BB Social Zone

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Big Blue Table - Right here on the Forums!

replies: 8

Hello to our wonderful forums community! We have decided to run an ongoing Big Blue Table thread ‘Forums Edition’ until the end of October! What is a Big Blue Table? Big Blue Table is Beyond Blue's signature event held during October, Mental Health Month. Big Blue Table encourages people host a meal with their friends, family or colleagues while fighting the stigma that surrounds mental health. So why are we running one here? The reason we are doing this is so people have an opportunity to connect with others and have the experience of sharing their thoughts and feelings over a meal, no matter where they are in Australia. We know Mental Health Month can be a vulnerable time for many and believe this thread could be a safe space for people to be heard and learn from others’ experiences. Our community champions will be here to support you along the way, and our moderation team will be around to answer any questions you may have, as well as to ensure the thread remains respectful and safe for everyone. We encourage you to choose from the following questions to start a conversation: What do you do to look after your mental health? Are you comfortable sharing your feelings and emotions? If not, why? What are you passionate about, and why? Who would be your dream Big Blue Table guest, and why? After you have shared your answers, we would love to hear about what you are eating or bringing to the table. You can even tell us a little bit about your setup and what you can see around you to really immerse us into your world. This is your opportunity to be as creative as you’d like! But remember, there is no pressure or ‘right’ response, whatever you bring to the table will be more than enough. We hope this thread allows you to feel connected, supported, and a part of the Big Blue Table initiative. Now… get cooking!

Welcome to the BB Social Zone - guidelines for posting in this section

replies: 0

Hi everyone, This section of the forum is a little different to the others, as you may have noticed in looking around the threads. Elsewhere on the forums, we discuss some pretty heavy topics: mental health issues, thoughts of suicide, trauma, abuse, relationship breakdowns. Here is the place to come to get away from that and have a bit of fun. Distraction can be an important tool to draw on if you're finding yourself overwhelmed by distressing thoughts and feelings. As this is a section for respite from difficult topics, we will remove posts made in this section that attempt to discuss personal issues. Please use a support thread in the appropriate section for these discussions. Happy posting!

The BB cafe

replies: 20591

The BB cafe is open for business! Welcome all to a new chill and chat place for everyone on the forum. The BB cafe is whatever you want it to be. There are comfy sofas, tables and chairs, coffee machines, a kitchen stocked with everything. There's a pool outside, a bbq area, an annexe with comfy beds for a quiet sleep, tv, dvd, books and whatever else you would like to have here. Most of all, it's a place to meet friends and fellow travellers for a bit of company. Talk over problems, tell jokes, share your day, escape into a world of your making. Grab a coffee and pull up a chair ... So, with a nod to the wonderful Carole King (Hard Rock Cafe) ... Now if you're feeling just a little bit lonely Don't sit at home just mopin' Come on down to where the friendship flows freely You know the door is always open At the BB cafe Come to the BB cafe They will help keep your blues at bay At the BB cafe Important Message from ModSupport: The main intention of the BB Cafe is to encourage light conversation. Please look after your fellow community members by nuturing the BB Cafe as a place to escape some of the more pressing issues in life and save those conversations for personal threads.

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Teen travels by foot from Melbourne to Sydney to raise funds for beyondblue

replies: 4

No distance is too great to raise money and awareness for depression and anxiety for 18-year-old Alex Cooke, who is making his way by foot from Melbourne to Sydney to raise money for beyondblue.Alex set off on the hefty 1060km journey from Melbourne’s Federation Square on New Year’s Day. He is running and walking an average 42km a day until he reaches the final stretch near the Sydney Opera House on Australia Day, January 26.Alex said he has seen a number of his friends affected by depression and anxiety, either because they have experienced these conditions personally or one of their family members has, and he wanted to help beyondblue continue supporting people in this position.“It’s been heartbreaking to see some of the best people I know struggle with depression,” Alex said. “I feel very strongly about the work of beyondblue in helping people seek treatment and take back control of their lives.”Alex has been training since October for the journey, spending many hours running the foreshore near his home in Port Melbourne, and says he is up for the challenge. Alex hopes his expedition will help him raise $15,000 for beyondblue.“It’s been amazing how quickly people have jumped in to support me and beyondblue, and it would be great to reach the target,” he said.beyondblue CEO Kate Carnell AO said she is thankful to Alex for going to such lengths to support the important work of the organisation.“It’s inspiring to see a young man willing to pound the pavement for a month to improve the lives of people experiencing depression and anxiety,” she said. “We wish Alex the best of luck for his journey.”For more information or to donate to beyondblue, visit give.everydayhero.com/au/alex-cooke-australia-day-melbourne-to-sydney-hypermarathon-2014

