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Sophie_M Money stress? You are not alone!
  • replies: 4

So, I’ve been chatting with my friends over here at Beyond Blue and it seems we all have something in common right now: money worries. Whether it’s stressors about finding enough cash for the basics or wishing we had enough money for a holiday, we al... View more

So, I’ve been chatting with my friends over here at Beyond Blue and it seems we all have something in common right now: money worries. Whether it’s stressors about finding enough cash for the basics or wishing we had enough money for a holiday, we all seem to be experiencing a greater amount of stress surrounding money than we have in the past. And it’s impacting our ability to show up fully for the things we love. It’s not uncommon for us to experience shame and fear around expressing our financial challenges; it can be hard and somewhat taboo to openly discuss money matters. However, we believe this conversation is incredibly important and beneficial to have. Like all challenges, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, so let’s help each other out. Of course, discussions about the economy and how to manage our money during inflation are a much larger (and frustrating!) conversation… but what we would really love to know is what your personal experience around money is. Are you feeling the pinch too? How is added financial pressure impacting your wellbeing? When was the last time things felt even slightly easier? And if you have struggled with money in the past but come out the other side, what suggestions do you have for others who might still be finding their feet? This is an opportunity to share openly and honestly about your experience in a judgement-free space. There are no wrong answers, and we encourage you to share all the things that you might be finding hard to express in your every day life. If you're interested - Beyond Blue also have a 'money and mental health' quiz to gauge a sense of how finances may be impacting your mental health and what to do next. Looking forward to your answers! Abundant hugs from yours truly, Sophie M.

Just Sara A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members
  • replies: 715

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful word... View more

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful words. I hope this thread stays active through members giving out praise regularly to people they feel deserving, and therefore keep generosity of spirit alive within the pages of BeyondBlue Forum. My bunch of Red Roses (my choice) goes to Wishful for the following sentence; 'Personally, I see no reason to be praised in me, but I'm learning that seeing through the eyes of others can be more accurate!!' I so hear you Wishful. Just beautiful... Try to keep your leading comments short to focus on 'their' words. Choose specific flowers (or a gift if you like) to present to them. Sign off respectfully and sincerely. I hope this takes off... Spreading the love...Sara

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Just Sara Sugar sensitivity - Food for thought
  • replies: 15

We're all probably aware diet has a lot to do with our brain function and coping mechanisms. I've been reading a book called 'Potatoes not Prozac' by Kathleen DesMaisons (PH.D in Addictive Nutrition) It's about sugar sensitive people and how sugar ca... View more

We're all probably aware diet has a lot to do with our brain function and coping mechanisms. I've been reading a book called 'Potatoes not Prozac' by Kathleen DesMaisons (PH.D in Addictive Nutrition) It's about sugar sensitive people and how sugar can be similar to alcohol and illicit drugs for some. It mostly concentrates on levels of Beta Endorphins, Serotonin and Blood Sugar. I've decided to run with the program and am up to the stage of journaling my food intake and activity/behaviour/emotions/feelings. It's early days yet, but I'm already beginning to see some patterns. She says not to change my habits for a couple of weeks until my patterns are clear, but it's tempting. This book is so interesting. Symptoms of anxiety, confused thinking and depression are major influences. There are some great little experiments to show how sugar, protein and fat are used in the body, especially regarding the brain; sleep and emotional well being. Some interesting tit-bits are: Low calorie sugar replacements like Sugarine have the same affect on the brain as normal sugar Sugar affects the same sections of the brain as alcohol and even heroin Sugar is more addictive than heroin and can be harder to give up than smoking Flour and its bi-products are simple sugars When we eat is just as important as what we eat I did an experiment using a baked potato as a snack prior to bed and had the best night's sleep in a long time. She says to limit simple carbs during the day and have a meal around 6:30 pm using mostly good quality protein and a small amount of complex carbs; no fat. Then 1/2 hr before bed eat a medium dry baked potato, skin on. Protein prepares the body for carbs from the potato which increases serotonin levels over a long period while the potato digests overnight. Simple sugars digest very quickly as we know from the hit we get after soft drinks for instance. This is not a book for people to lose weight; (though weight loss is inevitable) it addresses our brain chemistry and emotions. It's a winner!

