Blogging as therapy?

[Quercus]

Hi everyone,

First off I have to mention sharing addresses for blogs I don't think os permitted (forums being anonymous after all). But blogging is a topic I wanted to talk about.

This week I tried an experiment. I feel very isolated offline lately and not very well. BB has it's limitations being anonymous so although I enjoy writing to new members it wasn't 'enough' when I couldn't sleep and felt like crying again. Part of me wanted more of a connection.

So I paid for a year with a blogging company (no idea what the right term is). $60. And have my very own blog which (even if I do yell at the screen occasionally) hadn't been as hard as I expected.

I haven't told anyone. I don't use social media. Felt like a complete idiot actually. But part of what I miss here is visual. I took photos of my garden to go with my words. It felt good to record it for myself even if noone else knew.

Then something weird happened. Strangers read and replied. So I read and followed their blogs. One was a young man. A suicide survivor who writes the most beautiful poetry. Another a gardener too. A third a transgender man. I began to see there are so many stories out there. Public. With photos too. So brave. I like my anonymity for now.

I started thinking about how on these forums after members have been here a while some conflicts form because people feel restricted by the rules. The rules are here to help us to be safe but I also wondered if when people become frustrated at the limitations here does that mean they are ready for more of a connection than what is achievable here?

Long story short... Do any of you blog too? What do you like about it? Is it different to you than writing here?

And most importantly... Does it help you manage your mental health and why?

Nat

[Tams20]

Hi Nat,

I like the idea of blogging actually! I’d probably want to be anonymous too, at least initially, but the idea definitely appeals to me. I don’t really mind if nobody follows me - I find it therapeutic writing about things. I used to religiously keep a diary when I was a teenager, in reality it probably helped me get through a very difficult time.

I might look into it. Thanks for the idea 😊

Tams

[Quercus]

Hi Pepper,

Yes that makes perfect sense. I think for a while volunteering and writing here was enough. But as I am becoming more resilient through therapy I need more.

I joined an activity through BlueVoices which gave me purpose and distraction in a creative way on days where I felt crap. Then it finished and it left me feeling a little lost. I'd gotten used to thinking and writing and being creative. The blog fills that need.

I think you're right. We need to use any resources available if they help us to feel good.

And hello again Tams20,

Thanks for joining in the conversation too. I was surprised at how easy it is to create a blog. I used WordPress but there are heaps of platforms out there.

What would you blog about if you decided to take the plunge?

Actually... That's a good question for everyone.

If you created a blog...what would you write about?

Nat

[Just Sara]

Ah Nat; your timing's impeccable!

What do you think I was considering yesterday? Yep; blogging! lol

I've wanted to do it for a while but didn't have the timing right. I feel exactly what you've expressed now...a need to connect on a different level. Creatively for myself I think.

While I get so much from helping others here, my life's changing directions to include 'me' more often and with 'passion'. It's passion that flies the coop when MH hits. When it returns as it has for me, there seems a gap or missing link. The thought of blogging, intuitively came up and the appeal is enticing! 🙂

I'll have to do some research and test the waters me thinks. Fancy me thinking it, and then finding your/this thread. I keep saying it; the Universe is really eerie sometimes eh...

Gr8 M8!

Sez xo

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Nat and all,

Yes, I’m with you on making the most of multiple platforms and resources to connect. I suppose it’s about creating a combo that works for each of us personally. I don’t ever think any one resource can realistically be expected to fulfill all of our needs for connection or self expression.

If you created a blog...what would you write about?

I’m not sure. Maybe politics, social issues and climate change...don’t know, it’s a hypothetical question. I can already see the potential arguments lol...

For me, what I struggle with on the forums is I’m not really intellectually stimulated, and yes, that is a real need for me. I respond mostly on an emotional level and perhaps offer thoughts and suggestions.

That being said, it goes back to my whole point about how I don’t think it’s realistic to expect any one resource or person to fulfill all of our “needs.”

Pepper xoxo

[Just Sara]

Hi Nat; (Shout out to bloggers and co too!)