New Years Eve humour

replies: 8

Hi fellow travellers I have brought something amusing into my life today I thought I'd share it with you and perhaps you may be able to do something similar. I have always wanted to be left-handed. I sometimes wonder if my parents forced me into right-handedness? So today I bought a left-handed diary for 2014 and I'm going to write a task for myself to complete each day with my left hand. My left hand doesn't write well at all, but I'm thinking perhaps a little sentence each morning my left handed writing may be legible by next New Years Eve. So I was thinking perhaps you may all have something a little left of centre that has been unfulfilled in your life. Maybe you'd like to join me in 2014 in finding a way to honour the whacky-ness in yourself? I'd love to hear from you my friends Wishing you all well Amamas

well its a new year.

replies: 2

well its a new year. problem is it started like so many others, going out(yes i was weak) got totally wasted and feeling more alone then ever. went and seen my GP today and i am back on my meds so baby steps and i can and will stick to it this time. ... View more

New YearsEve

replies: 7

Going to be home alone for new years tonight. Scared as all hell. Just me, my thoughts, my regrets and my pain. my fears already made me lose the plot yesterday. started a argument with my intetstate partner all over being scared he will go out and have to much fun with his mates at the pub tonight. Gave him absulute ****. cant beleive how much i hurt the one and only true support i have.

heartfelt writing..................

replies: 1

Our voices are not heard. A system in need of an urgent overhaul. For the people now, and for those who will require services in the future. A system supposed to support, which instead turns its consumers to mutes. A system without unified structure. The very same system that passes judgement on an illness already stigmatised by society. How are we supposed to believe in ourselves when the system we have entered, creates non-beneficial views of its consumers? How can we be heard? Where do we turn when we need the extra support and assistance to either overcome or stabilise our illness? Since when did the brain become excluded from our physical being? We are the people with mental illness. If our pharmaceutical treatment was referred to as chemotherapy, would society and the mental health system itself, view us differently? After all, we are taking medication which when broken down, are chemicals; we are indeed undergoing a form of chemotherapy. Just like cancer, mental illness has just as strong probability and potential to kill. I won’t dispute the fact that at times, mental illness is indeed self inflicted by means of drug and or alcohol, abuse. But again, how does this differ from any other illness? We can prevent a lot of cancers, but some of us still choose to smoke, to get sunburnt, and to live sedentary lifestyles. Why is the system that is supposed to support us, lacking in so many ways? Why are the voices of the consumers not heard? Why does our opinion of personal experience within the system not get acknowledged? We are the mentally ill. We are human too, just like those initiating, implementing, and working within the system. Some of those working within the system themselves, do not have an adequate understanding of mental illness. Too many times to remember, I was asked why, when I have a job, a house, and children, am I unwell? And like I would always say – I would trade everything excluding my children to not be suffering within the realms of the illness itself. I, like many others I have met, did not in any way contribute to the “acquisition” of my mental illness. I did not choose to feel the way I felt, or to think the way I thought. Just as a cancer patient did not request a particular type of cancer, or request where and when it would show up next. It is my belief, that the consumers of the public mental health system, do indeed, need to band together to try and initiate change. To be heard. To be allowed to be heard. Is the private mental health sector any different? Well, yes. In some ways it is. For one, it is more aesthetically pleasing to a private inpatient, however, the internals of the system are much the same. Both systems rely heavily on medicating its consumers, which sometimes, I believe quite unnecessary. I ask you, as a fellow member of society – do you require medicating for every emotion, action, or thought that falls outside the realms of the “norm”? If the system cannot build trust within its consumers, then how are the consumers supposed to believe in themselves? Unless you are a person that likes to know the ins and outs and one’s rights within the system, or are actually well enough to do this, then the uppermost practitioners within the system will, and do, take advantage. It is certainly not looked upon favourably if you question the practitioners views or beliefs. Yet again, another example of how the consumers within the mental health system are not heard. If you, a loved one, a friend, a neighbour, a work colleague have ever suffered from a mental illness at one time or another, then please, speak up WITH us. Not just for us. The system needs change to better benefit its consumers, and the more support we have, the greater chance we have of making it happen. Please, help us to be treated as equals.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM QLD

replies: 6

All the best for 2014 guys!! I hope this year is all you hope for and more!! Cheers Amamas

NYE

replies: 2

How do I get through new year's eve? again.?

