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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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Loz43 A good day
  • replies: 1

I had a good day today, very productive, well more productive than my usual days haha. I put music on and did some chores that hadn't been done for a while and I read my book. Ofcourse not everything got done but that's ok. Baby steps and one day at ... View more

I had a good day today, very productive, well more productive than my usual days haha. I put music on and did some chores that hadn't been done for a while and I read my book. Ofcourse not everything got done but that's ok. Baby steps and one day at a time first really good day I have had in a while.

white knight WHAT'S YOUR DEFENCE? against your vulnerability
  • replies: 6

I speak as one of the most sensitive people on earth, no exaggeration. Hence- I fall into a bad place often, too often. Abrupt people, nasty, inconsiderate, spiteful...you get the picture. Some people can say a few words and these words linger in my ... View more

I speak as one of the most sensitive people on earth, no exaggeration. Hence- I fall into a bad place often, too often. Abrupt people, nasty, inconsiderate, spiteful...you get the picture. Some people can say a few words and these words linger in my hurt for days. Recently after I stabilised on mood stabilisers and AD's I decided to embark on facing my feelings and being proactive about them. At 58yo I've been with these issues a long time. So, in order from a few months ago are the strategies I've tried- 1/ When I bump into people I know at shopping centres I limit chat time for each individual for a couple of minutes This allows you to just cover the general topics without you falling into mentioning you're not well or his issues that could add to your stress. 2/ Limit social media friends. Less friends less abuse less upset means more happier times. 3/ Stay clear of people with a proven nasty streak. Narcissistic people are everywhere. Identify them and eliminate them from conversation. Avoiding? Yep!! Unless they prove otherwise, they never change. Pwer is a lust some seek all the time...not at my expense. 4/ Beware the spouse of the abrasive ones. Some spouses take on board their wife/husband's fights. 5/ Clubs are a problem for the likes of me. I will never be in a committee nor the inner circle. But it doesnt mean you cant participate with passion. I elected to be the BBQ cook. You meet people briefly as they collect their sausages, enough time to ask them their name again but not long enough to get upset by them. 6/ As soon as I was able to retire I did. Less work contacts. Have these measures helped- absolutely. But it is still a learning curve. What are some of the things you do in order to protect yourself. ? PS I'm not critical towards these "nasties" in society. They have a right to act how they choose. I identify with MY issues and respond accordingly. Their issues are for them to combat.

RJD discussion with a beyondblue worker
  • replies: 6

Has anyone chatted with someone from beyondblue and still felt awful? Struggling with my feelings at the moment and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Has anyone chatted with someone from beyondblue and still felt awful? Struggling with my feelings at the moment and can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

white knight HOW TO BRAINWASH YOURSELF
  • replies: 4

I've been on and on about positive thinking for a while now. There was a let down about this though. Recent studies found that someone in deep depression would receive no real benefit from such uplifting injection of thoughts because they can seem in... View more

I've been on and on about positive thinking for a while now. There was a let down about this though. Recent studies found that someone in deep depression would receive no real benefit from such uplifting injection of thoughts because they can seem inflated or unrealistic giving false hope. More so it is best to accept that deep depression be allowed to take its course to go the full circle until the sufferer has the mental ability to improve. That led me to some ideas. Humans are easy prey to brain washing. Brain washing sounds so negative. So I recently decided to reverse it and try to self brain wash. I decided that every 2 or 3 days when I attended the local shops about 15 minutes away, I'd find a reason to convince myself that the day was a good one and use a reason to inflate my perspective of the day. The first time I tried, last week, I walked past an elderly lady that was really frail. She was trying to move the rather heavy clear vertical strips on the doorway of a bakery to allow her trolley to pass through. She was about to fall over and I stopped her with my outstretched arm. She gave a big thankyou then after making sure she wasnt dizzy or unwell returned to the bakery where the serving lady insisted she not charge me for the pastie I wanted to buy. Turned out she was the old lady's daughter!! This was a head start in my theory. So for the rest of the day I kept reminding myself of the event and that it was a good day. The next time I went into town I visited my tax agent. He told me in a very short conversation that he'd just visited Moscow and was eager to tell me of his trip. We spent a few minutes chatting then I left to go shopping. I convinced myself that he was so friendly towards me he wanted me to be the recipient of his travel story. I was liked by him. It was a reason for a good day. The third time was yesterday. I had our little fox terrier with me. I carried her in my arms. I saw a little girl smile at my dog. So asked the girls mother if I could allow her daughter to pat 'Rosie". She agreed. Then I went on my way. I held onto the smile the girl had while patting my dog. It was priceless. Or at least I made it priceless. And that's the key. To hold onto the smallest positive moment and explode its importance. Gather it each time.....and run with it into the sunlight.....

