Staying well

Learning to be honest with my self

replies: 1

I like drinking but it's affecting my relationships with family. It's a selfish thing. I keep losing my phone, wallet and keys every month or so. I know I should stop but I don't really want to. I think I may be covering pain with alcohol. View more

I like drinking but it's affecting my relationships with family. It's a selfish thing. I keep losing my phone, wallet and keys every month or so. I know I should stop but I don't really want to. I think I may be covering pain with alcohol.

Too skinny

replies: 1

I don’t know what to do, my sister growing up was always over weight and over recent years she has lost a lot and was loving how she looked, but in recent times her weight has dropped so much that it’s starting to scare me. She is very unhealthy, loo... View more

I don’t know what to do, my sister growing up was always over weight and over recent years she has lost a lot and was loving how she looked, but in recent times her weight has dropped so much that it’s starting to scare me. She is very unhealthy, looks like skin and bones but in her mind she still feels fat and panicks whenever she puts on any weight. I have spoken with her and tried to be as honest and open as I can be but I don’t know how to support her, I don’t know what to do next to actually get her the help that she needs, financially neither of us have a great deal of money either. If any one could tell me what worked for them or any resources I could use it would be much appreciated.

Staying/Getting/Doing Well – Moving goalposts or fixed target?

replies: 1322

Hi, this is my first post, though I have been reading the forums for some weeks. I’m probably expressing myself badly when I say that I have found reading about other people’s journeys reassuring. Finding a community of people who “get it” even when ... View more

Hi, this is my first post, though I have been reading the forums for some weeks. I’m probably expressing myself badly when I say that I have found reading about other people’s journeys reassuring. Finding a community of people who “get it” even when they have a wide variety of experiences and lives lived is not something I thought I would ever find. Though people talk about getting well & there is a section Staying Well, I’m curious as to what this actually means to other people and how they manage their expectations. I noticed some people refer to being well as ‘being like themselves before they got ill’, whilst others don’t express an exact aim. My idea of being well has changed over the years. I was first diagnosed as an 8 year old child back in the late sixties. The doctors told Mum that the voices in my head & the sudden crying bouts were because I suffered from ‘nerves’ & I was given meds to calm me. Of course such things were not discussed back then & I was told not to talk about it to anyone, not my school friends nor siblings, just Mum. For decades after my idea of being well simply meant being able to hide my illness from others. A number of events in my life caused my illness to worsen, until some years ago I became so ill I needed to be hospitalised for my own safety. This lead to my current diagnosis of Major Depression, Anxiety & PTSD. I’m no longer in that dark place, but each day is still a battle (though I can now believe in a future). For now only my siblings & one friend know about my illness, though some things they still don’t know. So, what does ‘being well’ mean to me, it is ever moving goalposts. If you had asked me 5 years ago would I be as well as I am now I would have thought it impossible as I couldn’t envision a future. If you had asked me last week (during one of my down periods) I would have said my progress was all an illusion & I was fooling myself that things can get better. For now my idea of being well is being able to believe that things can change for the better, that I will one day be able to manage the everyday things like housework, caring for myself & caring for my dog & maybe, just maybe I will even be able to enjoy myself. Paw Prints **I took the tip to give myself time to write my post by writing on a word doc & then paste it.

Three things to be thankful for today

replies: 4888

Some days it is really hard to find anything to be thankful for when we feel overcome by the darkness and fog of depression. If I look hard enough, I can find something to be thankful for. I would like to encourage others to write down three things t... View more

Some days it is really hard to find anything to be thankful for when we feel overcome by the darkness and fog of depression. If I look hard enough, I can find something to be thankful for. I would like to encourage others to write down three things they are thankful for, and to realise there is a sense of hope available to us all. Sometimes it is just a little hard to find! So my three things for today are: 1: The lovely singing of birds in the morning as they welcome in the new day 2: The ability to read and write 3: A lovely hot shower. Wishing all the "family" in BB Land a day full of noticing the nice things in life. Kind regards to you all, from Dools.

Shift worker

replies: 4

Hi, I'm a shift worker.My work is a correctional officer, so my day is feeled with negativity between inmates and officers.I have worked there 6 years and have no friends at work and I have no friends outside of work. My days off are during the week ... View more

Hi, I'm a shift worker.My work is a correctional officer, so my day is feeled with negativity between inmates and officers.I have worked there 6 years and have no friends at work and I have no friends outside of work. My days off are during the week and I just spend them alone not talking to anyone. I don't have hobbies and even if I try new thing to do I do them alone. I like hiking but again no one to enjoy this with so I go alone and camping alone. I try hard not to let the negativity to creep up I even use positive quote stress balls to keep the positive in and negative out. I've kept the anxiety and depression out but I don't know what to do about the social side. I've tried anti depressant but they just made me feel like a space cadet and put weight on alot.

Hi everyone

replies: 1

Hello everyone. Just signed up today.