How Beautiful!!

replies: 1

Fed the dogs and let the chooks out and fed them too. Now looking out the window and watching the resident magpies eating and the resident wild goose and his pal, a wild duck!!! So gorgeous!

Delicious Cheery Ripe Cheesecake Recipe

replies: 6

Hi everyone, I made this beautiful cheesecake last night for today. I just wanted to share the recipe with others in case you would like to make it - yes I know Neil you will !! Base: 250g pkt Choc ripple biscuits 1c desiccated coconut 1/2c sweetened condensed milk 100g melted butter Filling: 4-5 x 65g cherry ripes 1/2c caster sugar 1/2c thickened cream 3 drops pink food colouring 2 x 250g blocks cream cheese at room temp 1 extra cherry ripe for top You need a 20cm spring round tin 1. Crush biscuits 2. In a medium bowl - combine biscuit crumbs, coconut, condensed milk & butter 3. Press mixture firmly onto base and all around the side of tin. Chill for 20 mins until firm 4. In a medium saucepan - melt cherry ripes over low heat. Melt until smooth. Add sugar, cream, food colouring. Stirring over heat until well combined. Let cool down. 5. In a small bowl using electric mixer beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in cooled cherry ripe mixture until combined. 6. Pour mixture into biscuit base. Chill for 3 hours or overnight. Serve topped with chopped extra cherry ripe pieces. Enjoy !!! Jo

Back on the board...

replies: 3

Hi, I am have decided to start posting a few replies on the board but thought I should share a few things... I have been on and off the BB bulletin board for at least 5 years - I would say many more but cant remember exactly when it started. In terms of my metal health history I would say I am a 'recovered borderline' - meaning I had borderline personality disorder but no longer meet the criteria. I also have a history of 10 years of depression and suicidal thoughts/ideation and self harming. I am also currently recovered in this respect for the past 2 years. I have previously been on antidepressants (pretty much tried them all), antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and who knows what else!! For 10 years nothing really worked. I mention all this because I hope that even though I am currently recovered I can give advice to people and they know I have walked that road and understand. Trust me - I haven't forgotten and probably never will. I don't want to because I have learnt a lot from the experience and although I would rather I hadn't been through it I do believe it's made me a better person. Anyway why am I back? ... Truth is I don't know. Sometimes I find myself here. I want to help others but it's also about me. I guess mental illness has been a big part of my life and I am not letting go of that yet. I hope I can help others but first I need to protect myself and hope people understand this. So here are a few things I need to do and reasons I left in the past... - I am very paranoid about my identity. It's irrational. But I feel my friends will come on here and know who I am etc etc. I feel everyone will. So I hope people understand I will sometimes avoid some details that I perceive might identify me! I don't use my real name so it's unlikely but that how my mind works. At least some people here will understand that. - Sometimes I got offended by what others on here said to me. Sometimes this might of been unfounded but it's how it was and I note from peoples posts this happens to other people too. - Sometimes I will recognise it's not healthy for me to be here. This means I will go and take a break. I need to do this for me. I want to be here as my past is important but I cant spend too much time here. This needs to be a very small part of my life so I can continue to move forward. So I wont answer posts for the sake of it. There are so many posts here these days. Sometimes I want to reply to everyone but I am only going to reply where I feel I really have something useful to say. I don't know. This comes across as a bit of a list of rules! You are probably thinking who is this person - we didn't ask her to be here. True you didn't. I chose to be. I just don't want to write a few posts an then upset people on here by not replying or disappearing. Sometimes I will only pop in once a week or less. That's what's ok for me. I know we are all vulnerable. I guess also in the end I have essentially recovered from my illness but I want you to know that I am still vulnerable too! And I guess that's the thing - I know one day I too may be back needing support! Joey

Big Blue Table - Right here on the Forums! replies: 8

Welcome to the BB Social Zone - guidelines for posting in this section replies: 0

The BB cafe replies: 20591

Teen travels by foot from Melbourne to Sydney to raise funds for beyondblue replies: 4

New Years Eve humour replies: 8

well its a new year. replies: 2

New YearsEve replies: 7

heartfelt writing.................. replies: 1

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM QLD replies: 6

NYE replies: 2

How Beautiful!! replies: 1

Delicious Cheery Ripe Cheesecake Recipe replies: 6

Back on the board... replies: 3