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    <title>topic [Constructive title pending...] in Welcome and orientation</title>
    <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534239#M29880</link>
    <description>&lt;P&gt;Hello, &lt;STRONG&gt;james1&lt;/STRONG&gt;. I’m happy to meet you too.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;The funny thing with my mood lately is that I’ve been experiencing moments - brief, wonderful moments - during which I have the clarity and insight to speak up for myself, to share my innermost thoughts and feelings, and (perhaps most importantly) to see myself as a separate being, with the same rights as everyone else, and not as a mere extension or “limb” of my family. Those moments, however, rarely last, and always finish once I am reminded of the futility of my current, increasingly volatile circumstances.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Take yesterday as an example: I woke up feeling worse than I had the night before, something which Dad noticed. I went out, and as often happens when I’m as far away from the cage as possible, the clarity and positive inner voice kicked in, leaving me feeling happy and something akin to self-confident. On my way home, I sorted out a mix-up with my dinner order yesterday, which &lt;EM&gt;itself&lt;/EM&gt; was mixed-up and needed to be corrected, leaving me with a spare meal. I offered it to my father, and he accepted. This was [INSERT NAME] being a “good boy”.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Then, my father made a comment about how I was glum that morning, and I shared my feelings. I explained why I was upset, and as usual I took it too far when I accidentally began to let slip about my long-shelved dreams and ongoing scapegoat complex, and the result was to be expected: verbally abusive retaliation. Dad, voice elevated, swung it around to make it &lt;EM&gt;my&lt;/EM&gt; fault, and spontaneously generated a list of “reasons” as to why he has been unsupportive, and that he will &lt;EM&gt;eventually&lt;/EM&gt; help me.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Then, my selectively sympathetic mother chimed in and blamed &lt;EM&gt;me&lt;/EM&gt; for Dad’s outburst, despite his opening the floodgates of my innermost thoughts and feelings, before giving me the “nippy elbow” (milder version of the classic cold shoulder; responsive, yet obviously ticked-off) as usual. [INSERT NAME] expressing his honest, heart-of-heart emotions? “Bad boy”. A rebel without support.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Right now, I’m conflicted. I have the willingness and drive to leave, but my finances are in shreds (not entirely my fault), my support network is immaterial (&lt;EM&gt;definitely&lt;/EM&gt; not my fault), and every attempt I make to support myself leads right back to square one (I’d rather reach a triangle, as it’d be far more geometrically stable).&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Using the limb analogy, I now see myself as vestigial, and what happens when a vestigial appendage becomes unhealthy? Imbalance. The sooner I escape, the better my family and I will be.&lt;/P&gt;</description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:56:06 GMT</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
    <dc:date>2020-12-15T21:56:06Z</dc:date>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534235#M29876</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;I’ll try to keep this intro as brief as possible...&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Hi! My name is [INSERT NAME], and I have virtually no self-esteem. I look forward to getting to know you so we can share our stories and support each other.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;...okay, perhaps that’s a little TOO succinct. I’ll share a few of the negative lowlights that have led to the empty shell that is [INSERT NAME], and we can go from there (assuming I haven’t yet alienated you):&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;UL&gt;
    &lt;LI&gt;I grew up as (and still am) a societal outcast, with long-term ostracism, bullying and “Are you an alien?” queries since I was eight, when a peer tricked me into yelling out “F***!” in class. CONTEXT: I was testing my spelling skills by requesting words, and one student said, “Spell Eff-Yoo-Cee-Kay”, and I was surprised to hear a word I didn’t yet know, hence my elevated voice and subsequent time-out. Speaking of which...&lt;/LI&gt;
    &lt;LI&gt;Misunderstandings and punishment from teachers made primary school (1996-2000) the worst years of my academia. I later learned I’m on the autism spectrum, but far too late in my formative years... thankfully, I started to leave my shell during secondary school, though a teacher in Year 12 saying I would amount to nothing (a comment I’d received from a different teacher in Year 7), followed soon after by a peer saying to my face that none of the other students actually likes me (I had only “school friends” for a decade and a quarter, and no long-term social network even now, as mentioned above and below), forced me right back in. Speaking of which...&lt;/LI&gt;
