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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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Tabby_Main What the professionals didn't tell you
  • replies: 5

When you go to the doctor/therapist and they say the answer are breathing techniques and postive thoughts...all you want to do is punch them in the face.Well don't worry because that's not trueHow can you breathe and think positive thoughts!? You're ... View more

When you go to the doctor/therapist and they say the answer are breathing techniques and postive thoughts...all you want to do is punch them in the face.Well don't worry because that's not trueHow can you breathe and think positive thoughts!? You're in the darkest part of yourself and can't even see yourself in the mirror anymore let alone get out of bed.What do they expect? That one magical day you'll wake up and be happy again? Sorry to burst your medically qualified bubble Doc, but that just ain't going to happen.Do you want to know the key to handling your depression/anxiety?The answer is NOT TO TORURE YOURSELF by forcing yourself into thinking positive thoughts. Or pushing yourself into stressful situations. This DOES NOT HELP! This only makes it worse.You need to find out what works for you. Can you remember the things that made you happy? Say surfing? Or photography?Start small and work yourself up. AND if you have a bad day. Then take the bad day. Put your feet up on the couch and let your mind and body rest.Don't listen to the ones who say to "let it go" and "fight it". They haven't been through your battle and don't understand that you don't actually choose to be this way.Just work through it. Day by day and make sure you have 14 hugs a day. Every human needs 14 hugs a day!Once you're on your way up the mountain start eating healthy and work on your fitness (just a walk around the block will do). Then start talking to your friends again. BUT REMEMBER, take it slow. You've got time.

Chibam Beating Cynicism
  • replies: 3

A while back I made a passing remark to someone about how I try to do the right thing whenever I can and they replied with "why support [other people]? they don't do anything to support [me]!". I really hate this attitude and more to the point, I rea... View more

A while back I made a passing remark to someone about how I try to do the right thing whenever I can and they replied with "why support [other people]? they don't do anything to support [me]!". I really hate this attitude and more to the point, I really hate the kind of culture it inevitably breeds. I like to think of myself as being more a "part of the solution" kind of person then a "part of the problem" one. I want to be something good, the best I can be as a matter of fact. But the trouble is, when I think about it, what the guy said is right - I can do the right thing as often as I like and the kindness will never get repaid. I no logical progression of events that I can think of do my efforts have a domino effect that result in some goodness flowing back to me. Nor will they have any significant effect in terms of turning the tide of the culture that is all about only looking out for #1, regardless of the people who sink beneath the waves because nobody could be bothered to help. I realize how hypocritical I must seem, whining over a lack of reward for my kindness while at the same time bemoaning selfish culture and claiming to want to be a good person. But the fact of the matter is that my life is a living hell. I NEED help. I need some mercy from the universe. And the closest thing I can see to a solution is to put make an investment in good carma and hope that some of it comes back to me. I'd like to have that sincere selfless spirit of charity in my heart, but truth be told it's too mired in shadow for goodness like that to florish. The best I can do is act the part. Logically I know that the other side of the argument is: "no good can come from taking the selfish route. Good can only come from doing the right thing, even if it's only a little good and even if that good only comes to somebody else." But all too often the easy road just seems far too tempting. Being good is stressful, being good is expensive. Sometimes it just doesn't seem to be worth the bother. Do any of you wrestle with this dilemma? How do you beat the cynicism? BTW, sorry if this is the wrong board - I can't really find anywhere else that seems to suit this post.

yarnartisan An small step I took to help me get better/stay well
  • replies: 5

I've been reading the threads from '3 things I did today that made me happy'.Also I've read lots on the forums about taking things minute by minute, day by day and taking baby steps. So it occurred to me why don't we have a thread where we put down w... View more

I've been reading the threads from '3 things I did today that made me happy'.Also I've read lots on the forums about taking things minute by minute, day by day and taking baby steps. So it occurred to me why don't we have a thread where we put down where we did that, no matter how small an action it is, because it's a bit of a 'Neil Armstrong' moment if you know what I mean (One small step for man....)It can be a huge emotional step. Share and celebrate that with people who really get how huge it is for you. So I'm putting it out there, here goes my first emotional 'bungy jump' I took. I went to a funeral of a former student last week, very sad but also a confrontational time for me because many of my former workmates were there. It was hard to be there with them and bought back a lot of bad memories. I had for 9 years thought most of them were friends and found out during the time of my injury,; emotional breakdown and leaving that they were'nt.The story is long and complicated and I'm not going into the details on how I was ostracized and why. I don't want or need advice on that as I've had that from my support people who know the whole story. But my point is, It was a hard morning but I survived it though exhausted and later when I got home I took out my mobile and deleted all thier numbers . And I cut the thread that was frayed and it felt good and a relief. Yarartisan.

