topic Hi, New here in Welcome and orientation

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 13:00:21 GMT

Hi, I have been living with Schizoaffective Disorder for about 23 years and have had different diagnoses over that time but Schizoaffective has been the most permanent one. I am a solitary, introverted person with sensory problems so I find interacting with people difficult, just because I become so mentally exhausted and then need to be alone to recharge. My family(Mum, Dad, siblings), are really supportive and understanding of me and my illness. I pretty much manage my illness myself and am currently in the middle of researching to find a new psychiatrist. I have trouble with hallucinations but I am able to manage these to a large extent.

I find engaging in activities that feel good are pretty key when it comes to staying well. I make art, I really enjoy gardening and my pets, and I like going for really long walks. I have little nieces and a nephew and they are just amazing and so much fun to spend time with.

Well I guess that’s it for now😊

Hi, New here

Tess2 — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 16:13:07 GMT

Welcome Thinkingalot,

you seem to be very self aware and to have a supportive and understanding family is great. You also value feeling well and know what helps you there.

You will find this a supportive environment and will be welcomed by others .

tess

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 19:06:40 GMT

Hi Tess2

Thanks so much for the welcome. I try to be self aware but am sometimes not that successful Lol.

ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

baet123 — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:51:17 GMT

Hey ThinkAlot,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for posting.

Nice to meet you, I'm Nick! It is great to have you here and thank you for sharing your story with us and being extremely honest. I can tell that your a brave, resilient and courageous person and these are amazing qualities you possess.

I think at times we all find interacting with people difficult and mentally exhausting. I think its great that you are aware of your feelings and emotions. There isn't anything wrong with needing to be alone to recharge so don't be to hard on yourself.

It is amazing that you have a great support network around you and that you are actively seeking treatment and managing your condition well! Awesome stuff!

I wish you luck in your search to find a new psychiatrist. I think the success of therapy and treatment is extremely dependent on the client/professional relationship and I hope your new psychiatrist will suit you!

What type of art do you create? I would love to create art but I don't have one artistic bone in my body, unfortunately 😄

Art, gardening, going for walks, getting sunlight and playing with your pets are great self-care techniques!

It was great meeting you and look forward to seeing you around.

All the best,

Nick.

Hi, New here

Burdy — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 22:06:10 GMT

Hello and a warm welcome ThinkingAlot!

So glad to hear you have a loving and understanding family, so important to have a good support network.

You sound very self aware and a positive attitude to staying well - that's great!

I hope you find a psychiatrist to fit you very soon, I am currently looking for a psychologist who fits the bill for me so know it is sometimes hard and important you have the right person with the right skills.

Again welcome, as Tess said this is a wonderful safe place to share or off load full of beautiful understanding people willing to listen. I have only been here a week or so myself and already feel very comfortable here.

Hope to see you around the forums 🙂

Burdy

Hi, New here

Doolhof — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 22:22:28 GMT

Hi ThinkingAlot,

I too welcome you to the community here and would like to thank you for such a wonderful, honest and upbeat post!

Thanks for sharing what helps you. I too enjoy being creative, it helps me relax, even if it is just colouring a picture or splashing some paint around creating colour.

One thing I have realised is that my art does not have to be perfect, it is something I enjoy, that is the main point to it.

Sounds like you have some great strategies for coping. There are some days when it is harder to engage in these activities than other days, that is when I might just sit in the garden and listen to the birds instead of being more active.

Cheers to you and thanks again for sharing! From Dools

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 02:27:35 GMT

Hi Nick,

Thank you for the welcome, yes I try to manage my illness as best as I can, although sometimes I don’t have as much control over it as I want to.

As for my art, people say it reminds them of children’s book illustrations, except my illustrations are for adults.

ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 02:36:23 GMT

Hi Burdy,

Thank you for the welcome, yes this forum is a really nice, supportive place. I don’t really talk about my mental illness much in my every day life so being here might be a welcome change.

ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 02:56:59 GMT

Hi Doolhof,

Thank you for the welcome and positive message. There were some awful things that happened around me in my late twenties that made me realise that life is very short and I felt I had to stop wallowing in my misery and change my attitude. I have had a lot of different therapies and doctors which has helped me a lot. Sometimes my psychotic symptoms are really unbearable and I have to give myself a break, which I think is self care and self soothing. It’s great that you can do art as well, yes I too just like to sit in the garden when I’m not feeling great.

ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

Birdy77 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 03:31:51 GMT

Dear ThinkingAlot,

I'd like to add my hello and welcome to the other caring people you've met.

I'm glad you're here and hope it is easing for you to offload some of your worries here.

I too love gardening, and my pets, and find solace in my art ... I love your profile picture, I feel like it has a lot of emotion in it. I like the subdued colours and the background.

Is that one of your artworks?

🌻birdy

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 03:46:56 GMT

Hi Birdy77,

Thank you so much for your welcome message. Yes this is one of my artworks, it’s about self care and rest. It’s so great that you enjoy making art too, I find it really healing sometimes.

ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

Doolhof — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 03:53:23 GMT

Hi Again,

Your art work is amazing! Just wanted to mention that. Well done to birdy for asking if it was a piece of yours.

Cheers again from Dools

Hi, New here

Burdy — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 05:52:10 GMT

Yes I love that piece, it resonates with me - I have an autoimmune disease and get tired quickly, it reminds my of my afternoon naps with my cat, she always joins me and keeps me company when I'm sick.

Wish I could do art, I'm still in the stick man stage lol. Same with gardening, I enjoy a beautiful garden but my family jokes how I even manage to kill cactus.

Thank you for sharing a piece of your art here with us.

Burdy

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 09:39:33 GMT

Hi Doolhof

Thank you, I’ve been making art for a long time now and have had some success with it but I think I prefer making art as a hobby as it is much more enjoyable and less stress if I make it just for myself.

ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 09:48:32 GMT

Hi Burdy

Yes, cats are such a great comfort, I can relate to that, I feel like my cat can tell when I’m not going very well. Also I think anyone can learn how to draw and make art as it is just a skill like reading and writing. Most people love making art as children and then are intimidated and stop when they get to their teenage years which is really sad. There are people who would disagree with me but I really believe it can be taught to anyone.

ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

Burdy — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 10:44:59 GMT

Thank you ThinkinAlot and you re not the first person I heard say that.

When I was working I helped a work colleague in an art program she ran, I liked it and gave me a chance to play around with a few different mediums, I quite enjoyed mosaics and could get lost in a piece for hours.

I can certainly see the therapeutic benefits of art.

I use music in the same way I guess, I play guitar and find it helps to quiet the noise (ironic ey?)

Burdy

Hi, New here

Guest6274 — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 11:07:47 GMT

Hi Burdy

Yes, I think that is what I love about making art, is that I get lost in what I am doing and don’t notice the time passing, it’s like I go somewhere else for a while.

It’s so great you can play an instrument, I can’t play anything Lol. I never was really able to understand how to play music, even on a keyboard. I really love music though. Maybe it’s a bit like making art and can take you somewhere else for a while?

cheers ThinkingAlot

Hi, New here

Burdy — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 22:00:11 GMT

Yes that's it, it's like an escape. I can pick up my guitar in a room full of people talking and completely zone out and silence my mind.

And just like art, can be learnt by anyone. I guess its finding the medium that suits you, for example I have tried a few different instruments but some I just can not grasp like drums I felt very uncoordinated lol

Burdy