    &lt;LI&gt;I’ve recently discovered I’m the scapegoat in my unsupportive family, which started the same year as I started high school, with my diagnosis being used as leverage against me by both parents, and my well-supported brother being abusive throughout puberty. My life is in service to my family’s, and reality forbid me from standing up for myself and my wellbeing without them sweeping over me like a tsunami...&lt;/LI&gt;
&lt;/UL&gt;
&lt;P&gt;In summary: I have no career, no support network, no finances, nowhere to go, nowhere to turn, no means of seeking long-term help and support without my family casting me aside... and no self-esteem. I now know my circumstances are not my doing, and that there’s nothing wrong with me despite what I’ve been taught, yet there is no escape. The family nest is a cage, preventing me from soaring. I just turned 17 for the seventeenth time in a row, and (to quote a relatable song) “all my hope is gone...”&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;And as for my name? I’ll insert it when I know...&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2020 04:50:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534235#M29876</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-14T04:50:19Z</dc:date>
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      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534236#M29877</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hi &lt;STRONG&gt;NobleAlarc32&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Welcome to the forums, it sounds like you have a lot going on, and are in a tough headspace. I'm sorry to hear your family aren't supportive of you as you deserve, and that they don't seem open to the idea of you seeking help. If they aren't open to communicating with you about this and you've done all you can there, I suggest you still seek the help you deserve, perhaps in a private manner. You can reach structured help here; The Beyond Blue Support Service provides advice and support via telephone 24/7 (just call 1300 22 4636), daily web chat (between 3pm–12am) and email (with a response provided within 24 hours). Feel free to keep chatting in this thread as well, we are here to listen to how you are travelling.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Tay100.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt; &lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:27:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534236#M29877</guid>
      <dc:creator>Tay100</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-14T06:27:20Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534237#M29878</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hi, &lt;STRONG&gt;Tay100&lt;/STRONG&gt;, and thank you for your kind suggestion.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I should mention that I’ve already tried seeking support via those means (well, live chat, at least; phone support with anyone is impossible at “home” for obvious reasons; and email support is problematic for other, though not dissimilar reasons), but the best that can be done is to redirect me to various other support services, with each attempt either looping me through the same support channels or shifting me right back to square one.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I know the only way I can start to recover is to remove myself and/or be removed from what is a personally toxic family dynamic, but there is always an excuse for my parents to keep me locked away. My spirit is broken, and my body and mind are starting to follow suit. Right now I feel utterly hopeless, as the closest adnoun to my current state of being is “despair”. The potential is there for me to thrive, but the spark dwindled long ago, and is all but extinguished in light of my recent epiphany.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I’m so used to rejection that it’s all that ever seems possible, and despite my mindset of “not yet an adult”, I am well beyond the point during which those lifelong social connections naturally form (approximately 25 years of age, give-or-take). And the few occasions in which anyone has taken notice of my aspirations has led to the same result: quartahedri &lt;I&gt;ad-&lt;/I&gt;unum (lit. “square one” in the custom language of my works of fiction).&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;It may sound like a cheesy pun, but I am literally “beyond blue”, at least in terms of the societal perception of colours assigned to moods. In a few of my fictional settings, blue symbolises, amongst other things, “creativity”, and as I identify as a blue wavelength in that context, it pretty much fits me into the “lonely artist” archetype.&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2020 02:17:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534237#M29878</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-15T02:17:47Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534238#M29879</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hello NobleAlarc32,&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Welcome and I am happy to meet you. I'm sorry to hear about the challenges you've faced growing up and continue to face now - it sounds really tough and I really hope we can help you here.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I understand you've felt a little bit like you're doing the rounds with the various support services - perhaps you've not been able to connect with the right people or it's not quite what you're looking for. From what you've said, it sounds like you feel really removed from society and from everyone else, and I can understand that some of the support services can feel even more alienating or just otherwise unhelpful, when you are feeling so hopeless and trapped.