topic My struggling journey in Depression

My struggling journey

SJ22 — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:23:01 GMT

hello everyone

My name is SJ,I'm 28,I'm single and I'm an overseas trained physio.I come from the middle east and I'm new to this forum.

I like to share my life story since I moved to Australia and how it affected my mental health with you guys.

3 years ago I moved to Australia where most people with medical/para-medical
professional backgrounds(similar to mine) have to go through many many strict,costly,hard and at times painful
filters to be able to work independently in Australia,and physiotherapy is not
an exception.one of the worst feelings in life is moving to a country and not
being able to work(not having your qualification acknowledged)although you are competent enough.

anyways,I started work(supervised work under limited terms)shortly after I got a work visa(I was
sponsored by my employer,which gave them a chance to abuse me even more)shortly
after I arrived,I was then severely abused and neglected at work and I had to change
my job twice in one year.

not hard to imagine,the severe pressures of getting through my professional registration
process,the many problems I faced at work,the cultural shock and difficulties
of settling down in a new country(Australia was the first country after my
hometown that I've lived in)as well as the huge sudden change of my life course:
being alone and all on my own(back in my hometown,I had a huge network of
close friends with whom I used to hang out all the time,whereas in Australia
it's been very hard for me to make new like-minded friends,or have such deep
and real connection with people as I used to have)knocked me down after 1.5
years of non-stop struggle with severe depression,up to a point where I had to be hospitalized for a while.

my whole life was shattered and dark, without the slightest ray of hope for months after this incidence,I had come into this wonderful land in search of a brighter future like many people do,but I was defeated and broken in a way I'd never could have
imagined.I experienced the hardest most painful moments of my life for few months,until I gradually started to recover and
began to get back on my feet.my family was very supportive of me during this
time,though my breakdown came as a shock to them as well.

long story short,I successfully finished my registration process very recently and I'm very proud of myself.

and I've come into terms with myself about my mental and emotional health status,somehow I had to convince myself that the the life I had
before,is gone.

My struggling journey

BballJ — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:35:44 GMT

Hi SJ22,

Fristly, welcome to the forums.

Thank you for sharing your story, I understand it has been a very tough process and adjustment for yourself in moving to a whole new country all on your own, so I applaud you for that cause I don't know if I would of had the courage to do that. I am glad you completed your registration and can work now, and you have every right to be proud of yourself, it's been a tough journey and one you have come out of as succeeded.

Have you settled in a little more now than when you first arrived and have you found a good place to work?

Coming to term and accepting your mental health concerns is the most major step in the recovery process so doing that you are on your way to a happy recovery 🙂

Hopefully you make yourself known in the forums as I think you will have some great advice for people struggling with their mental health and we are all hear to help each other and its completely non-judgemental.

My best for you,

Jay

My struggling journey

SJ22 — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:50:20 GMT

I've recently come into terms with myself about my mental and emotional health status,somehow I had to convince myself that the life I had before,is gone,to a large extent(though it may sound to be sad)and this is the reality for me now,if I want to enjoy it,I need to adapt.I may never get to have a circle of friends with whom I can be my true self or shared so many things,as I used to do,but I've decided perhaps it's time to think that there are other things that can fill that I can do to grow,and also fill that void.

so I'v started to dedicate a lot of time into working on my own mental and emotional status,practice staying positive and avoiding the negative thoughts,discovering new passions/hobbies that I may enjoy,doing the things that I haven't ever had time for,like learning a new language,reading more,meditating,spending quality time with myself and getting to enjoy it for real.

I'm practicing to enjoy the time I have with myself,instead of being afraid of being alone(which I used to be),I'm practicing to embrace it,and I'm becoming better at it.

I'm the most calm and relaxed in the past 3 years,and I can't believe I survived that scary emotional roller coaster.

Even so,I still sometimes get that fear of that unknown future,fear of loneliness and getting hurt,but I try to take it one day at a time,and it seems to be working for me most of the time:)

I've learnt far more about myself and how I should look after myself in the past 2 years, than my whole life before it.

that's true who said:"you'll never be the same person after you come out of the thunderstorm"

My struggling journey

SJ22 — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:55:05 GMT

hello BballJ

thanks for your kind words,I'v got a good job now,and I'm much more aware of my the importance of my mental health than ever.I'v learnt to look after myself more and put my needs first

I found the topics of discussion and advices in this forum very helpful,after all it's a journey we're all going through,regardless of the circumstances,we're all trying our best day and night:)