LittleSteps Allowing yourself to be happy
  • replies: 2

Does anyone else struggle with this? I live from one mental slap in the face to the next, but I have times when I am happy - fleeting , but they are there. It might be as simple as hearing something on the radio that makes me laugh, or watching a chi... View more

Does anyone else struggle with this? I live from one mental slap in the face to the next, but I have times when I am happy - fleeting , but they are there. It might be as simple as hearing something on the radio that makes me laugh, or watching a child have fun. But almost as soon as I recognise that i am happy, I feel incredibly guilty about feeling that way, like I am not allowed to feel that way or by feeling happy I am obviously not taking the rest of my life seriously enough , or something like that. I envy people that can take a holiday and sit by a pool doing nothing at all. I could never do that. How do you convince your brain that it is okay to feel happiness?

Doolhof Hi Everyone, hope you are travelling well!
  • replies: 4

I've had a little hiccup with my medication recently. Unfortunately I have had to be taken off my current tablets under my Drs. assistance and have had a few side effects which have kept me away from the computer. I have missed you all and hope you a... View more

I've had a little hiccup with my medication recently. Unfortunately I have had to be taken off my current tablets under my Drs. assistance and have had a few side effects which have kept me away from the computer. I have missed you all and hope you are doing okay. I will try to get back to answering my posts one by one as time goes along. In some ways this last week has been a little daunting with the migraines I seem to attract when coming off tablets! In other ways I have had a much needed rest. My back and neck have greatly appreciate the forced time in bed. I tried to remember the words to other songs besides "Old McDonald had a farm" but that is the only song that has come to me all week while I have been in bed with my eyes shut and the curtains closed. I've thought about how I would like to rearrange the furniture in the house and how we could enlarge the chook run. My mind has thought up poems, but then I forgot the first few lines as I couldn't open my eyes long enough to write them down! Kept my mind busy and away from negative thoughts all the same. I've discovered bacon bones, an onion and frozen veg make up a nice easy soup! I only had to cut up the onion! Our cat has enjoyed keeping my feet warm and spending extra time on her blanket on the bed. Hopefully my clients will have missed me and will appreciate all the extras I do for them, quite often in my own time! Anyway, it is wonderful to be able to sit up for a while. Cheers to you all, from Mrs. Dools or Lauren

Sadlou What do you do to keep your mind off things and try to feel happy?
  • replies: 3

Hi there I'm going through a really tough time at the moment. Our 15 year old son has told us he is transgender, he is so depressed he can't attend school. We are having some major money issues, my dad passed away a few years ago so my mum is on her ... View more

Hi there I'm going through a really tough time at the moment. Our 15 year old son has told us he is transgender, he is so depressed he can't attend school. We are having some major money issues, my dad passed away a few years ago so my mum is on her own. She has a great network of friends and plays croquet a couple of times a week however does not drive. She lives literally a 5 minute walk away but for some reason she never comes to visit and never makes an effort to visit her friends and complains that they never go to visit her so I just don't enjoy her company and I'm struggling to be around her. I have a great job and work with some lovely people however it's only 3 days a week and I'm trying to find some extra hours somewhere to help with the money issues. I attend Aqua fitness classes 4 times a week as I know exercise is great for depression but boy I have some really bad days especially if I'm not at work I can cry all day and have suicidal thoughts. So I'm just after some ideas on what you do to help you get through each day? beyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636. Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

yarnartisan Crochet is my meditation /sharing why yarnbombing helps me stay well and helps others mental health
  • replies: 0

Hi all, I've been chatting with the lovely and beautiful Narniakid about how crochet is one of my ways of staying well and is a form of meditation and mindfullness and relaxation and creativity that feeds my soul. It lead to my joining a local yarn-b... View more

Hi all, I've been chatting with the lovely and beautiful Narniakid about how crochet is one of my ways of staying well and is a form of meditation and mindfullness and relaxation and creativity that feeds my soul. It lead to my joining a local yarn-bombing group and has really helped me through some tough times. We are an anonymous group who install under cover of darkness and take down in the dark , so it's a bit magical. This is not about furthering a particular group but after many of our projects the community feedback has been how it's made people laugh,improved their day, helped their mental health etc. So whether you choose google our group, The Purly Queens in WA , or just view yarn-bombing in general I absolutely guarantee that it will astound , amaze and brighten your day and bring joy to your heart. I know when I was approached to join the group and went on to research on the internet it made me laugh and filled me with such hope and happiness. It continues to do so 3 years down the track and I just wanted to share that with others. Yarnartisan