Well, I did it! I started a new website with WordPress. A bit daunting considering I haven't slept and had to increase the page size to 125% to read/write properly.

It's only part done, but what a great way to get the creative juices flowing. What did I write about? Life...

Thankyou so much!!!

Sez xo

[quirkywords]

Nat

That's a great thread just as I was starting a thread on writing as therapy- Words:friend or foe.

I write a blog on an health site , as there is a new blog each day. I would have maybe 3 a month on, and it is always a different topic under the general area of mental health and being well.

So not a blog like you are talking about, but people comment and I find it helps me with my writing. Someone said I write about the obvious but others often miss the obvious!!, not sure if that is a good comment!.

Anyway, I have been writing for over 2 years so maybe over a 100 plus blogs of 300 to 500 words. It has given me confidence and there is no pressure to write very day, which there maybe with a regular blog not sure about that. Also there is a regular audience too .

Sez, well done.

quirky

[Quercus]

Hi Sara and Pepper and Quirky 😊

Sara (sorry I just can't 'click' with Sez... You'll always be Sara Connor kick ass woman like your old avatar to me 😊). Fellow blogger welcome and kudos to you! So what do you feel? Did it help you to have a space of your own with a wider reach to the world?

Pepper have you thought about joining blueVoices? I need to really THINK sometimes (only so many renditions of the Paw Patrol theme song until my brain goes to mush). BV has heaps of activities to join. Surveys. Giving feedback. Joining committees and studies.

I used to think there was the forums and BB who publish education material and fundraise. But there is more to it than that. There are a lot of activities through blueVoices that are to do with making change via politics. After all government needs solid data about the need and value of services or they wont invest any money.

End of sermon. Not trying to push or sell. I'm just saying if you need intellectual stimulation have a chat to BB about blueVoices.

And Quirky 😊... Your thread is such a perfect compliment. I'm writing about online publishing and you are writing for people who need a way to express and communicate themselves. Love it.

What a shame addresses are a no go. I would love to read your blog posts. I do subscribe to a lot of mental health blogs so who knows maybe I've read your stuff without even knowing it 😊.

What about how blogging makes you feel? Can anyone pinpoint why or how it helps them other than the feeling of connection?

[Just Sara]

Thanks so much Nat;

I'm on the free version atm trialling my approach and direction; it's a process of elimination and guess work. My sis called in today and we spoke about an idea for a business, or at least something that could turn into one. Got the passion and excitement juices flowing.

Free association with people who listen, (thank God one exists in my world) can rev up the creative brain into something quite magnificent. 🙂

The Blog page will definitely come in handy.

There's only one company who provides this service so Oz isn't flooded with competition. I gateway appears to be there.

So happy you wrote this..

Sara xo

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Nat and all,

Thank you for the thoughtful suggestion 🙂 I’m glad blueVoices was a great way to stimulate the mind. It sounds like it was a refreshing change from your usual routine to have that. Fantastic to hear.

I’ll keep it in mind but I’m considering other options too. I don’t want to steer this thread too far of course so I won’t go into detail here. Thanks again 🙂

I hope your new business venture goes well, Sez 🙂

Also, good on you for spreading your writing Wings on multiple platforms, Quirky 🙂

Pepper xoxo

[Tams20]

Hi everyone 👋,

You’ve all inspired me to give blogging a try. I used to be such a good writer when I was a teen, creative writing was my favourite, I loved writing stories and I used to keep a diary of my thoughts and feelings (something I should really be doing now!). I have always fantasised about writing a book... I used to be quite creative once upon a time, was also a talented musician (so I’ve been told) particularly on the guitar...

Somewhere along the way I have lost all of that creativity... I blame my career as a civil engineer in the construction industry, creativity is certainly not encouraged - it’s all about standards and processes and procedures, following the rules - any writing has to be viewed through the lense of potential future finger-pointing if things go wrong... I have to ask myself how my writing might be viewed in an investigation... it’s pretty restrictive!

So it’s time for me to try to get it back. And a blog might be a good way to start. Thanks for the idea Quercus!

Tams