Prioritising when multiple problems emerge

replies: 1

Hi everyone! Does anyone else feel like the whole world has turned to poo? In the past four years I’ve experienced workplace trauma, sexual assault and drifted apart from friends who have socially retreated for a number of reasons (mostly the times w... View more

Hi everyone! Does anyone else feel like the whole world has turned to poo? In the past four years I’ve experienced workplace trauma, sexual assault and drifted apart from friends who have socially retreated for a number of reasons (mostly the times we’re living in and I’ve sort of done the same thing!). I’m also facing housing issues and am now going through a bunch of stress with a major restructure at work which is becoming combative and draining. Having escaped a toxic work situation I’m worried about going down the same track. On top of all of this I’ve been contacted by a recruiter and am being interviewed for a big job interstate. Old me would have been super excited about the change and jumped at it, but it feels too hard and I haven’t had the headspace to prepare. The thought of leaving my very small support network (mostly family) also upsets me but I know deep down that I need to find a job before things get really bad. I adore my team but we’ll probably be disbanded anyway. Though, I don’t know this for sure yet. I should add that this new job would be a significant payrise and would be amazing for my CV and future. Due to all of the above, I’m suffering with anxiety and the occasional bout of depression, which has affected my confidence as well as my health. I’ve stacked on weight and am feeling it. How do I wade through all of this and prioritise in order to protect my wellbeing? Does anyone have journal prompts or tools they use when feeling overwhelmed? I’m very action oriented and pretty pragmatic but this is a lot! I’ve tried medication and counselling but haven’t had much luck. I feel really stuck and worry about my health mainly. My heart is often raising and I’m not moving my body or taking good care with my nutrition. It kind of feels like I’m in freeze mode. I’m single, female and in my 40s, living alone and given up on dating. Apologies for the lengthy post!

Burning out already

replies: 10

I just reply to a post and now I feeling drained by it.I can really feel the dilema they are in and somehow the hard work they have ahead I felt as tho I was going thru it as well.This cant be goodHas anyone else after replying felt the same by engag... View more

I just reply to a post and now I feeling drained by it.I can really feel the dilema they are in and somehow the hard work they have ahead I felt as tho I was going thru it as well.This cant be goodHas anyone else after replying felt the same by engaging in these forums or am I just not the right person to be replying to these thingsI not reply to any new ones again today

Meditation, Manifesting, Gratitude & The Law of Attraction

replies: 649

Hi everyone, Not sure where to start so hope I can express myself clearly and maybe with others' input we can expand on this. I'm interested in people's thoughts/ experience with meditation, manifesting, gratitude & the law of attraction. I've recent... View more

Hi everyone, Not sure where to start so hope I can express myself clearly and maybe with others' input we can expand on this. I'm interested in people's thoughts/ experience with meditation, manifesting, gratitude & the law of attraction. I've recently started using the Smiling Mind app to meditate when going to sleep and sometimes when feeling a little anxious, like tonight. It is something i thought i could never do as my mind rarely stops, however, with persistence, I find I enjoy it. I guess i tend to have a negative mindset which I am determined to change.I always felt uneasy about thinking positive things as i thought i would jinx myself, and that whenever I made a positive comment or felt happy it would go wrong or something negative would happen. So i refrained from allowing myself to be too happy, I guess to 'protect' myself. Recently i have been feeling happier, stronger, expressing gratitude and taking note of when things have come to me when i needed them. Coincidence, or answers to what i put out to the Universe? I like to think the latter. A work colleague one day told me to manifest something i wanted, put it out to the universe , so I'm trying. Example, recently we needed to measure the floor space at reception so we could calculate how many people we could have in at one time. I needed a tape measure, which i did not have. At that moment our handyman walked into the office. Guess what he had? I am getting into the habit of practising positive thinking instead of thinking/expecting negatives. If something 'negative' does crop up, it can be dealt with, it's not the end of the world. I look for the positive in every negative situation. I am becoming more aware of being grateful for little things, things like getting a good car park at work, a warn cosy bed, a tidy house. I feel when i am expressing gratitude I am putting positive thoughts out into the universe and I notice more positives instead of focusing on negatives. Late last week we had internet issues at work and a colleague i found a little annoying. I've been feeling very drained, agitated, negative for a few days. This morning things were not running smoothly for me. A result of my negative mind perhaps? Little things became a big deal, my morning was crap. If i look back, it wasn't really an issue, i just did things in a different order which gave me more relax time this evening. The Law of Attraction, positive thoughts, positive experiences. What are your thoughts? cmf x

Eating Disorder/Anxiety eating (Trigger warning)

replies: 1

Hello,A few years ago I started a "health journey" and began working out to shape my body and began dieting. It started off really well and I felt and looked a lot better. After a while I became very obsessive with how I looked and began excessively ... View more

Hello,A few years ago I started a "health journey" and began working out to shape my body and began dieting. It started off really well and I felt and looked a lot better. After a while I became very obsessive with how I looked and began excessively excersising multiple times a day and severely restricting my diet. I developed a lot of health issues and it wasn't until I spoke to my doctor my parents and I realised I had an eating disorder. I was nearly 15 at the time and it took me about a year to get over my health issues and become in a positive mental space to eat and excersise without harming myself. I have felt very happy and carefree for a year now, I am now 17. However, I have started getting thoughts about my body again that have left me anxious and unsettled. I am beginning to feel uncomfortable in my body again and it is hard to focus whenever I'm eating as the guilt is beginning to consume me again. My family and friends don't know how to support me, so I haven't spoken to them about my concerns, but I am very anxious I will go back to being obsessive and affecting my health. I don't really know what help I'm asking for but I know talking here will be easier than talking to my family. Thankyou ❤

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A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members

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