Staying well

Overcoming mental illness

replies: 9

Hey folks! Hope your all doing just fine. I was kinda struggling for few days so thought I should join these forums and see if I could get any good advise. I have been clinically diagnosed with "Schizophrenia" over 8 months ago. I was suicidal at the... View more

Hey folks! Hope your all doing just fine. I was kinda struggling for few days so thought I should join these forums and see if I could get any good advise. I have been clinically diagnosed with "Schizophrenia" over 8 months ago. I was suicidal at the time. Was lucky my friends noticed my behavior and told me seek help and i did. Never done drugs in my life, the Pysch says its hereditary. My grandfather had mental illness and somehow i got it. So have been on meds ever since. Overtime I come to realise that i was really ill and needed to keep taking the medications.The doctor says I have "stabilized" and in recovery. I still struggle with hearing "voices" as they are all nasty in nature. Its like I am on the streets on a leisurely walk and these random people call me a freak or disgusting etc. I used to wonder perhaps everyone heard these voices and we just had to learn to develop "thick skin". Meds are helping though so. The Psych told me meds wont take away all the voices. I called the hospital the other day. They said you could start working on improving your self esteem. I am also very self critical by nature so I am known to be very hard on myself. I joined the Gym and been working out heaps but wherever i go the voices remain. These voices can be very discouraging. Its like you vs world all the time. What would you do if you were in my shoes? I am just looking for change of perspective. I have begun looking for work. Some days I am full of energy wanna achieve things and other days it overwhelms me! I know mental illness is work in progress, you go one day at a time. I am grateful though overtime was able to overcome the victim mentality which was the suicidal part of me. If you folks got any advise for me on how to approach things differently please let me know. I am willing to do whatever it takes to overcome mental illness. I am still young and life's too short anyway.

Things pets do to make you laugh

replies: 12

Hi everyone, I often look at my 2 cats & think how much I love them, how much they make me laugh & how they are the only reason I'm still on this earth. I'm interested in hearing about other people's pets & the positive impact they have on our lives,... View more

Hi everyone, I often look at my 2 cats & think how much I love them, how much they make me laugh & how they are the only reason I'm still on this earth. I'm interested in hearing about other people's pets & the positive impact they have on our lives, especially in times of distress. I have been the happy "employee" (dogs have owners & cats have staff) of 2 cats for 4 years now & every day they find new & hilarious ways to crack me up. I had gone to the Lort Smith Animal Hospital with the intent to find a short haired cat, but came home with a long haired cat with 3 legs. . . . . and his fat girlfriend. Still not sure how it happened. I installed a cat door but because the 3 legged male cat had difficulty negotiating the gap between the front inner door & the security door, I went down to Bunnings and bought some wood & made him a disabled ramp to span the gap & slant down to the ground. I also glued some carpet to the ramp to give him some "purchase" for his claws. He loved it! The following day he presented me with half a mouse as a thank you. It was placed lovingly on my pillow with much strutting about & meiowing & it took a good 10 minutes of fur-stroking & lavish praise for his hunting prowess before he could calm down. I'm happy to say that nowadays he holds me in such esteem that he gives me the entire 'kill'. That's right folks, instead of pieces of mouse, I get the whole thing. Today he presented me with his most recent 'kill' which was half a sausage scavenged from the next door neighbour's BBQ last night. I don't know, I think his hunting skills are geting a bit rusty. The female cat has a habit of hunting stationary objects as she's a bit short-sighted & often mistakes rocks as prey. She also has a galloping case of dandruff & looks like a giant lamington on legs. She's completely obsessed with food, treats every meal as if it's her last & will often be found sitting next to her food bowl, looking hopeful & drooling. These 2 furry monsters are the reason I get out of bed every day. They're always happy to see me, they're hilarious to watch & they're a great comfort, especially when things are crappy. Stitch.

