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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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Guest_6011 Re- clouded, unclear mind
  • replies: 1

Hey guys this could go in anxiety or staying well to be honest. But given been able to relatively handle this stuff, just usually recently. The clouded mind, unclear judgement sort of thing means that yeah can/have been able to just get on with life.... View more

Hey guys this could go in anxiety or staying well to be honest. But given been able to relatively handle this stuff, just usually recently. The clouded mind, unclear judgement sort of thing means that yeah can/have been able to just get on with life. Somewhat but yeah still gets at me, just stays tricky to work through and deal with. Cos sometimes saying the wrong thing happens and just feel weird and look often feel bad for it. Even shame/guilt so yeah is tough, anyway yeah just thought would put this out there. Good day for anyone that sees this yeah

CMF Meditation, Manifesting, Gratitude & The Law of Attraction
  • replies: 463

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

ecomama Three self-care things you did today!
  • replies: 1642

We can do it BBers, we can do self-care. Sleepy21 pointed out research that shows self-care REALLY helps! Please share what you do for self-care so we can get inspiration, ideas and motivation to do it too. Best wishes EM

We can do it BBers, we can do self-care. Sleepy21 pointed out research that shows self-care REALLY helps! Please share what you do for self-care so we can get inspiration, ideas and motivation to do it too. Best wishes EM

Doolhof Three things to be thankful for today
  • replies: 4787

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.

quirkywords What is honesty and how does it affect your mental health?
  • replies: 217

I want to discuss what honesty means to you and your health. People say that they fake being well, or wear a mask so no one knows their pain.Is this being honest. When we do not admit our flaws and our behaviours does this make it harder to have insi... View more

I want to discuss what honesty means to you and your health. People say that they fake being well, or wear a mask so no one knows their pain.Is this being honest. When we do not admit our flaws and our behaviours does this make it harder to have insight into our illness and harder to get better? Do we need to be honest with ourselves and others in order to be well.? Honesty can be a very subjective personal word. What one people feels is being honest another may feel is not. For many years I was in denial about my illness so I would admit to myself I was ill, I was not honest. So what does honesty mean to you? So lets start a conversation. All ideas welcome. Everyone is welcome to comment, new posters, regular posters, I want everyone's ideas. Quirky

white knight Community projects- obligations and measured effort
  • replies: 5

From when we were toddlers we had obligations. Then they escalated into school routines and chores. As we grew we realised how many tasks we carry out each day from bins out to be emptied to cutting toes nails to house cleaning and work. Dozens and d... View more

From when we were toddlers we had obligations. Then they escalated into school routines and chores. As we grew we realised how many tasks we carry out each day from bins out to be emptied to cutting toes nails to house cleaning and work. Dozens and dozens of tasks each day. But when our mind breaks down we cannot seem to carry out the most basic of tasks like rising out of bed and getting a meal. Furthermore those friends that dont understand will without realising, place pressure upon you with options you have no chance of accomplishing. "Just come out with us one night, we'll have a ball". I've always had a side to me that included some sort of community inclusion like maybe a local councillor or mens shed co-ordinator or similar. But I saw my restrictions and opted to do a few projects that didnt include so much communication with people. I lived in a very small town and there was no shelter. I approached the local council with my plan to build a rotunda near a river for visitors, (I had built 3 previously) To complete the task I had to work with some local committees and thats where the trouble began. Primarily those members too offence that 1/ they hadnt thought of the idea first 2/ that the rotunda would take away funds for other projects they had planned previously 3/ They resented the fact I had only been in the town 5 years whereas they all grew up there. Yet again I had to learn a lesson. Seems life as a sensitive bipolar/depressant cant get the obligation levels accurate, and my efforts are always full on, hence from the mania. So the obvious occurred, complete breakdown of emotions half way through the project. So I resigned from it. There is now a shelter with bbq in that park next to the river, no pretty rotunda but a shelter none the less. Community projects for many of us should be measured and without obligation. No obligation means an open membership, attend if you feel good, leave when you are not feeling good. Simple. Try to accept that we are not suitable for some positions in society. This forum however allows me an open obligation- I can close my computer anytime and open it anytime. Plus the satisfaction of helping people nationwide. A big difference to joining a dozen people on a project giving out sausage sizzles at a hardware store where you feel you are letting others down if you need to return home because a guy snapped at you because his onions were raw. Charity begins at homeTonyWK

Indy3 Creating a Safe Space in the Home Environment
  • replies: 0

Risk Containment/Stabilisation My dog and I live in a self-contained granny flat on my parents' property. I am currently unemployed (partly due to recent panic attacks) and do not have the financial means to seek other accommodation at this point in ... View more

