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Sophie_M Sleep and Mental Health
  • replies: 0

Many of us have struggled with bouts of troubled sleep, and needless to say, these periods of nocturnal restlessness can be utterly overwhelming and exhausting. Sleeplessness can filter into every aspect of our lives: our ability to be present, remem... View more

Many of us have struggled with bouts of troubled sleep, and needless to say, these periods of nocturnal restlessness can be utterly overwhelming and exhausting. Sleeplessness can filter into every aspect of our lives: our ability to be present, remember things, regulate our emotions, or to feel excited and energised… it can change the way we think and feel in such a significant and impactful way. Whether it’s due to big life changes, global pandemics, financial or work stressors, health concerns (like menopause), how much ‘you’ time you have, or even unprocessed emotions you weren’t aware were there – so many things can impact how you sleep. All of this goes to show that not only do your daily habits, routines, and experiences play a huge role in maintaining healthy sleep cycles, but so does your mental health. And frustratingly enough, your sleep also impacts and informs your mental health and daily habits. Like most things, it’s a very easy cycle to fall into. So, it’s imperative that we are gentle and compassionate with ourselves on our journey to understanding what is making us so hypervigilant and unable to rest in the first place. Studies show that journaling or mindfulness practices throughout the day, healthy food, movement, sunshine, connection with loved ones, and support from health professionals can help us to feel more grounded and able to rest. But we are curious… what has worked for you? When do you notice that your sleep is most affected vs. when you get the best rest? And is there a way you could practice regulating your nervous system more throughout the day to help promote better sleep at night? We would love to hear your thoughts! Let us know if you have any questions and be sure to check out our page on ‘Sleep and Mental Health’ for more guidance and insight into a more supported and restful night’s sleep: Sleep and mental health - Beyond Blue - Beyond Blue Looking forward to hearing from you! Kind regards, 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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Katyonthehamsterwheel Challenging the V Day feels...
  • replies: 10

Today has me feeling a bit ick, and maybe others do too. So I thought maybe we could share something that we love or feel passionate about For me, it's the beach. I bloody love it! I like to draw in the sand and watch it get washed away, like a clean... View more

Today has me feeling a bit ick, and maybe others do too. So I thought maybe we could share something that we love or feel passionate about For me, it's the beach. I bloody love it! I like to draw in the sand and watch it get washed away, like a clean slate. I like to drown my thoughts out below the surface. I love the water when it's angry and crashing like thunder. I love it when it's clear and still and aquamarine. And I even adore the hot sand, when you have to dance over it trying not to burn your feet, but you're laughing at yourself all the while.

Guest_342 Blinking
  • replies: 5

Hello, Does anyone else have issues with excessive and awkward blinking/winking and/or compulsively popping your ears? I find I do it more in stressful situations - e.g. when concentrating on busy traffic or when talking face to face with someone who... View more

Hello, Does anyone else have issues with excessive and awkward blinking/winking and/or compulsively popping your ears? I find I do it more in stressful situations - e.g. when concentrating on busy traffic or when talking face to face with someone who will notice me doing it. occasionally I do other things like clenching my teeth or clashing my front teeth together. If I don't do it, it feels uncomfortable. What has worked for you to reduce or stop it?

contrarymary Sleep and anxiety seem to go hand in hand
  • replies: 3

I have difficulty getting of to sleep I usually end up watching a TV program on my tablet and fall asleep half way through I then wake up and can't get back to sleep and then I start getting anxious as I am awake and the rest of the house is asleep. ... View more

I have difficulty getting of to sleep I usually end up watching a TV program on my tablet and fall asleep half way through I then wake up and can't get back to sleep and then I start getting anxious as I am awake and the rest of the house is asleep. I get even more anxious if I look at the clock (I try not too) if it says something like 3am and I an awake so I lie in bed imagining all these things that might be wrong with me as I am awake. I have tried going to bed later and doing some puzzles or reading I might then drop off for an hour or so then wide awake I sometimes get up and make a cup of tea at 3am. I do not sleep during the day and do not feel tired during the day, perhaps I am one of these people who don't need a lot of sleep. Anyone got any ideas on how to get to sleep naturally the worst is waking up in middle of night and lying awake I often read a book and then must drop off again as book is on floor when I wake. If I go to bed at 9 I will be awake at 1am, if I go to bed at 10 I will be awake at 2am, if I say awake till midnight I will be awake at 4am then it's at least an hour before I get back to sleep I would just like to go to bed at say 10pm and sleep till alarm goes off at 7am, anyone else have my problem

BB563780 A Five-Year-Old Girl
  • replies: 2

In 2018, I was extremely upset while walking home from school. I was heart broken by a group of best friends who left me and I was unsure of how to cope with life. I lost track of the time because every day seemed the same, I had severe irritibality ... View more

In 2018, I was extremely upset while walking home from school. I was heart broken by a group of best friends who left me and I was unsure of how to cope with life. I lost track of the time because every day seemed the same, I had severe irritibality issues, I had not showered nor brushed my teeth in a week, my hair was very untidy, there were deep purple bags visible under my eyes, and there were wrinkles and self-harm marks visible. I was walking with my head down and considering suicide that day due to breaking down in tears in a class, almost destroying school property and causing a fight, and a mother and father who berated me. A trailer almost ran me over, however I did not have a single thought nor care towards it. A five-year-old girl from a nearby primary school skips towards me and says with glee on her face while pointing to my school: "Do you go to this school?" I replied in a monotone, low, and quiet voice that was followed by a sigh of disappointment: "Yes." The girl replied cheerfully: "Okay. Bye now." While she skipped away, my head turned upright and I smiled. I hope that she knows that my friendship with the same group of best friends who left me has been reinstated since, and I am continuing to live and thriving years later.