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I'd like to keep talking to you here, but I also wanted to make a brief suggestion about visiting the social zone of these forums. I find that, often, 'professional help' is of no use if I'm not really in a position to be receptive. Instead, a tiny bit of social interaction can really help give me some sense of hope or at least energy, even if that interaction is as simple as saying hello to a barista or someone at the checkout. I like to think that our social zone here can fulfil the same purpose with its little game-y threads.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;What do you think?&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;James&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2020 11:28:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534238#M29879</guid>
      <dc:creator>james1</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-15T11:28:23Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534239#M29880</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hello, &lt;STRONG&gt;james1&lt;/STRONG&gt;. I’m happy to meet you too.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;The funny thing with my mood lately is that I’ve been experiencing moments - brief, wonderful moments - during which I have the clarity and insight to speak up for myself, to share my innermost thoughts and feelings, and (perhaps most importantly) to see myself as a separate being, with the same rights as everyone else, and not as a mere extension or “limb” of my family. Those moments, however, rarely last, and always finish once I am reminded of the futility of my current, increasingly volatile circumstances.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Take yesterday as an example: I woke up feeling worse than I had the night before, something which Dad noticed. I went out, and as often happens when I’m as far away from the cage as possible, the clarity and positive inner voice kicked in, leaving me feeling happy and something akin to self-confident. On my way home, I sorted out a mix-up with my dinner order yesterday, which &lt;EM&gt;itself&lt;/EM&gt; was mixed-up and needed to be corrected, leaving me with a spare meal. I offered it to my father, and he accepted. This was [INSERT NAME] being a “good boy”.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Then, my father made a comment about how I was glum that morning, and I shared my feelings. I explained why I was upset, and as usual I took it too far when I accidentally began to let slip about my long-shelved dreams and ongoing scapegoat complex, and the result was to be expected: verbally abusive retaliation. Dad, voice elevated, swung it around to make it &lt;EM&gt;my&lt;/EM&gt; fault, and spontaneously generated a list of “reasons” as to why he has been unsupportive, and that he will &lt;EM&gt;eventually&lt;/EM&gt; help me.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Then, my selectively sympathetic mother chimed in and blamed &lt;EM&gt;me&lt;/EM&gt; for Dad’s outburst, despite his opening the floodgates of my innermost thoughts and feelings, before giving me the “nippy elbow” (milder version of the classic cold shoulder; responsive, yet obviously ticked-off) as usual. [INSERT NAME] expressing his honest, heart-of-heart emotions? “Bad boy”. A rebel without support.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Right now, I’m conflicted. I have the willingness and drive to leave, but my finances are in shreds (not entirely my fault), my support network is immaterial (&lt;EM&gt;definitely&lt;/EM&gt; not my fault), and every attempt I make to support myself leads right back to square one (I’d rather reach a triangle, as it’d be far more geometrically stable).&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Using the limb analogy, I now see myself as vestigial, and what happens when a vestigial appendage becomes unhealthy? Imbalance. The sooner I escape, the better my family and I will be.&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 15 Dec 2020 21:56:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534239#M29880</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-15T21:56:06Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534240#M29881</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;Hi &lt;STRONG&gt;NobleAlarc32&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I see; I guess it's important not to put to much pressure on yourself to seek services then, if it's hard to access at home/in close proximity to your family. Perhaps to build some resilience whilst you are with them, you could access some self-help books? And definitely keep chatting on the forums as well. People brainstorm excellent coping mechanisms for similar situations all the time. In fact, this thread may be useful, see how you find it; &lt;A href="https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/treatments-health-professionals-and-therapies"&gt;https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/treatments-health-professionals-and-therapies&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Tay100&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2020 01:56:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534240#M29881</guid>