RayS Kicking the dog and getting back on the horse
  • replies: 1

A little while back, about 5 weeks I guess, I had a complete break down at work. In a large part it was my own fault because I'd felt something was not right for many many months, but typical of the Aussie male, I was certain I could deal with it. I ... View more

A little while back, about 5 weeks I guess, I had a complete break down at work. In a large part it was my own fault because I'd felt something was not right for many many months, but typical of the Aussie male, I was certain I could deal with it. I cannot stress enough just how serious a mistake this line of thought can be. I've been taking the same dose of Anti-Deps for so long, I just figured they'd always work. This is not how it works. The weeks leading up the breakdown (not the first time it's happened I might add) I'd known things were getting bad, but as I said above, I was sure I could handle it. My memory was going south, my weight was dropping rapidly for no reason and though I pretended otherwise, I was drinking way too much. My work was suffering (I'm mid-senior level management in a fairly high stress position), I was forgetting to do things both at home and at work, or worse I was doing things that made no sense and that I simply didn't remember doing. But I'm an Aussie male, I can handle things myself, right? WRONG! And this line of thought nearly had me take the most extreme form of "escape". I was and am lucky my best friend is in a similar position and he could see things were not right. When the break down at work happened, I knew I had to do something and my mate basically threatened me with physical violence if didn't. I took steps. I saw my Doctor and realised after the first of several visits over 3 or 4 weeks, that one cannot simply assume there will be improvement without some help. I guess in many ways I was lucky. I didn't take that final step. Instead I took the advice of friends and the Drs, an increase in the dose and a few weeks away from the stress of work, and I am in a completely different world. The point of this is simple. Whilst it may not be the case, and I'm sure it isn't, for everyone for me it was a case of vigilance or the lack thereof. Despite a number of unfortunate occurrences in my personal life, I should have paid more attention to what was happening and realised it was the disease (and believe me, thats what it is) and nothing I was really responsible for. I don't and won't pretend I'm cured. I know that's not the case, but I do know that if that mongrel black dog comes barking at my heals again, I'll recognise him for what he is and I'll kick his backside because I know can. I'm back on the horse and I'm staying in the saddle this time.

scorch Healthy Recipes
  • replies: 9

Hi everyone. I thought it might be nice to have a thread where we can swap healthy, tasty and easy recipes. I'm trying to increase my palette while decreasing my dress size, and I thought, 'I bet the awesome people on BB have some recipes to share.' ... View more

Hi everyone. I thought it might be nice to have a thread where we can swap healthy, tasty and easy recipes. I'm trying to increase my palette while decreasing my dress size, and I thought, 'I bet the awesome people on BB have some recipes to share.' Do you have a favourite dish? Have you got a special recipe that's been in the family for generations? Or did you manage to whip up a gastronomical miracle one night with the random ingredients floating around your fridge? I made a lean beef & sweet potato pie last night, the husband said it was delish. Here's how I made it: First I peeled, cut up and set to boil a large sweet potato and 2 regular potatoes. While that was boiling I cut the fat off 2 rump steaks and diced the meat. I then skinned 6 tomatoes, cut them into cubes and put them in a pan on the stovetop at a low heat. I crushed a couple cloves of garlic and tore up a handful of herbs from the garden and stirred it in with the tomato. I also added a sprinkle of chili flakes. After the contents of the pan had cooked for about 5 minutes, I put them in a baking dish. I then used the pan to brown off the diced beef which I then also added to the baking dish. I added about half a cup of frozen peas to the mix and stirred it well, evenly distributing everything across the bottom of the baking dish. I then took the potatoes off heat and mashed them all up together. I used the potato/sweet potato mash to cover the beef/tomato mix, flattened it off with a fork and sprinkled a touch of light, grated cheese on top. I then put the dish in the oven on a medium heat for about 35 minutes. This made enough for 6 decent sized portions. It freezes and reheats well. I hope you like my recipe. It's nothing fancy, but my hubby liked it so it can't have been all bad. Please, I'd love to read some of your recipes and try them out!

Progmaster social networking and depression/anxiety
  • replies: 4

I am interested how people with depression and anxiety deal with social networking sites like Facebook. I have Bipolar II and am also Asperger's. I am worried people I am friends with block my statuses and tags which makes me over-analyse the situati... View more

I am interested how people with depression and anxiety deal with social networking sites like Facebook. I have Bipolar II and am also Asperger's. I am worried people I am friends with block my statuses and tags which makes me over-analyse the situation and not know where I stand with them, especially when they are sometimes stand-offish with me face to face even though they know about my condition and know I am trying to improve myself with exercise etc. I have deliberately started posting less because when I don't get likes from people I want to get likes from, I start thinking they are snubbing me or are sick of me and have blocked my statuses. Sorry if this seems whiny or self-pitying but I am prone to analyse the smallest detail to the nth degree. If I brought this up in a conversation it would seem petty or ridiculous but this stuff unfortunately really gets in my head and I am interested if anyone else worries they might have alienated other people (not deliberately) and that perceived snubbing on social networks needlessly increases anxiety and depression.

