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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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new_beginning Reiki healing experiences
  • replies: 4

I am very curious about Reiki, the benefits and where to start... just wondering if anyone has practiced this and found peace.. What has your experience been

I am very curious about Reiki, the benefits and where to start... just wondering if anyone has practiced this and found peace.. What has your experience been

PsychedelicFur What are some healthy/natural remedies when dealing with anger?
  • replies: 4

Hello there, just a quick question : what are some healthy remedies when dealing with anger? I do like to draw, listen to music and exercise. However what are some other tips or pieces of advice some of you fellow forum friends can suggest? Many than... View more

Hello there, just a quick question : what are some healthy remedies when dealing with anger? I do like to draw, listen to music and exercise. However what are some other tips or pieces of advice some of you fellow forum friends can suggest? Many thanks, PsychedelicFur.

AutismMum Being a mum is hard
  • replies: 5

I have always been very driven in my life and have built a successful career where I take care of many clients / brands solving their problems. At work I am calm. In control. I can take on so much work without feeling anxious - I somehow like the adr... View more

I have always been very driven in my life and have built a successful career where I take care of many clients / brands solving their problems. At work I am calm. In control. I can take on so much work without feeling anxious - I somehow like the adrenaline of having a lot on my plate and working through it multitasking and making things happen. So what keeps me up at night? What makes my throat close up and sends a ring to my ears? I'm a mum of two kids who are both on the spectrum of autism (one is diagnosed and one is in the process of that). Both kids are high functioning which means they easily slip through the cracks if not diagnosed, but it also means that I have become their advocate every step of the way. My whole life outside work is making plans and strategies to help the kids in their daily struggles. Setting meetings with therapists. Doing research. Creating plans for the school, for the speech path, for the psych, for the OT... It is mentally exhausting and draining and never goes away. Just thinking about it right now is making me feel anxious. Work is an escape from that feeling. I'm a doer and a fixer but somehow I cannot fix this situation. It's completely outside my control. Just breathe. Just breathe.

Peppermintbach Self care for people with demanding schedules/busy lives
  • replies: 31

Hi all, I thought that it might be helpful to have a thread to share self care strategies especially for those of us who often feel time-poor with demanding schedules/busy lives. I understand everyone is different, and like most things in life, self ... View more

Hi all, I thought that it might be helpful to have a thread to share self care strategies especially for those of us who often feel time-poor with demanding schedules/busy lives. I understand everyone is different, and like most things in life, self care also needs to be individualised to suit each of our individual needs, interests, personalities and lifestyles. I’ll be back later to contribute my own ideas... Please feel free to share your own self care strategies and suggestions Kind thoughts, Pepper

WokingOnIt Coping Strategies for 8+ week break from therapy
  • replies: 18

Due to logistics, there will be at least 8 weeks in which I won't be able to see my psychologist. The break started almost 2 weeks ago, with our last session for the year, and next one won't be until after February 1st. The sessions are fortnightly a... View more

Due to logistics, there will be at least 8 weeks in which I won't be able to see my psychologist. The break started almost 2 weeks ago, with our last session for the year, and next one won't be until after February 1st. The sessions are fortnightly anyway, but still. 14 days always seems like a long time to me, between sessions, so 8 weeks (or more) is really daunting. Life is really hard at the moment too. Many things going on at once. I am trying to put strategies in place to help me cope for the 8 weeks, until I can start therapy again. I would appreciate any input or ideas. I had quit drinking alcohol, and had been sober for 120 days (go me!!!) but have since started again as am just not coping with life. This is a problem and I need to quit again, which I HOPE I can do by myself in the next week or so, rather than have to wait until therapy starts again. I am trying to take care of myself physically but food aversion has kicked in full force (am autistic and struggle with eating food anyway, but worse when I am stressed) and I am really struggling to get enough to eat, as everything seems disgusting and I cannot force myself to eat much. I am really trying to reach out and interact more in my online spaces (hence this thread...) as I don't have any/many people in real life to talk to. When I feel really bad I isolate myself from even online spaces though. I need to organise a new support worker, but that is too hard for me to do without support (ha, irony) so I am not sure what to do there. Anyway! Bit rambling, sorry. Ideas welcome. I might come back and add mine as I think of new ones and use this thread as a record of how I'm doing over the eight weeks...