      <dc:creator>Tay100</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-20T01:56:31Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534241#M29882</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Honestly, at this point any barriers and defences I have are failing one-by-one. Scapegoats are usually the most strongly-minded members of the family, but even the tallest of mountains is no match for even a trickling stream if it flows through for long enough.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Here’s another analogy: What happens to a river when its banks weaken? If said banks are sturdy, the river flows freely, undisturbed, uninterrupted, and perhaps beautiful to observe, as with many things of the natural world. Tamper with the soil and vegetation on either or both sides too much, too often, and... well, you get the idea. Banks burst, river deluges, messes happen... not a fun time for anyone, least of all the river.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;Water is calm, water is patient, but like any other force of nature, water is strong. Those who mistake the river as fair and forgiving, tranquil and peaceful at all times, may discover that there is always a waterfall up ahead, cascading into a steep descent. If things somehow work out, streaks of colour fill the spray as they refract through the tiny droplets, a reminder that water can be beautiful, even if its now-obvious, distress-fuelled reaction says otherwise.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;My personal banks are ready to burst. I’ve been poked and prodded, uprooted on more than one occasion, left to flow freely along my assigned course, before my banks are trampled yet again. The Ancient Greek letter Delta symbolises transition, change, metamorphosis, and it is the term used to describe the point at which the river meets, and flows into, the sea. A narrow, directional flow of water transitions into a wider, deeper and freer form.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;That is the point I’ve reached: my Delta. My metamorphosis. I’m so close to the transition I need, but without the support I need, the banks are fit to burst before I even reach that widening triangle into the infinite spans of the oceans. Once a riverbank starts to crumble there is almost no way to fully repair the damage before the waters start to spill, at which point no sandbag can prevent the deluge.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt; &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;I’ve tried for months to get my life on track (alone), but 2020 has been a torrent of a year, and the banks are starting to break. When even support agencies have waiting lists or are forced to turn you away... well, the sting of my tears is painful enough, and perhaps a far more accurate analogy. One of my streams reaches the point of my chin, while the other becomes trapped on my cheek, interrupted.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;My life has become a waking nightmare... oops, wrong analogy.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2020 22:10:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534241#M29882</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-21T22:10:14Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534242#M29883</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;I apologise for the long-winded, unclear reply. I guess I should simplify: no method of coping or self-assurance will work from this point onward. I am in an environment and lifestyle that is unquestionably the source of my current state of being, and as this stranglehold continues to tighten, it has become increasingly difficult to find any positive.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;And I’m not joking about the stranglehold, either. Over the past however many years, I have missed out on and lost so much, the most recent of which is no electricity in the closest thing to my own space: my bedroom, aka “solitary without parole”, “literal physical purgatory”, “eternal waking nightmare”, etc.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Between my father using me as a financial resource, leading to a destroyed credit rating; my mother asking me to run errands for her, then verbally exploding because of one tiny, inconsequential “mistake” that defies her perfect vision; and so many people just staring at me, avoiding me, mocking me, etc., simply because I wander this world alone... I’ve given up on ever being free from this very personal torment.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;I’m done. I exist, but it’s all I’ve ever been permitted to do. The hardships I’ve faced have left WAY too much damage to be fixed overnight, short of a sudden, positive moment that gets me out of the family cage and on the road to recovery, and actually LIVING. Those brief moments when I am actually able to go out, cash in hand, free from any immediate obligation or commitment to my family... those are the brief, ever-dwindling moments during which I feel alive, free, happy. And they, too, are a form of torture: just as I feel something akin to “things going my way”... SPLAT! “screw u lol” to the face.