Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

[MissinTooth]

@tyme I know. I've actually reached the stage where I acknowledge within myself that it's time to do some deeper trauma work with some therapy. 

[tyme]

That's a great start @MissinTooth . And I guess timing is key. Sometimes, when you are juggling a lot of things, it's difficult to focus on recovery as it can take a lot of time and mental energy. 

Feel free to create a new discussion dedicated to yourself and we can walk the journey with you - if you want. No pressure at all. Let us know if you need help with it or anything else!

[Anonymous31]

Hey thank you and apologies for the very late reply, its been a tough time for me recently but i'm ready to share more about my struggles in this forum over the coming days and weeks. In addition to my initial comments when i first signed up to this website, I am now going through a break up following an unsuccessful 6 months of a long distanced relationship. We had been together in person back home in the UK for roughly 3 and a half years. So at the moment im pretty numb but will use this space going forward! Thanks again.

[tyme]

Yes @Anonymous31 , anytime, we have people on the forums here. We know MH doesn't look at the time and likes to appear whenever. 

Please know we are here to look out for one another, and so glad you have come here today.

I'm sorry to hear about your recent challenges. 

Something that has always kept be going was knowing that the end of one chapter is the beginning of another.

Take care.

Feel free to create your own new thread to detail your journey so members can support you along the way! Yell out if you need help with this!

[Anonymous31]

Thank you!

[tyme]

How's are things today @Anonymous31 @Gwilliam9 ? 

[Ocean4]

Hi - I live in a rural area and I love my lifestyle and my home there but in the past 12 months anxiety has slowly started to take over my life. Some days it’s not an issue other days for reasons that I haven’t been able to work out yet it sends me for a spinner. I’ve tried homeopathy, psychologist (and still searching for a good match) and now I’m seeing a naturopath in the hope that this can be beneficial. Anyway the things I love in life are my family, swimming in the ocean, gardening, reading, puzzles, walking and running (well shuffling is a better description). I’m retired and loving the lifestyle this brings but just want to get back to how I used to feel - or am I stuck with this bastard companion anxiety ? Love to make some new friends here and chat away to keep ourselves motivated ! Have a great day peeps ! 

[tyme]

Hey @Ocean4 ,

Welcome to the forums! Great to have you with us. 

I somehow feel your username here matches your personality? Correct me if I'm wrong - a lover of nature?

I know you mentioned you live rural - is it quite isolated where you are?

I'm sorry anxiety has been creeping up on you. It sounds so hard, especially if you enjoy your lifestyle. Anxiety can really throw a spanner in the works, eh?

I'd love to hear from you again. Something about your post has 'clicked' with me 🙂

See you around!

[nitternatter]

Hi there,

I'm new to the forums but have been doing the SANE guided recovery program which is really helpful. I don't know where to start with my introductions... I've been struggling on and off for the last 10 years. A few hospital admissions (some involuntary and traumatic) and lots of ECT in there and time away from my young family- both for care but also being so mentally unwell and checked out. I think my husband and I are both traumatised- by the system of care and my illness. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue earlier this year as well which hasn't helped things, and I have been off work since August last year due to poor mental health.

I've been doing really well the last 6 weeks which is the longest run I've had probably in the last couple of years. Today I've just woken up feeling awful- teary and anxious and just a bit hopeless. It's probably not helped by the fact that my little one has been really sick this week so no one is sleeping. I don't want to reach out to my psychologist or psychiatrist as I've been doing so well and haven't seen them in the last 4 weeks and I feel like I'd be letting them down. I also feel I'm really privileged to have MH care in a system which I know is so broken. I have found a wonderful team but I'm feeling so disillusioned by the whole thing. I pay over $300 each per 30min session with my psychiatrist and 60min session with my psychologist. And of course there are only 10 sessions for psychologists which get used up by March. I find my resentment here also gets in the way of reaching out. It just reminds me how much I pay and will continue to need to pay to take care of my MH.

I want to work in advocacy to try and change the system- particularly the cost of MH care and the use of ITO whilst giving people dignity- but I don't know where to start, or even if my brain can do it. It feels so broken. I also want to do paid work again but I just can't see how I'm ever going to be well enough for that to happen. I also work as a health professional in mental health so I don't know how I can even go back to meaningful work when the system is so broken, and I feel broken too. 

My mum keeps reminding me it's early days from these last 2 years which have been horrendous (and I have significant gaps in my memory and story which is incredibly unnerving) but for me it feels like this marathon that never ends.

So today I am home caring for a sick 4 year old and just looking for any words of encouragement of advice 🙂

[AuntGlow]

Hello @nitternatter,

A big, warm welcome to the forums! 🤗

We are so glad to hear the guided recovery program has been helpful for you during this more challenging time. It sounds like you've been through so much whilst navigating mental health and support... it truly is a lot for one person to go through. It can be such an exhausting and traumatising process; you are doing so well to manage all of the ups and downs, please know that. 💛

I'm so sorry to hear that today feels heavy for you. Sleep really does impact our mood in such a huge way, so try to keep that in mind and see if you can be extra kind to yourself this afternoon. For example, is there something nourishing or soothing you could do for your mind and body today?

Also, I completely understand your sense of resentment around reaching out, it truly costs so much to take care of ourselves... deciding to reach out here could be a really good way to access support in between sessions. I know things may not feel overly hopeful right now, but I have no doubt our community will be able to remind you of what is possible. Like your desire to work in advocacy? YES! We would love to support you on this journey. 🥰

Lastly, I would like to celebrate how wonderful it is that you have had a more positive 6 weeks overall - this is such a win! What helped to make it feel lighter for you? Can we sit with that for a moment too? 

PS: Sending healing energy your way and hoping your little one feels better soon. 

- Aunt Glow ✨