MrsCam next phase of recovery... feeling a bit anxious...
  • replies: 18

Hi all, I am discharging from Perth Clinic on saturday and will be flying home to the pilbara on tuesday evening... feeling a bit anxious about leaving my safe little bubble Ive got going on here... was thrown a curve ball this afternoon when I had t... View more

Hi all, I am discharging from Perth Clinic on saturday and will be flying home to the pilbara on tuesday evening... feeling a bit anxious about leaving my safe little bubble Ive got going on here... was thrown a curve ball this afternoon when I had to change rooms here in the hospital from the one Ive had since I was admitted 15 days ago to a new one on the other floor. Surprised at how anxious that made me feel, burst into tears once I was alone in the new room. Was able to breathe my way through that so I guess that is a positive.... trying to remain upbeat & positive about going home, will try to remember to take it one day at a time...

Gab253 Where do I start? Want to do more with my life
  • replies: 4

Hi, I'm new to this forum, but I'm struggling a bit at the moment. Here's my story, I'm 29 years old, and I live in a rural area in Victoria with my dad. In April this year, I lost my dearest friend. I've known her all my life and she was like a sist... View more

Hi, I'm new to this forum, but I'm struggling a bit at the moment. Here's my story, I'm 29 years old, and I live in a rural area in Victoria with my dad. In April this year, I lost my dearest friend. I've known her all my life and she was like a sister to me, and she was only 31. I miss her terribly. I'm unemployed, and I've never really had a job. I've had a few part time jobs here and there, but they have rarely lasted more than a week. I'm overweight, and I eat rubbish food. I think being overweight, and getting very sore contributes to me not being able to last long in jobs. I also have high blood pressure, which I am not taking medication for. I drink a little more alcohol than I'd like to, but I can control it, and I can easily go for 1 or more days without drinking. I struggle financially week to week, and I often find that my bank acc is overdrawn by the end of the week, putting me further and further into debt. I am only about $1500 in debt at the moment however, most of which is to my dad. I live in a very cluttered enviroment, which is partially due to me not having enough money to get rid of all my rubbish, and I hoard junk. I have asperger's syndrome which is part of the autism spectrum disorder. I don't have alot of friends, however the friends I do have are very good friends. I want to do more with my life, and get out and about a bit more, but at this stage, I don't want a regular "job" I don't know what activities are out there for someone like me. I have been looking into a Men's shed. That seems like a good idea for me at the moment. I'm after some suggestions of some activities that may be available to me? Possibly some that will help me get fitter and improve my general health too. I'd also like a bit of advice on how I can eat a bit healthier. I'm looking at the idea of doing a course too. Loosing my dearest friend has really hit me hard and I miss her so much I think about her every day. What are some other things that I could possibly look into? I mainly want to improve my health, my happiness and my financial situation. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers, Gab

AGrace Suggestions for inexpensive activities
  • replies: 5

Hi Everyone, I've been reading a few posts of late where the topic of hobbies/exercise/other activities to assist with mental well being have been raised. I also understand that mental illness (like any other illness) can be a very expensive element ... View more

Hi Everyone, I've been reading a few posts of late where the topic of hobbies/exercise/other activities to assist with mental well being have been raised. I also understand that mental illness (like any other illness) can be a very expensive element to treat. For a lot of us due to inability to work, or work full time, plus the additional costs of medication, Dr's and Specialists finances can be drained really quickly. I think we hear all the time how much lifestyle and in particular physical activities can have a positive effect on our mental health, and most of us would agree this is true. As we don't often have the funds for additional activities I wanted to find out from everyone what activities they've been doing to help with recovery and staying well, more specifically activities that are either free or at least inexpensive. So I'll start... Going to the Library to read rather than staying at home. You can be guaranteed a quiet space and lots of books to choose from (if you haven't visited your own State Library now could be your chance) Signing up for activities at your local community centre. Often these are free or have a small cost involved. There are a broad range of activities on offer from learning a language to art and craft and yoga Visiting your local botanic garden rather than a park. Usually entry is free and you can walk around or sit and have a coffee Shopping at your local market. This can get a little noisy and crowded but it's also full of atmosphere and has a lot more culture than the local supermarket. It's also a great way to source really fresh produce Going for a drive, catching a train, tram, or bus. You can pick a favourite destination, or a place you haven't visited before Walking around your nearest city. Take a camera with you and stroll all the laneways and get pictures of buildings or art Find out if your nearest suburb/city offers free tai chi or yoga in the park. This can be a great way to kickstart your morning So I'd love to hear from others. I'm sure we can come up with heaps of suggestions!! AGrace