Guest_4502 Psychiatrist won't treat me
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone I recently admitted voluntarily. I saw a new doctor who dropped a bombshell - your diagnosis is wrong, we've ruined the last 10 years of your life and you were never really that sick, its just a minor condition we missed and all the stuff... View more

Hi everyone I recently admitted voluntarily. I saw a new doctor who dropped a bombshell - your diagnosis is wrong, we've ruined the last 10 years of your life and you were never really that sick, its just a minor condition we missed and all the stuff we've filled you with is why you've been a basket case. A number of issues happened during the four days I was admitted, so I eventually told a nurse it wasn't helping and there was no point me staying. Apparently being a voluntary patient means nothing. 12 hours later I was woken up with police at my door and detained for 12 hours for an involuntary assessment. I'm not sure thats legal but anyway it happened. I got over it, followed through with gp and psychology appts. Today I received a letter about the follow-up id booked with the psychiatrist. Not treating you due to your breach of trust, go see your gp and find someone else. Wow.

Sian_J 🎶Music 🎶
  • replies: 6

What music / artist / song do you relate to, or find helps you through? (A rough patch) And why? Can be be more than song, or more than one artist. THEN: What music makes you feel good, helps you feel better, makes you feel good about yourself? What ... View more

What music / artist / song do you relate to, or find helps you through? (A rough patch) And why? Can be be more than song, or more than one artist. THEN: What music makes you feel good, helps you feel better, makes you feel good about yourself? What music / song / artist/ band can you connect to on a more personal side? I want to know if music helps anyone else, as much as it has, and continues to still be helping me in my journey. MUSIC IS THE ONLY REASON I’M STILL ALIVE

Wilebeast Need help staying clean
  • replies: 4

61 days clean... it’s been a rough few days for me, all I can think about is getting a fix. sometimes it consumes my head 24/7, so hard

61 days clean... it’s been a rough few days for me, all I can think about is getting a fix. sometimes it consumes my head 24/7, so hard

white knight Acceptance- is this our biggest challenge?
  • replies: 7

Acceptance is in the mix, in terms of the process we have to face where it comes to our demons. Like all the other factors in our quirky lives with mental illness challenges, we often have more intense fights to endure. We have to accept we have a me... View more

Acceptance is in the mix, in terms of the process we have to face where it comes to our demons. Like all the other factors in our quirky lives with mental illness challenges, we often have more intense fights to endure. We have to accept we have a mental illness- no mean feat before we can feel relaxed in our own skin. We have to accept being “different”, not normal and we have to accept others wont/don’t/cant understand. We have to accept the download of all this and the discrimination from nasty people. Then there’s the challenge of accepting ourselves. To top all this off we have the the computer. This machine has made incredible advances in communication, knowledge sharing and we as a result are far more aware and educated. But there is a downside….misunderstanding. In respect to forums we shed our outer skin, expose our deepest thoughts and in many cases display information about our inner thoughts we would not normal reveal. This can have ramifications. I’d argue that we with emotional needs far greater than normal and sensitivity at peak levels, that we are prone to fall into traps on the internet more often. Facebook is a good example. I covered this in an article (google) “topic: is social media good for you?- beyondblue”. Bullying from some quite nasty people had occurred with me over a 5 year period by one low life person that surprisingly was a popular fellow with others…for a time. Until people realised his inner persona wasn’t all that nice as his exterior appeared. By the time harm was done, the personal messages of “take more medication and go back to your doctor buddy” cut deep and there was no way I could just “laugh it off”. Internet disputes place us in a situation whereby you feel you cannot avoid them. We humans cannot agree about everything. But the worst thing about internet communication is, we don’t see the smile when the other posts, we don’t read the words how they were intended to be received and we certainly don’t have a vision of the good nature of the person…that often is clouded. We need to always try to move forward because the bigger picture of life itself is important. It isn’t an easy task because we are still chewing at the bit about our side of a story…so we have to be brave if we are going to use computers as our tool to talk, find common ground and swallow our pride. Acceptance, our greatest challenge? I think so. To accept ourselves and focus on the bigger picture. What do you think? Tony WK

Mental_Peace Constant urge to do my bit
  • replies: 11

Since several years, I have had this constant feeling that I want to do more and do my bit to help out the needy and those who cannot stand up for themselves. I am always on the look out of like-minded people who would be able to share how they help ... View more

Since several years, I have had this constant feeling that I want to do more and do my bit to help out the needy and those who cannot stand up for themselves. I am always on the look out of like-minded people who would be able to share how they help out in the community and actively support the causes that are close to them. This feeling of mine is quite strong and often makes me feel helpless that I am not able to support people who may need me. I often help out with donations but I feel the world needs more of it which again brings me back to the feeling of being helpless. Are there any of you in a similar mind space? Would really like it if you could please share your experiences. Many thanks!

Belladame Getting off SSRIs
  • replies: 2

Hey all, I’m wondering how anyone has coped with reduction and complete withdrawal from SSRIs and how long did the symptoms carry on? I am on my 8th day and wondering how long symptoms will last? ie,.... *the pins and needles, numbing in the face *th... View more

Hey all, I’m wondering how anyone has coped with reduction and complete withdrawal from SSRIs and how long did the symptoms carry on? I am on my 8th day and wondering how long symptoms will last? ie,.... *the pins and needles, numbing in the face *the light headedness and feeling faint at times *the sweating *manic behaviour(isn’t too bad but depends on who I’m interacting with, chilled people are fine but naturally argumentative people are setting me off) thanks in advance