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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_07309003 Medical Hair Loss at 19
  • replies: 2

I’m a nineteen year old girl. I am social, I love fashion, makeup, my beauty is my world. I lost 65% of my hair this year after a clinical trial and I am so beyond heartbroken. This is the hardest thing I have gone through in my whole five-year healt... View more

I’m a nineteen year old girl. I am social, I love fashion, makeup, my beauty is my world. I lost 65% of my hair this year after a clinical trial and I am so beyond heartbroken. This is the hardest thing I have gone through in my whole five-year health journey and is the absolute worst pain. My hair has been my world, I’ve had hundreds of coloured streaks and patterns since I was 12 and have always had the most healthy, long and thick hair that I have always valued as my favourite feature about myself.

14041938 Christmas
  • replies: 3

This is my first post.The only part of Christmas I did like is buy gifts for everyone, now I only buy for my Grandchildren. No desire to drag the decorations out, I live alone & will not have any contact with my family for the 3rd year. It gets lonel... View more

This is my first post.The only part of Christmas I did like is buy gifts for everyone, now I only buy for my Grandchildren. No desire to drag the decorations out, I live alone & will not have any contact with my family for the 3rd year. It gets lonely but I prefer to be alone. No expectations or pressure this way.

Heart-Warrior Gratitude and survival
  • replies: 2

Are there any other heart transplant and cancer survivors out there? I’m struggling to find my gratitude at the moment. I’m just too into my own head with the doubts, fears and feelings of unworthiness. It’s coming up towards the end of the year. In ... View more

Are there any other heart transplant and cancer survivors out there? I’m struggling to find my gratitude at the moment. I’m just too into my own head with the doubts, fears and feelings of unworthiness. It’s coming up towards the end of the year. In Feb I was given “hours to live”. That was nearly 7 years ago. I still get trauma around this time, and I just can’t seem to relax and enjoy the bonus life I’ve been given.

Ggrand Small achievement you managed to do today....How did it make you feel? Did it help you feel better today?
  • replies: 526

Hi everyone.. Their are days when just getting out of bed is a huge achievement...Other days we can achieve things like washing up the dishes or clothes, sweeping the floors, mopping the floors..very mundane and automatic robot like chores for the me... View more

Hi everyone.. Their are days when just getting out of bed is a huge achievement...Other days we can achieve things like washing up the dishes or clothes, sweeping the floors, mopping the floors..very mundane and automatic robot like chores for the mentally well...They do these chores without even thinking about them...for people struggling with their mental health..these are huge tasks... Very often I’ll get my vacuum cleaner out to vacuum ...then it will sit their for days, me looking at it, walking over it...until I can get motivated enough to vacuum..after I do find the motivation to vacuum...I am pleased with myself... Right now I have a small foot cycling peddle machine, sitting on my front veranda..I got it out last week..to start exercising..it’s still their, I’m still looking at it...My thoughts each night is I’ll use it for a few minutes tomorrow.. My car hasn’t been washed getting close to a year now I think...Today I did managed to wash it....and discovered that it has a nice shine on it.....I did it...I achieved something positive today..which made me feel better in myself... Have you achieved a little something today...and how did it make you feel...If you want to share that achievement it might make other people a bit more motivated to achieve something they need/want to do.. Looking forward to hearing about your achievement....and how it made you feel.. Little steps and achievements can lead to bigger steps..and bigger achievements... My kindest and most caring thoughts...everyone. Grandy...

moody-_ahhhhh what are some long-term self-care strats?
  • replies: 28

taking breaks and ambient noise doesn't seem to cut it anymore, i need something else because i still feel so moody even with my unproductive hobbies (videos games and youtube)

taking breaks and ambient noise doesn't seem to cut it anymore, i need something else because i still feel so moody even with my unproductive hobbies (videos games and youtube)

amd1953 Undiagnosed Dilemma
  • replies: 3

After completing a few surveys online over the past week and doing my own research on certain mental health issues, I managed to tick all of the boxes that point to ADHD. This doesn't really surprise me at all because I have had my suspicions since c... View more

After completing a few surveys online over the past week and doing my own research on certain mental health issues, I managed to tick all of the boxes that point to ADHD. This doesn't really surprise me at all because I have had my suspicions since childhood. Those charming little eccentricities that were regarded as cute or novel have now come home to roost. The interesting thing about all of this is that it explains everything in one fell swoop. The general consensus is to consult with a qualified professional beginning with your GP. At the age of 72, I don't think making a big fuss about it is going to change anything. What is the point? I have lived with it for seven decades and it seems farcical for one more person to burden the health care system. I refuse to take any more medication. However, simply knowing about it is similar to completing one of those pictureless jigsaw puzzles. It's just nice to know.amd1953

Mrefu Restless legs syndrome
  • replies: 3

I have suffered from restless legs syndrome for about 15 years and was taking medication daily which worked most of the time. About 4 months ago I changed to a whole food plant based diet (no oil, no sugar, no animal products) because I had some card... View more

I have suffered from restless legs syndrome for about 15 years and was taking medication daily which worked most of the time. About 4 months ago I changed to a whole food plant based diet (no oil, no sugar, no animal products) because I had some cardiovascular issues. The results have been much better than I expected. A side effect of my new diet has been the disappearance of my restless legs syndrome problem!