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;I press onward, but I only ever expect the worst to occur. Despair is... well, it sucks. I miss hope. I miss dignity, support, validation, blah blah blah, yada yada... I need to escape, and soon. I’m sick of taking the blame for the actions of others and believing myself responsible. This needs to stop, and I need to heal. Otherwise... I may never sufficiently recover. Age is, after all, more ravaging and restrictive than any worldly ailment, and I’m well past my prime.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;I’ve missed out on so much, and I continue to lose basic rights as an adult, AND as a human. I’m even losing sleep due in part to ever-restricted TV privileges. I’m wasting away to nothing, but no-one cares enough to help me...&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;If a spirit breaks in a room in the rear end of a cage, does it make a whimper?&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2020 00:35:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534242#M29883</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-22T00:35:19Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534243#M29884</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hi&lt;STRONG&gt; NobleAlarc32&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;My goodness, thank you for continuing to share your story, and for your bravery. Being vulnerable and elaborating on your pain or circumstance is never easy- it takes time, labour, and introspection. And whilst articulating and addressing our problems or where we are "at" in life can be cathartic in and of itself, those problems still remain and are existence is still as it was. But voicing things can lay a foundation for hope, growth and change. Has voicing this provided you with some clarity as to what barriers prevent you from receiving help? You mention your family, for example, amongst other things.  Even if these barriers seem insurmountable right now, recognising them for what they are takes skill, I think. &lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;The electricity thing in your bedroom, must be frustrating- has the power come back on now? &lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Feel free to continue to use this thread to have your voice be heard.&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;
Tay100&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2020 02:07:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534243#M29884</guid>
      <dc:creator>Tay100</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-22T02:07:51Z</dc:date>
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    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534244#M29885</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hi NobleAlarc32,&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;So sorry about my delayed reply. Christmas can be a tough time of the year for me and I needed to take some time to myself. But I am glad that you've been able to keep writing here.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I can see that you feel like the circumstances you are in, living at home with your parents, is really problematic and you don't feel like you can get out of this stranglehold while you're still at home. I certainly can't claim to know, but it sounds like you might be on the right track with that. It can be really hard to create a shift in our long term mental state, when our day to day lives are just so fraught. It can feel a lot like you're constantly trying to catch up to a good place, but only catching brief glimpses of it. Still, if we don't have the means to change our day to day lives, I hope doing something like this and posting about your life can make it more bearable, even if temporarily.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;You asked if a spirit breaks in the rear of a cage, does it whimper? I don't know, but I can certainly hear you loud and clear here.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;James&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2020 07:22:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534244#M29885</guid>
      <dc:creator>james1</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-23T07:22:00Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534245#M29886</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;My family (to be specific, my parents) is most definitely a barrier, and in fact seems to be the sole, monolithic obstacle I need to clear before I stop degenerating and start to improve. The electricity thing is an unfortunate, painfully ironic reminder of said stranglehold: our house has been having electricity-based issues lately, with the main source of our recent power failures being located in my bedroom. As long as my power point remains switched off at all times, the other outlets in the house are spared, meaning I go without, as usual...&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;Also, for years now, the ceiling fan in my bedroom has malfunctioned: the median [“2”] setting is barely equivalent to the lowest [“1”], and the highest [“3”] setting spins far too rapidly, at least three times that of the median, and shakes violently, forcing me to keep it at a now-insufficient setting for an already debilitating subtropical climate.