I want to share what I have written

replies: 9

I have decided to write when I feel upset. And it is helping so much. I like poetry as it engages my mind beyond just the words... plus I like a happy ending which helps lol. I wrote this and felt inspired... I hope someone here enjoys the read. Ive ... View more

I have decided to write when I feel upset. And it is helping so much. I like poetry as it engages my mind beyond just the words... plus I like a happy ending which helps lol. I wrote this and felt inspired... I hope someone here enjoys the read. Ive titled it 'survivor' In my life I have seen many things as I'm sure have you too, there have been times of desperation, destitution but also times of opulence when due. Through all the pain and struggles of which I have been forced to endure, my sights were set for greater things and that which I could not ignore; That although those times did seem so bleak, dark days of pain and fear, I knew that I was not the only one and to some's struggles I could never come near. Surrounded by the strength of family and friends I hold so dear, still a loneliness resided so deep and fed upon my fear I saw the familiar pain in so many people's eyes, we all wore masks in desperation and convinced ourselves we were the masters of disguise And yet as plain as day life's scars were burnt into our gaze, and the yearning to be one those who were free from our dark maze. But then I left the maze below with sights set firmly to the sky, the frowns became less often and I found less need to cry. The skies were brighter day by day as I awoke from the mist, I gave up my crouch and stood up straight determination fueled my fists. The fight for what was rightfully mine had well and truly begun, a battle that no one deserves and has made many come undone. The battle for peace and happiness was that which I had to fight not just defend, once robbed by a jealous boy who thought he had the right to decide when my life should end. Though the fight seemed never ending and still there are days I must be strong, I hope his time in prison has taught him he was wrong. See I am stronger now despite the attempts to rob me of my life, if he comes again he will never be the victor of this fight. I have risen above what he has done, a victim I am not, I have survived the war and now he is the one who will be forgot. I accept the support and the light that bathes me with its warmth. I'm blessed with a life that my determination ensured I did achieve, full of that which no one can take, from the fog I have arisen the victor is awake! Hope that was worth your time

Yoga & Meditation

replies: 4

Hi everyone For the past 8 months I have learned yoga and mindfulness meditation while I was in hospital. For me yoga was a different type of therapy which I had never tried before. While in hospital I thought I would give it a go and I haven't looke... View more

Hi everyone For the past 8 months I have learned yoga and mindfulness meditation while I was in hospital. For me yoga was a different type of therapy which I had never tried before. While in hospital I thought I would give it a go and I haven't looked back. While in the 1 hour yoga session I was 'in my own world' of peace, calmness and spiritually at ease. I now have the CD from the yoga instructor and am doing this at home. The last few weeks have been very emotional and confusing and I thought why don't I try yoga relaxation every night for about 1/2 hour. Well its working. I have been doing this for the past 3 nights and I have slept better than before and wake up clear, not so emotional like previously. I have made a commitment with my psych that I will do this every night for a week and let him know how I go when I see him on Thursday. I would definitely recommend yoga or mindfulness meditation to help with your emotions. For me I have found a 'shift' in how I cope. Jo

Moving forward

replies: 2

Feeling very depressed today. But reflecting on all the things I want to change. I wrote this the other day, for personal inspiration (sorry I'm no poet) May this be a time of positive change, of renewed strength and personal growth. Of letting go an... View more

Feeling very depressed today. But reflecting on all the things I want to change. I wrote this the other day, for personal inspiration (sorry I'm no poet) May this be a time of positive change, of renewed strength and personal growth. Of letting go and moving forward.. Of forgiveness, compassion and a new found love of life. Let this be a time of inner peace, mindfulness and gratitude. May you open your heart and mind to all the beauty that life brings. May you have the wisdom to see and the passion to be all that you are. I hope this year brings positive change for everyone.