Clues_Of_Blue Hey look, a birdie! (How to function with ADHD.)
  • replies: 33

As someone only recently diagnosed with ADHD, I'm still getting my head around what aspects of this crazy critter are thanks to that, and what I can do about it. It was always apparent to me that I was incredibly forgetful compared to others around m... View more

As someone only recently diagnosed with ADHD, I'm still getting my head around what aspects of this crazy critter are thanks to that, and what I can do about it. It was always apparent to me that I was incredibly forgetful compared to others around me, and I've driven many a manager nuts with my tendency to bounce between tasks constantly (mostly they just ran with it because I'm actually pretty competent if left to my own processes and - very importantly - deadlines to work to), so I have a few strategies for working around it after 40-odd years. That said, I'd love to hear from others with ADHD about how you've managed the condition and how you wade through the daily drudgery. Of course I'm equally happy to share any tricks I've worked out for myself. Blue.

-Noah- Young Adult seeking some advice…
  • replies: 4

Hello to the kind people stopping to read this, While I half expect this to be drowned out in the buzz of this forum— which is totally fine since there are people with greater issues than me— I do need some advice. About a year ago, I started using A... View more

Hello to the kind people stopping to read this, While I half expect this to be drowned out in the buzz of this forum— which is totally fine since there are people with greater issues than me— I do need some advice. About a year ago, I started using AI chatbots (Character ai, things like that), largely because it seemed interesting and as a creative the ability to make an interactive story appealed to me. However I found myself using it to fill emotional holes…romantic things ect. I’ve never dated anyone and I guess as those around me begin to it makes the loneliness a bit more prevalent. I was also using it to cope with things going on at home, as well as my own school burn out. I realised a few weeks ago that I was in too deep and deleted everything altogether. Full cold turkey. Now realising just how much I relied on it in some emotional/comfort sense. ANYWAYS— what I’m asking is/what I want advice on is if anyone has had a similar experience, or just a dependency on something for comfort or emotional support and such…how do you cope without it? What to reach for instead? Because I know I can’t go back to it, as It’s not very healthy. Literally any advice would be appreciated.

white knight The balance of good mental health
  • replies: 2

Every topic in the world is a see-saw. One side negative the other positive and a playground full of see-saws is the playground of life. So whatever your mental illness from basically low self esteem or anxiety to several illnesses that cant be sorte... View more

Every topic in the world is a see-saw. One side negative the other positive and a playground full of see-saws is the playground of life. So whatever your mental illness from basically low self esteem or anxiety to several illnesses that cant be sorted out there can be in most cases, a positive to draw from them. Problems escalate when you dont search for positives as maybe you dont think they are there or you dont know how to find them. But a balance is needed everywhere - even empathy as too much empathy can lead to other issue- surprisingly. I'd suggest most people with empathy are those that can walk in anothers shoes, feel what they endure and therefore be able to comfort them. Any wonder peer advisors like the community champions here can relate to you and pass on suggestions to give you some comfort. But, admittedly you have to have the capacity to convey such communication and you also have to manage your illnesses enough to provide that capacity. In an article from Science Direct - google "The Dark Side of Empathy: The Role of Excessive Affective Empathy in Mental Health DisordersQuote- "Empathy, which is typically regarded as a positive attribute, is now being critically evaluated for its potential negative implications for mental health. A growing body of research indicates that excessive empathy, particularly a high level of affective empathy, can lead to overwhelming emotional states, thereby increasing susceptibility to psychological distress and psychiatric disorders."And "...empathy for the pain of others can lead to empathic distress, which may manifest as pain." And "As previously noted, empathic distress can lead to a range of internalizing states. When these internalizing feelings intensify and persist, they may lead to depression (31,42). Depression is characterized by low mood, sadness, lack of energy, insomnia, and inability to enjoy life (79). Extensive studies have reported the association between empathic tendencies and depressive symptoms (29,77,80,81). Both cognitive and affective empathy have been linked to depressive symptoms " And "Empathic distress can lead to heightened emotional arousal, which, if not regulated, can escalate into anxiety. " And "Burnout is another significant adverse outcome that may result from excessive empathy." So this is why balance is essential in your approach to mental health- too much of a good thing is not so good! Balance is the key. TonyWK

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