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;And the cherry on the cake? My bedroom ceiling’s light globes tend to blow at a rate that far exceeds those of the rest of the house. The current one lasted far longer than others in recent memory, leading to a mini-complacency in which I forgot all about it. Last night, said bulb blew as I was getting ready to go to bed... my splintering, uncomfortable, sheets-unwashed-in-countless-months, could-collapse-at-any-moment, adjacent-to-airborne-particle-pocket, bed. No wonder I haven’t had a decent nights’ sleep in what feels like eons...&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2020 22:35:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534245#M29886</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-23T22:35:18Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534246#M29887</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;This Christmas is especially stressful, and not entirely for the same reasons as the present norm. Over the past eighteen months, I’ve come to realise I’ve been supporting two people who are far less supportive of their eldest child than I’d even suspected in the three decades prior. Of all the times of year for me to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown... why does it have to be the festive season?&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;My father has become increasingly anti-humanitarian over the past five years, as he continues to lash out at the world and everyone in it as a means to blame something for the troubles he’s faced. His pre-existing “casually racist/chauvinist/hateful” tendencies continue to escalate, ranging from shocking, prejudicial comments about people from a given culture or who observe a given faith (not individuals, but &lt;STRONG&gt;whole cultural collectives&lt;/STRONG&gt;); to making abusive, f-bomb fuelled, semi-hypocritical comments about others who don’t “obey the rules” (minor road infractions, brief lapse in social distancing protocols, etc.).&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;These comments are never to the faces of such “transgressors”, but no such “courtesies” are made with making them “in private”, in the company of his “nearest and dearest”, and he couldn’t care less about making such hurtful comments around us, even though he knows how gut-wrenching it is for me in particular to hear such slander. I keep an open mind about everyone and believe in others being given a fair go, no matter their background or history, and I see every other mind as equal and on the same ground, no matter how they appear. I don’t see such restrictive confines as creed, or faith, or even species... I simply see other minds. Beautiful, amazing, weird and wonderful souls, each deserving of respect, love, and support.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;Dad’s anti-humanitarian slander is extremely hurtful, as I actively look for the good in others, yet I see less and less good in him with each passing day. My hope in escaping from this nightmare scenario is barely a flicker at the far recesses of my mind, in an eerie analogue to the bedroom in my parents’ rental unit I call my own. My mind is on the verge of collapse, and my usual coping mechanisms are being gradually taken piece by piece.&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt; &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;I’m so tired... so very tired... waiting for an escape that seems never to come... waiting to live as I continue to remain on pause... forced to endure abuse that is meant for others... please, universe, I’m no good to anyone here... please, just let me be...&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2020 23:04:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534246#M29887</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-23T23:04:34Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534247#M29888</link>
      <description>Hi. I have read a fair bit of your story going backwards - small possiblity I missed a post! But from what I have read it sounds as though you do everything for your parents and put yourself last. I think you love your parents and want to make sure they are looked after but not at the expense of your mental health and everything else. 
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;I am going to throw out some ideas to think about ...
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;My psychologist and I have talking about things like boundaries and rocking the boat, talking to family etc.  Thing is... I am a people pleaser. That's good and bad. So to maintain my sanity (?) I had to put in place some boundaries for myself. The rocking the boat idea is related to being assertive, standing up for myself and see what happens! In talking using "I" when talking about the effects of others behaviours. I am still working on all of this.
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;I think you mentioned being in a toxic environment.
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;Do you think that relations could get better between you and your parents? 
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;Have you talked to others about this and their reactions?
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;What do you think is best for you?
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;Somewhat rhetorical questions though I would be interested in your thoughts.