bpd1990 Small steps and worth
  • replies: 2

Its not easy. No matter what… no matter your circumstance, the mistake you have made, where you live, how you handle things, no matter what you are worthy of life! Sometimes it feel your not but if you take anything from this story take that you are ... View more

Its not easy. No matter what… no matter your circumstance, the mistake you have made, where you live, how you handle things, no matter what you are worthy of life! Sometimes it feel your not but if you take anything from this story take that you are worthy of life or care and support and don't stop til you get it. I have many times thought that I am not worthy of life. I have hated myself for so many years hurt myself in so many ways. I’ve given up hurting myself in different way to take up other ways of hurting myself and not even realising it. I’ve stayed alive for my family they have been my rock. A doctor got me to write the reasons I wanted to live and it was because of my family I use to read that every morning to remember why I was awake why I had to get out of bed. I have never ever done it for myself. I would live my life around who was home and do a little as possible deep down I didn’t want to be here but I had to do it for my family. These past twelve months I have learnt a lot. I have had to fight to be heard to be understood. I have never been bigger in size then I am now but you know what I can honestly say I have never been happier. Twelve months ago I could spend $60 at KFC and eat it all. Not because I was hungry but it was just another way of hurting myself. I cant remember hurting myself in front of people I would do what ever I could do to hide it but you cant hide weight gain. You can definitely try I have been there but it doesn’t work. I can not remember a time in my life where I have not hated myself or been hurting myself. I always thought I had to be skinner, to be healthy to be worthy of life to deserve life I need to change. But as I said at the start and I want to make it clear right now right here you are worthy of life! Start small being a borderline I thought it had to be all or nothing but its not true. Start small. One small change. Get out of bed for an hour and then maybe two and increase or don’t, it’s a step right? Journal once a week increase it to twice a week and continue. Research place that can help you more. Sit with it go with it or don’t go with it. Walk up and down the hallway and then maybe to the drive way maybe not. Don’t think everything has to all pain or all wellness. You may not realise it straight away its going to feel weird but the biggest thing I have learnt in my journey so far is small step and no matter what YOU ARE WORTHY!

Lee13 File report request help?
  • replies: 1

I received my file notes after a lot of back and forth with my previous psychologist. I have found them to be illegible though. Can I request my previous psychologist to type these file notes so they are readable. If she says no, which I’m expecting,... View more

I received my file notes after a lot of back and forth with my previous psychologist. I have found them to be illegible though. Can I request my previous psychologist to type these file notes so they are readable. If she says no, which I’m expecting, what should I say to her? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

Ace.x-ray Issues with job
  • replies: 1

Ever since coming back from working in the UK I have been struggling to find work because my shyness gets in the way. In the past few years all my life I have been tough to get a full time job so the only thing I could do is volunteer at lifeline and... View more

Ever since coming back from working in the UK I have been struggling to find work because my shyness gets in the way. In the past few years all my life I have been tough to get a full time job so the only thing I could do is volunteer at lifeline and animal shelters to build up my confidence. Back at home I have applied for so many jobs, and haven't gotten a reply from anyone and it is disheartening am I doing something wrong? I haven't been successful in finding work yet. But last December 2019 I applied for a cleaning job and I was happy. Been working with them for almost 3 months now, it is shift work so I can choose days and times to clean for customers. But the past 3 weeks wasn't much shifts because it was the holidays, and sometimes when I am booked for a clean the customer cancels. Like this week yesterday the customer I was supposed to clean for didn't answer the door, I got to work on time and was at the right address. So I knocked on the door no answer, than knocked a second time, still no answer then I decided to text and call the customer but still no answer. I had to wait in the car and talk to an employer, she told me to keep contacting and if the customer doesn't contact me within 20 minutes my employer told me I could go home. I drove 30 minutes to get to the customers homey and I ended up driving home. I was told I will still get paid for that mishap. I was so annoyed and angry, I was up early morning and ready for work. Either he was still asleep or forgot he booked a clean for that day. By afternoon I still haven't heard from the customer. Yesterday night I got a message from my company that my clean for today 31st Friday, was cancelled. I got upset and am not happy with this company. But I understand people have other things to do so I shouldn't get so angry at them for that. I am still feeling upset about the past 2 days of my cleans being forgotten and cancelled on the same week. Housekeeping isn't my career but I do it for financial stability. I am still struggling with earning money and I am lost and don't know what to do. Should I continue with this job I have now even though it is early to quit. Or I can apply for another job while I continue picking up shifts. I am lost in life, don't know what to do with my future. I am planning to go back and study but I need money to apply for a course and I barely earn enough. I have been feeling down lately and should see a GP.