Recovering from setbacks

replies: 3

Hi everyone, Just wanted to get peoples opinions on how to maintain mental health gains (particularly related to anxiety) in times of adversity? At the moment I'm struggling a bit financially (I'm a student), have physical health problems that need a... View more

Hi everyone, Just wanted to get peoples opinions on how to maintain mental health gains (particularly related to anxiety) in times of adversity? At the moment I'm struggling a bit financially (I'm a student), have physical health problems that need addressing which also make working tough and am trying to keep up with commitments to friends and family. More specifically... 1. Physical problems (past back and lower limb trauma resulting in chronic pain) make working hard when you're unqualified and often need to work more physically demanding jobs for money. 2. Usually I can just rest if I overdo it, but at the moment I have a mate who I suspect is living on or below the poverty line and needs work so I offered to get him a job labouring in my Aunties backyard. I need to be there because they don't really know each other and so it wouldn't be appropriate for him to work there without me. So I don't want to let him down, I don't want to push my Auntie who has been good enough to give him work in the first place but I know I am doing all this at my own expense (pain wise and time wise). On top of a few other smaller curve balls that life throws at you sometimes this has made me feel a bit worn out. I think perhaps that I've neglected looking after myself a bit which in turn has made me more prone to believing criticisms leveled at me (from other people and from the irrational side of my brain). Any ideas?

Counting Sheep

replies: 8

Hi. Has anyone tried to count sheep jumping over a fence in their head when they are unable to sleep? Last night I was sound asleep until I had a call of nature. Once back in bed I was thinking of all the nice things I wanted to do in the morning, an... View more

Hi. Has anyone tried to count sheep jumping over a fence in their head when they are unable to sleep? Last night I was sound asleep until I had a call of nature. Once back in bed I was thinking of all the nice things I wanted to do in the morning, and felt like getting up straight away to do them, but it was only 2.30 a.m. So I decided I would try to count sheep and thought the monotony of that exercise would send me back to sleep. Not so! The sheep in my mind started to jump the fence okay, then a couple of sheep decided to do a flip over the fence, the next one tackled it like a high jump, and then the following sheep tried to out do that one by doing ballet steps on the top of the fence! My mind was having a wonderful time with the sheep! I wish I could have filmed the whole episode, would have made a great little movie for kids, especially when the sheep started doing all kinds of tricks and some were wearing pink ribbons in their wool or even lace up boots! I had to stop thinking about sheep jumping over fences or else I never would have fallen asleep! Ha. Ha. The mind is an amazing thing and I am thankful for my creative thoughts, but not at 2.30 in the morning when I am trying to sleep.! Cheers, from Mrs. Dools

I've reached a happy, stable place!

replies: 1

Hey all, Ive had a 10 year long struggle with depression and a life-long struggle with anxiety, and have recently come to terms with my diagnosis as bipolar 2. I have in the last 12 months reached a very content, stable and well place despite a few h... View more

Hey all, Ive had a 10 year long struggle with depression and a life-long struggle with anxiety, and have recently come to terms with my diagnosis as bipolar 2. I have in the last 12 months reached a very content, stable and well place despite a few hiccups.I have joined the BlueVoices, and have recently dedicated myself to coming to these forums to offer others advice on services and support available. So I like to offer support and hope as a person who has recovered to lead a normal, happy life. Some ideas I like to remember and offer: 1. Therapy is key. There are many different types of therapy, so find the therapy that's right for you. ACT therapy changed my life and my entire outlook on not only my life but my "illness" (quotation marks). 2. I reject the term "mental illness". I prefer the term "mentally interesting" or "different". Yes our "issues" can causes us immense suffering and grief. But through challenging and overcoming the bad parts, we can embrace the good parts. My battle has given me strength, courage, determination, and great tenacity. That's cool! 3. Some of the greatest artists, inventors, musicians and comedians in the world were thought to have (or did have) mental illness. Mozart (depression), Beethoven (bipolar), Buzz Aldrin (depression/ alcoholism), Jim Carrey (depression), Charles Dickens (depression) were just some. 4. I believe those of us with depression and bipolar etc can achieve great feats of inspiration, creativity, inventiveness and musical talent when we learn to divert our energies into healthy hobbies. 5. I believe that the current social stigma that mental "illness" means theres something "wrong" with us and needs to be "fixed" is incorrect. I believe we need help to manage the extremes of our moods, and prevent depressive relapses. But everyone needs help sometimes. We are different, not damaged. As I said, we have an amazing ability to develop great personal insight, phenomenal inner strength, and highly developed creative skills/ talents. I believe in learning to cope with the bad stuff our issues throw at us, so we can get to a stable and well place and divert all that energy into talents, hobbies and careers so we are truly amazing, interesting, gifted people. So I offer this as hope for others. Don't become your diagnosis- its only a medical term, a little diagnosis box. You're a person, and there's so much more to you that can never fit into a little medical diagnosis box. Embrace you!!