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;Peace, Tim</description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 00:39:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534247#M29888</guid>
      <dc:creator>smallwolf</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-24T00:39:07Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534248#M29889</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;I’ll address your queries individually:&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Since beginning my journey of self-insight, I’ve been testing my perceived limitations bit by bit, including taking steps to be more assertive (though I still worry about unintentionally taking things too far), and it works far more often than I’d initially expected, though I still have a LONG way to go... &lt;span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":grinning_face_with_sweat:"&gt;😅&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Regarding my relationship with my parents, the only way it can stabilise is if I leave, with or without their help and support. After years of watching as Mum and Dad have helped my brother move no less than three times (with the fourth coming up very soon), travelling interstate to support him through his sports career, providing him with funds whenever and wherever he needs it... and years of threats from Mum if I so much as mention the idea of leaving the cage (“If you do this, you’re ON YOUR OWN!”), receiving minimal help from Dad every time I try to get into yet another failed hobby or lifestyle decision, being financially neglected and manipulated in more ways than can be mentioned here...&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I feel like an orphan within my own family. A red-haired distant cousin. A monster. I’ve been supporting the wrong people for far too long, and I hate it. And now I’m trapped in every way possible. I’m not an adult... I’m still a teenager, forced to remain in a perpetual and unfair “our roof, our rules” policy. My physical health is starting to deteriorate as a result, and I’m facing the very real possibility of an anxiety breakdown after years of being “in the clear”... I’m still waiting for my proverbial “knight in shining armour” to come to my rescue, but I’ve given up on any possibility of their existence... 🥺&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;The fact that it took me so long to figure out my orientation (or, rather, my lack thereof) speaks volumes about my long-denied support network... social circle... whatever you’d call it. Red hair, fair skin, no friends... I’m a freaking stereotype. And I’ve lost the spark of life... my dreams are as boring and mundane as they come, which only makes me feel worse... &lt;span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":loudly_crying_face:"&gt;😭&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 26 Dec 2020 10:48:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534248#M29889</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-26T10:48:44Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534249#M29890</link>
      <description>Do you want to tell me about some of your failed hobbies? 
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;Is it possible you tried it and found it was not to your liking?
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;Perhaps a little story... In my youth I listened to the wrong music and played with computers. In these years I also got my hair permed. It was a once off thing. Dad hit the roof. I didn't get it removed either.
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;Fast forward to now... I was speaking with someone about myself and told them the story about my perm. Of course there was a little laugh. But the person I was speaking to said that by keeping it I remained true to myself. There were some other positives she mentioned.
&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;You might be a "different", not confirming but that's ok. You have a lot to give. 
&lt;BR /&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 26 Dec 2020 12:24:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534249#M29890</guid>
      <dc:creator>smallwolf</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-26T12:24:18Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534250#M29891</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hi NobleAlarc32,&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Living in these conditions must be frustrating, and we hear your pain. I wonder if there was an advocacy group you could reach out too? Like a support group perhaps run by a local council? They are often free or very cheap. It might be a good way to build up a base of support since you have said your family aren't giving you the attention and consideration you deserve right now. How would looking into something like that sound?&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Tay100&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2020 02:17:50 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534250#M29891</guid>
      <dc:creator>Tay100</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-28T02:17:50Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534251#M29892</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;I’ve actually looked into a few outreach programmes, though in every case I need to be placed on a waiting list that is far too long to meet my personal needs for one reason or another. One such programme operates within my current city of residence, and I have already been placed on the waiting list, though I will most likely have moved interstate by then, and thus will need to restart the process, meaning an even longer wait before coming off the waiting list...&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I’d applied for an interview with another, far more effective outreach programme with a significantly shorter waiting list, and after sharing my story in detail they had pre-approved me for a phone consultation later that week; however, said appointment needed to be conducted in absolute privacy, meaning I wasn’t allowed to do it in the same place as my parents, and was required to find someplace private (easier said than done, considering the circumstances), and I marked my calendar with the date and time, ready for my appointment. It was actually happening... I was going to be released from my cage!&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Cue the day before my consultation, and as usual something went wrong: my appointment was cancelled because I had failed to respond to a text asking if I was still able to attend. Confused, I went through my messages, and sure enough there was a text sent earlier that week requesting a response. I was invited to book another appointment, but considering a) how difficult it was to book an appointment the first time; b) the fact that I’d screwed up AGAIN; and c) the fact that I’d screwed up trying to better my circumstances and gotten so close...