Narniakid Helpful Books and Products for Anxiety and Depression
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone!I couldn't find a thread with a similar topic, so I thought I'd start one.As a depression and anxiety sufferer myself, over the years, I have tried lots of different products, activities and creative outlets to express my inner thoughts, ... View more

Hi everyone!I couldn't find a thread with a similar topic, so I thought I'd start one.As a depression and anxiety sufferer myself, over the years, I have tried lots of different products, activities and creative outlets to express my inner thoughts, and to distract myself. My friends and family have supported this idea with endless self help books and diaries, but only a number of them I have found actually helpful.Here, I am providing the links to some things that I have found particularly helpful dealing with the symptoms of depression and anxiety:- 'Stay Strong 365 Days A Year' by Demi LovatoFull of inspiring quotes from a broad range of sources, accompanied by helpful information written by Demi herself.And this is the matching journal- 'The Daily Rant' Activity JournalThis one I particularly recommend for youths dealing with the stress of friends at school. The pages are divided into checkboxes and short sections which is a nice simple way of recording information for therapists, psychologists etc. - 'The Mindfulness Colouring Book: Anti-Stress Art Therapy for Busy People' I've seen this one floating around Instagram and I love it! I even colour the pages in while on the train or watching TV.These are a couple of things I really like and I find helpful. They might not be for everyone, but if you're looking for a new diary or some reading material, you might enjoy them. Plus, I think they make great gift ideas.

Sparkles183 A positive change for 2015
  • replies: 7

Tomorrow is New Year's Day and it will be a start of a new chapter for me, over the last couple of weeks I have been packing up everything to move away from this city and the toxic people in my life to have a sea change. I just started on a new dose ... View more

Tomorrow is New Year's Day and it will be a start of a new chapter for me, over the last couple of weeks I have been packing up everything to move away from this city and the toxic people in my life to have a sea change. I just started on a new dose of antidepressants a few weeks ago and so far they are working out well. My plans for the new year is to have a positive change and to leave the negative things of 2014 behind me of the severe depressive relapse and being bullied to have a. Positive change for 2015. I just want to thank every one on these forums who supported me throughout 2014 and I wish you all the best for the new year and may 2015 be the best year yet. best wishes for 2015 and take care sparkles

Jacko777 Divert Your Attention; re-ignite your passions
  • replies: 2

Hi Folks, We have probably all heard that we can divert our attention to help ease our suffering with depression and anxiety. So divert your thinking to what? I have found that diverting my attention to say, doing the dishes, doesn't really cut it. W... View more

Hi Folks, We have probably all heard that we can divert our attention to help ease our suffering with depression and anxiety. So divert your thinking to what? I have found that diverting my attention to say, doing the dishes, doesn't really cut it. What I find far more interesting and absorbing are the things I am passionate about. So I have been through a process of finding a strong understanding about my passions, essentially the things in life that I care about the most. There are some obvious ones that a lot of us share; family, home, career. Then there are the interests and pastimes that can be investigated. What would I do with my time if money was not an issue? What things make me happy, what do I care about, what makes me frustrated or angry? Your list could be short or long. I care a lot about Nature, I want to conserve and protect our environment. I love music, I am crap on guitar and drums but I love it. And I care about people, I feel sadness when others are hurting, I want to help people to find greater peace and happiness cause I know it is possible. So my passions as listed are where I want to divert my attention to, anywhere in there will bring me happiness or at least satisfaction. This is hopefully a constantly changing thing, I try to make goals in each area and plans to reach those goals, working it back to what I can do today. So for example, today's list could look like this; Family; I need to spend more time with my partner, so I can focus my attention for a little while on how this can be achieved, I need to keep in touch with family interstate, I could make a call today, I need some quality time with my son this week, i shall keep Saturday morning free for a bike ride. Nature; I feel highly rewarded when I give my time to conserve the planet, so today I can answer an email about a possible event coming up...keep the ball rolling. Home; Laundry tap! I've put it off for 7 years, it will take 90 minutes to fix. I will sit back for a moment and be thankful for the beautiful place where I live, feel satisfied for the work I have already done. People; I will get on Beyond Blue, just in case I can help someone. I will send my mate a text and organise a jam. So if I can get a bit done each day in my key areas I will have diverted my attention but also I will have satisfaction knowing that I have kept my passions alight, the things that are most important to me. I try not to over-think activities, action cures fear. Jack