Roberty_Bob 5 4 3 2 1
  • replies: 1

I find the following quick mindfulness technique useful when I need to return to the here and now. Five things I can see. Four things I can hear. Three things I can feel. Two things I can smell. One thing I can taste.

I find the following quick mindfulness technique useful when I need to return to the here and now. Five things I can see. Four things I can hear. Three things I can feel. Two things I can smell. One thing I can taste.

Andrew1 Lego Therapy
  • replies: 2

Hi, For the past 7 years I have suffered severe depression and anxiety issues. I was diagnosed in 2010 with dysthemic anxiety disorder after suffering a major break down working in the financial industry. It all came to the fore when one evening my w... View more

Hi, For the past 7 years I have suffered severe depression and anxiety issues. I was diagnosed in 2010 with dysthemic anxiety disorder after suffering a major break down working in the financial industry. It all came to the fore when one evening my wife walked into the room to see me staring at the computer blankly. I didnt know how or what I was doing and couldnt string a sentance together to articulate how i was. To the best I could describe my brain suddenly shattered into a thousand little lego pieces and although i could see a picture of what things should be, I could not place the pieces together at all. All cognative behavior and responce had broken within my brain. The next 9 months were a blur for me but torture for my wife and 3 young children. Apparently between doctors and psychiatrists and psycholigists my life consisted predominantly of sleeping. Doctors expressed repeatedly that I may never return to work. Because of that, I cannot express the appreciation love and amazement i have for my wife in the support and care she gave me through the ordeal. Not only did she have me to care for in every way, but our youngest girl was only newborn at the time. To my amazement it was this responsibility she used to start rewiring my brain to start dealing with tasks and situations. At first it was laying our little girl in my arms as she slept and i dozed. This subconsciously gave my mind a sence of responsibility that was immediate and present. Small steps, but piece by piece, just like a lego creation, my mind was reintroduced to dealing with life. I use the illustration of lego because another form of therapy i used was playing with lego. As mentioned before, my brain was able to see point A of a task (just like a huge pile of lego pieces in all shapes) and then see point Z (like the picture of the completed model on the lego box) as a completed task but had no idea of how to piece each piece together. I related my thoughts to the chaos of a pile of unsorted lego. So cognatively starting to piece together lego was like repiecing together the thoughts in my mind. After sleeping for 9 months, the next 3 months was spent playing with lego.

Roberty_Bob Mind, body and soul
  • replies: 6

In moments of distress I use one or more techniques from three sets of three in order to deal with the situation. Mind Cognitive behaviour therapy Decision making charts Interpersonal relationship Body Run Swim Walk Soul Mindfulness Breathing Subtle ... View more

In moments of distress I use one or more techniques from three sets of three in order to deal with the situation. Mind Cognitive behaviour therapy Decision making charts Interpersonal relationship Body Run Swim Walk Soul Mindfulness Breathing Subtle change of environment If the level of distress is too high to get the mind or body techniques to work I'll use one of the soul techniques. As distress reduces I may then be able to pick up on a body or mind technique.

Roberty_Bob The gift of running
  • replies: 9

Of all the things I've given myself recently, such as sobriety, quitting smoking and losing weight, the thing I most appreciate is the gift of running. Being able to hit the road on a whim and clear my mind. The freedom to travel when and where I wan... View more

Of all the things I've given myself recently, such as sobriety, quitting smoking and losing weight, the thing I most appreciate is the gift of running. Being able to hit the road on a whim and clear my mind. The freedom to travel when and where I want. Being alone and one with the landscape. The pain on pulling up only serving to remind me of the pleasure I've experienced. I love running.

