barber, military PTSD and childhood trauma meant he started suffering from anxiety and developed a fear of abandonment and rejection.

These struggles put pressure on his relationship which led to a painful breakup, Marcus says, leaving him homeless after moving out of his ex-partner’s property, unable to afford his own.

With nowhere to go, he bought a tent and lived by a river in Telford in the West Midlands for around nine weeks. He used his gym membership to shower and went to work as a barber as normal throughout the day.

But it was one moment in his tent that he knew he had hit rock bottom – leading him to get his life back on track for good.

“I always suffered with childhood trauma,” Marcus, who previously lived in the Shaw area of Oldham, told the Manchester Evening News. “Abandonment, fear or rejection and believing you’re not good enough.

“I had major anxiety and no self-worth. I didn’t think of myself as anything special. I’m the most insecure person you’ll ever meet.

“My insecurities and my own mental health issues got in the way of my relationship. I