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

[Quercus]

Hi everyone,

Tams and Sara how goes the blogging?

Well I have officially become a big fan of blogging. Even though I've felt a bit rough lately I log on and read and find the most amazing people and writing. I found another lady from WA who is 80 years old and a kick ass blogger. I read her post about elder abuse and immediately wished I could show Donte one of the multicultural correspondents here because he has a thread about it. And another is by a journalist who writes about mental health in a way that is guaranteed to kick any stigma into submission.

I love it. Best of all is I found a blog every Saturday where people post things from their gardens. It has made me laugh as people from the other side of the world see photos of my plants and comment on how unusual and alien they are.

So yes. Blogging I think is excellent therapy. What about you?

There are downsides I have found. No moderation. When you follow a mental health blog sometimes the details are too much. I have learnt to be very strict with myself to look for triggers. It has made me appreciate how safe these forums are.

I would love to hear what you think. New members or older all are welcome.

[Tams20]

Hi Quercus,

I must confess that I haven’t started yet... I’ve been trying to sort out my meds and working and being a Mum and trying to also exercise and be social and it slipped my mind! But I think I’m getting to a place now where I might be able to have a go at it... things are more settled.

I will keep you posted 😊

Tams

[AndrewP83]

Blogging is a great idea, I think it teaches us to honour our journey, become more authentic with our feelings and break down the vulnerability barrier, I started doing it over a year ago as a form of expression.

Its now more of a way for me to listen to my thoughts as I type out my blog as sometimes if we listen to ourselves enough we often find the answers needed.

I say keep it up and grow throw it.