Short term strategies

replies: 1

Ok, it's been nearly six months since being discharged from hospital, and I'm still recovering from my depression. I must admit that since then the bottle has been a comforter but I'm really trying to stay off that by focusing on other, positive stuf... View more

Ok, it's been nearly six months since being discharged from hospital, and I'm still recovering from my depression. I must admit that since then the bottle has been a comforter but I'm really trying to stay off that by focusing on other, positive stuff and coming up with short term strategies for those times when I find my headspace getting overwhelmed like the proverbial tornado it becomes (and when it's raining!). I want to share two of them with you all: The first is the TV show "Too Cute" on Animal Planet, which shows puppies and kittens from 0-8 weeks and their antics. The other is standing out in the rain of a summer afternoon and breathing in the air (providing it's safe and you're not risking getting struck by lightning!). Any other ideas?

Adapt to life after depression

replies: 5

Hello! Background: I’ve been through endogenous depression for 10 year (I call it my inner Odyssey for that) and than I got a whole year of apathy – because nerves were hurt after dealing with traumas.And now finally it’s over. And I don’t know how I... View more

Hello! Background: I’ve been through endogenous depression for 10 year (I call it my inner Odyssey for that) and than I got a whole year of apathy – because nerves were hurt after dealing with traumas.And now finally it’s over. And I don’t know how I feel.I always thought I will be happy immediately after dp is over. But I am not.I feel a lot of space in my heart and in my mind after dark thoughts and emotions left. But positive stuff isn’t just streaming down to feel this space like I’ve imagined.I feel empty. At first I even felt paralized – facing the world as a healthy person again. Much more responsibility, much more opportunities. So little confidence and experience. Now I’ve made a plan, a technique to keep me moving. I’ve set some good goals. And I manage to move. But it’s like 2 steps forward – 1 step back. And I’m often afraid that I’ll never get to the speed of life again. That I’ll never become energetic, successful, never feel the drive which I dreamed of through my whole Odyssey with dp. Question: Is adaptation to life always so slow after depression? Does anybody have experience? Is there a way to speed up reconnection with life? Any advice?For those still in dp: hold on, it’s not for nothing. I know, I’ve been there. It’s not immediately all-happy after, but it’s much better. And getting better step by step. May the Force be with you ) Thank you

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A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members

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Overcoming mental illness

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Things pets do to make you laugh

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I want to share what I have written

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Yoga & Meditation

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Moving forward

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Recovering from setbacks

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Counting Sheep

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I've reached a happy, stable place!

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Short term strategies

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Adapt to life after depression

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Staying well

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

Overcoming mental illness replies: 9

Things pets do to make you laugh replies: 12

I want to share what I have written replies: 9

Yoga & Meditation replies: 4

Moving forward replies: 2

Recovering from setbacks replies: 3

Counting Sheep replies: 8

I've reached a happy, stable place! replies: 1

Short term strategies replies: 1

Adapt to life after depression replies: 5

A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members

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Overcoming mental illness

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Things pets do to make you laugh

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I've reached a happy, stable place!

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Adapt to life after depression

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