&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Needless to say, when one is rejected from a support agency of any kind due to actions (or lack thereof) that are essentially one’s own fault, it leaves one feeling discouraged from starting the whole process all over again, and becomes a trigger for the reasons why one sought such help in the first place. I tried to get help. I managed to somehow screw it up. Repeatedly. My circumstances are so far beyond my control that I may as well spend countless hours looking for and catching a shiny Chansey in the Safari Zone in Pokémon FireRed or LeafGreen.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Anyone who gets that analogy... well, it’s nice to see a fellow fan on these forums. And at least I can finish a negative crybaby rant on a positive-ish note, I guess...? &lt;span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":grinning_face_with_sweat:"&gt;😅&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2020 22:08:09 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534251#M29892</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-29T22:08:09Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534252#M29893</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;It’s pointless for me to specify or single out any of them as unique, as the story is always the same:&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;I am interested in [activity]. I ask Dad to help me [do activity]. If he agrees, [do activity].&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Dad helps me get started with [activity], then leaves me in the lurch, not even mentioning it again. I am still required to reimburse Dad for his helping me with [activity], even if it never got anywhere.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;If I bring it up later, Dad thinks of a variation of the same on-the-spot excuse he used to explain ditching me with [prior activity]. &lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;Some examples include:&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;UL&gt;
    &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;Seeking to get my first novel published after years of waiting, taking me to my initial appointment to discuss fees and the like, stating that he will help me get this thing published, then unceremoniously abandoning the idea and not mentioning it again (he also started proof-reading it, but stopped partway through, and has since read many novels by other authors, inventing “justified” excuses)&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;
&lt;/UL&gt;
&lt;UL&gt;
    &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;Starting an open water dive course after decades of waiting, and agreeing to help with funding and gear, before ditching me after finding out the cost of initial investment and the instructors advising against secondhand/used dive gear, meaning I’ve only done a single Discover Scuba session; I also have a pair of unused fins I can’t use, which he said he would help me sell (three guesses how THAT turned out)&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;
&lt;/UL&gt;
&lt;UL&gt;
    &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;Promising to buy me a toy I’d found from my favourite television series as a spur-of-the-moment gift, before suddenly going back on his word and singling out a selection of basic budget toys intended for preschoolers instead, yet still buying my brother the toy of his choice (I was seven at the time, and precocious enough to recognise it as wrong, unkind, and manipulative, which was confirmed by my mother’s less-than-impressed reaction... in retrospect that should’ve been the first obvious sign)&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;
&lt;/UL&gt;
&lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="font-size: inherit; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;"&gt;The cruellest part? Anything and everything my brother needs, he gets, no strings attached, no questions asked, and no expectation of immediate reimbursement. Flight tickets for travel to sports tournaments, training centres and gear warehouses, both within Australia and overseas; help with rental deposits, bill payments, tuition fees, vehicle maintenance, recreational activities, etc.; multiple cars since receiving his driver’s licence (not help with buying these cars, but paying the lion’s share of the requested prices)... and my parents wonder why I feel like an outsider even within this twisted family dynamic... &lt;span class="lia-unicode-emoji" title=":loudly_crying_face:"&gt;😭&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2020 22:45:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534252#M29893</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2020-12-29T22:45:03Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534253#M29894</link>
      <description>&lt;P&gt;Hi &lt;STRONG&gt;NobleAlarc32&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Sigh, it can be really hard when we try our best to reach out, and then things fall through before we know it or because of things we can't control or we miss something we were supposed to respond too. It can be really disheartening because as you say,  as the process is hard and so is being vulnerable enough to try something new in the first place. I encourage you to try with that agency again if you feel up to it- maybe get them to call and text you this time? Or even email- that way all bases are covered. And did you find a place that is private for the interview too?&lt;BR /&gt;
&lt;BR /&gt;
Tay100&lt;/P&gt;</description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 03 Jan 2021 04:14:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534253#M29894</guid>
      <dc:creator>Tay100</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2021-01-03T04:14:52Z</dc:date>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Constructive title pending...]</title>
      <link>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534254#M29895</link>
      <description>No... I don’t think that’s possible... it is too late... 🥺</description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 04 Jan 2021 22:45:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/welcome-and-orientation/constructive-title-pending/m-p/534254#M29895</guid>
      <dc:creator>NobleAlarc32</dc:creator>
      <dc:date>2021-01-04T22:45:43Z</dc:date>
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