Risk Containment/Stabilisation My dog and I live in a self-contained granny flat on my parents' property. I am currently unemployed (partly due to recent panic attacks) and do not have the financial means to seek other accommodation at this point in time. I would appreciate any tips on how to create a safe space for myself at home when my dad is a trigger for me and he works in his shed during the week, which is situated directly next to my flat. Some suggestions my psychologist provided:*lock my back door/place heavy object behind door (so I don't have to worry about dad 'popping in' unannounced) - I don't have a lock so suggestions how I can achieve this?*curtains on glass doors for privacy - suggestions how I can DIY this with velcro etc.?*staying at my in-laws a couple nights per week (to give me reprieve from heightened anxiety at home)*predictability in routine (e.g. scheduling times of day when mum comes into my flat)*alternative parking options (so I don't have to walk past dad to reach my car)*TV on/music for background noise (so I don't have to hear dad working outside my flat).*Lighting a candle Thank you

K_Ley I know they mean well
  • replies: 2

Hi, just wondering if anyone else is having daily contact with others on a mental health journey. I am a teacher and there are about 4 other teachers in my department at various stages of their mental health journey. As a relative newbie, I have been... View more

Hi, just wondering if anyone else is having daily contact with others on a mental health journey. I am a teacher and there are about 4 other teachers in my department at various stages of their mental health journey. As a relative newbie, I have been listening to their advice and stories about what to do and what not to do. I am now thinking that is not a great idea. I feel like they are now reliving the early stages of their journeys through me, and what they would and wouldn't do the same or different. This is starting to make me feel more anxious than I already am and I don't want to hurt their feelings by telling them to butt out as I do value the support they offer when I really need it. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

SandraCh Something is missing
  • replies: 5

Despite having reach a point in life that many dream of ( no need to work for money, freedom to do whatever I choose ) Ive struggling to truly enjoy life and choose how to spend my days.I struggle to experience happiness and relax and embrace my new ... View more

Despite having reach a point in life that many dream of ( no need to work for money, freedom to do whatever I choose ) Ive struggling to truly enjoy life and choose how to spend my days.I struggle to experience happiness and relax and embrace my new reality. Im not sure if its some kind of depression or something else.Any insights on how to deal with this?

white knight When all is lost....what can you do? Be radical?
  • replies: 31

I look back on my disruptive life and wonder ow I survived. I joined the RAAF at 17 lasted till I was 20. By then I'd owned 20 cars on impulsive buying and the debts that went with them. Then a taxi driver, assembly line worker, cleaner, spare parts ... View more

I look back on my disruptive life and wonder ow I survived. I joined the RAAF at 17 lasted till I was 20. By then I'd owned 20 cars on impulsive buying and the debts that went with them. Then a taxi driver, assembly line worker, cleaner, spare parts sales, prison officer and by 30yo I'd had about 50 jobs and 15 professions. I had no idea I wasnt well. Bipolar type 2, dysthymia anxiety and depression and I'm near certain ADHD had a lot of presence as well. All of this came to a head in 1996 with a plan for suicide. But I survived it- I turned it around...how? A week later my wife and I separated. I fell into depression while living in a 3 metre caravan but survived....when I purchased a block of land and built my own house. And so the unsuspected routine kept going. Frankly I think two things saved me....a change of direction/interest and consideration for others in my life. So lets put suicide aside. You are depression or anxious, up and down mood or family and friends have abandoned you. Whatever your crisis you are in despair, at the end of your tether and you dont have an answer. Through default and luck I found the answers to my crisis each and every time it came about. What about you? What can YOU do to slip out of your situation and predicament? To do a u-turn with your life and save it.? Let's look at what is at your disposal. Environment- I knew a guy once, a railway worker that was heavily depressed. He lived alone. One day he didnt turn up for work. A fortnight later he rang me and told me he had taken a job as a jackaroo in Queensland. A year later he rang me to tell me how happy he was. Just one example. Friends and family- if they are causing you grief then take action. We are talking about your health here. In some cases - survival. Take time out or expel them from your life or somewhere in between. Work- chase another job. Social media- cut out the people you have never met. I'm saying whatever it takes to allow your mind to be cared for, to rid it of negative forces and situations. I'm not saying it's easy, it isnt. There is a lot of fear out there among people to be radical but I'm suggesting that when there is no other option, that all reasonable options have been exhausted....its time to rethink the basics of your life. The alternative isnt an option, when remaining in your current situation is not healthy. Perhaps others have more suggestions to avoid falling into the hollow well of hopelessness.