6.8 Individual identity of stateless persons and its disruption An individual’s identity determines who the individual is, what distinguishes a person from the others and what the individual’s relationships to other people are, including membership in particular groups.99 It provides people with a basic framework for understanding who they are and where they are going. The interviews revealed that the identity of stateless persons is under severe pressure, marked primarily by erosion of the interviewees’ social identity, which has negative consequences for one´s perception of individual identity. The stateless persons interviewed during the research doubted the value of their own lives, blamed themselves and experienced, in their own words, feelings of failure, defeat and resignation. Many considered themselves to be “useless”. « « « If I were to be a normal person and exist, then I would have at least some rights. But if I am nobody, as a zombie, I have no right to talk or complain, I have no right. This is what I think. Whatever happened to me, it is my fault.” You can’t do anything, anything at all. It’s terrible. You can’t even understand it yourself. (...) Like an idiot, I am only surviving here, really. It’s hell. I am in a deadlock. Years go by and I am screwed.” Nobody can understand this, nobody. When I looked at my life, my only life, it’s been the worst.” Many avoided even mentioning their situation to others. They cannot explain it and were simultaneously ashamed of it. Being stateless carries a stigma. This is not a topic discussed with friends or in public. Almost all stateless persons interviewed during the research described that they had suffered from psychological problems. They talked about different symptoms that affected their behaviour and overall health. They described feelings of being disillusioned and hopeless, suffering from stress, anxiety and chronic insomnia. Some of the interviewed persons also explained that they were often irritable, which tends to be followed by loss of control (e.g. when dealing with the authorities) or feelings of worthlessness. In extreme cases, the interviewed persons manifested suicidal tendencies. « « « « 99 46 Thanks god I have a strong will, it is an extreme pressure, you don’t know how long one can stand it.” I sleep badly, then I am nervous because of it, I am nervous and I cannot sleep, and then I think how scared I am about what could happen to me and … you know what. (…) I am a person who really lives in fear. This is me. Nice to meet you. (…) I have to think about it all the time, I wake up at three in the morning. I don’t know what I am doing, I walk across the apartment, then I go to sleep again, I cannot sleep properly, I sleep then I wake up. I have not slept normally for a long time, for example twelve hours or from midnight to eight, I can’t.” I take it badly, I often have heart problems because it is all on me and there is nothing good about this situation.” I am a very nervous person. Psychologically. I can’t communicate with anybody, because I am very nervous.” Please note that “identity” is a multidimensional notion used in social sciences such as psychology, sociology or anthropology with no one official definition. The present statement is only a simplified description tailored to clarify the findings of the study. Faces of Statelessness in the Czech Republic