Qua Introducing me ;)
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, This is my first post ever. I want to share my story of recovery from anxiety and depression. That is why I joined the forum.I am 47 I suffered anxiety from a childhood experience, around the age of 6. I lived with it all thru my life. F... View more

Hi everyone, This is my first post ever. I want to share my story of recovery from anxiety and depression. That is why I joined the forum.I am 47 I suffered anxiety from a childhood experience, around the age of 6. I lived with it all thru my life. Flight or fight was a constant. Around the age of 18 I was diagnosed with depression.The combination of anxiety and depression stopped me from believing that I was capable of anything. I had dreams but I just drifted really. A life of frustration. Knowing things could be better but not knowing how to change it. Recreational drugs and alcohol have been a constant in my life, as they temporarily filled a void that had always been there. I have been on anti-depressants on and off since I was 18. I never had any self-worth. I have been suicidal in the past. The turning point? - A week ago I had conversations with a friend, 5 days to myself and i stopped drinking (partner and kids were camping). I desperately wanted things to change. My relationship with my partner has been strained for some time. I watched 2 documentaries on Netflix that I believe played a massive role in the change in me 3 days ago. The documentaries are 'Brene Brown - The Call to Courage' and 'Heal'. The day after I watched them, I sat down and said out loud to myself - 'I'm not that girl anymore. She did what she did for survival at the time. I'm not that person anymore. I release her. I am not ashamed of who I am. i am not that girl anymore. I give myself the right to be who I want to be and be my authentic self'. I cried, I released, and I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders that had been there for decades. I felt like a whole person for the first time in my adult life. I honoured myself by doing 3 things that I wanted to do, clipped my hair, I painted my nails black and I had my eyeliner tattoed on. Since that day I feel like me for the first time. I am no longer subscribing to anyone else's script of how I should look and how I should live my life. I am happy. It is an odd feeling at times because I have never felt this before. I hope my story inspires others not to give up. The bandaid effect of anti-depressants and psychology sessions was not enough for me. I had to get to the root cause and release it, and that I did. It's been a rough old road but I didn't give up and I'm so glad for that.When I look in the mirror now I love what I see. I am so grateful for what has happened to me

JustPeachy Activities for the idle
  • replies: 6

Hi! I am a 19 y/o who has just enrolled in a Diploma of counselling starting after May (which I am very excited about). However, I have absolutely nothing to do until then and historically me having nothing to do and nowhere to be everyday hasn't bee... View more

Hi! I am a 19 y/o who has just enrolled in a Diploma of counselling starting after May (which I am very excited about). However, I have absolutely nothing to do until then and historically me having nothing to do and nowhere to be everyday hasn't been good for my mental health in terms of anxiety and depression. I have only 1 friend at the moment and she is extremely busy so I have been trying to find some things I can do on my own to occupy myself, but I have been struggling. I have been looking at job ads daily and applying to whatever I can find but there doesn't seem to be much going around in my area for an unskilled worker at the moment. I have also looked into some short courses in pottery and some other areas, just for fun and it seems that most are either booked up or run too late at night for me to feel safe travelling home on public transport for upwards of 1 1/2 hours. I have also looked into volunteering in my area and most are either not of interest to me or require me to have some sort of qualification. SO, would any of you lovely people have any ideas of things I can do that will get me out the house and meeting people my age? I don't mind if it costs some money. I know it seems like I'm being picky but I really want it to be something that I'd enjoy regardless of whether I end up making a friend there or not. Thankyou in advance!