Elizabeth CP Changing your attitude to aid mood & motivation Suggestions /comments welcome
  • replies: 4

I have been thinking that one of the issues with dealing with depression & other mental illnesses is the influence out attitude has on our mood & motivation. We become tired so everything seems hard & unrewarding thus affecting our mood leading to a ... View more

I have been thinking that one of the issues with dealing with depression & other mental illnesses is the influence out attitude has on our mood & motivation. We become tired so everything seems hard & unrewarding thus affecting our mood leading to a downward spiral. I thought if I could work at changing my attitude to things I do it might help. For example: Instead of thinking Ï have to clean the house which leads to negative thoughts such as I'm too tired'', It is pointless because it will just get messed up again. ' The positive thought to counteract these negative attitudes is 'I enjoy sitting in a clean & tidy room & it is so much easier to find things if everything is in the right place so I will spend X hours a couple of times a week to ensure the house remains how I like it. Instead of saying I have to paint the house. I'll start painting the bedroom this week in my favourite colour. I look forward to a new fresh look. Only think about the other rooms once the bedroom is done so you aren't worried about the whole house. Perhaps other people have comments & suggestions because it is easy to slip back into negative self talk & attitudes & doesn't come natural to change to the positive attitude when you are depressed.

SeanA Don't Think Of A White Elephant
  • replies: 3

Ridding yourself of negative thoughts is impossible.As parents we know this when our child is crying. We make them laugh or show them something that interests them and within moments they are laughing. They have at least forgotten the trauma.As adult... View more

Ridding yourself of negative thoughts is impossible.As parents we know this when our child is crying. We make them laugh or show them something that interests them and within moments they are laughing. They have at least forgotten the trauma.As adults we must replace negative distractions with positive obsessions. You see, by concentrating on defeating something like depression your focus increases the subject of your thoughts. That is, depression. It’s like trying not to think of your father. Instantly his face springs to mind.To combat depression all you need is an idealistic goal to chase. Victor Frankl, the psychiatrist who found himself in a concentration camp, accepted his place in the world, he just didn’t focus on it. He focused on the difference he wanted to make. He looked at how he could make a difference even though he was confined to Auschwitz with death all around him.Okay, you are not in a concentration camp. But as the saying goes, “Man can make a hell of heaven or a heaven of hell”. So it’s up to you.It’s up to what you concentrate on.

gloria10 Creating a support network - what has worked for you?
  • replies: 3

I have realized lately that I have been dealing with depression and the reason is due to the fact that my support network has diminished. My friend went overseas and that was hard since our friendship was improving. Then there were issues with my par... View more

I have realized lately that I have been dealing with depression and the reason is due to the fact that my support network has diminished. My friend went overseas and that was hard since our friendship was improving. Then there were issues with my parents and I felt that my mum has pulled away as my emotional support as I feel I disappointed her. Now if I say I have depression she thinks its best if I deal with it on my own, I can't do that. I also can't live up to their expectations when I have limited support from them. As a bit if a turn around for me I have started to look for a positive support network and I am looking at how others may have managed this. Is it through doctors, friends, family? What has worked best? I am trying different activities to mingle with a variety of people and that does help. I am seeing my GP tomorrow and a therapist, also reaching out to Beyond Blue Any advice would be appreciated

Doolhof Love Hugs and Kisses
  • replies: 33

Hi Everyone, I posted the following questions on the BB Café thread and received some insightful answers from people who both appreciate the sentiments and others who do not find these expressions helpful to themselves. There are no right or wrong an... View more

Hi Everyone, I posted the following questions on the BB Café thread and received some insightful answers from people who both appreciate the sentiments and others who do not find these expressions helpful to themselves. There are no right or wrong answers to my questions, they are just questions to reveal how people feel. These are basically the questions I asked: I would just like to know what it means to you to read that people are sending you love, hugs, kisses and other best wishes. How comforting, appreciated and special is it to receive these comments? Do these comments make a difference to how you are feeling and thinking? For me personally, I find them to be heart warming, to know that people care enough to share their well meaning with others. Some people may find these sentiments flippant and to not mean anything, so I would like to know your responses. Remember there are no right or wrong answers, just your own opinion. I'm posting this in the STAYING WELL section, as the comfort and encouragement some people may receive from these comments and sentiments may be just what that individual requires right now. Thanks all from Mrs. Dools