Hello, I'm Fiona :)

[The_Feefenator]

Hi, my name is Fiona. 54yr old female with lifelong anxiety and depression issues. I joined a face-to-face support group when I was 40, run by a therapist who practices Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I was part of this group for six years, and found it extremely helpful. Mindfulness meditation has also provided me with some relief from my mental health issues.

My partner and I have recently moved from Sydney to the beautiful far south coast of NSW, where we are building a new house. I spent 30+ years in a toxic and controlling work relationship, which I'm sure has had a significant impact on my mental health. Now that I am free from that relationship, I am experiencing some feelings of anger and resentment (unusual for me, as in the past I usually internalised my negative emotions towards myself). So now, on paper, everything in my life should be wonderful, but I feel I still have a lot of work ahead of me to process these new feelings.

Looking forward to discussing these and other issues with members of the forum.

Fiona

[MsPurple]

Hi Feefenator and welcome to the BB forums 🙂

I am glad the ACT sessions have helped you in the past. So you are still struggling with resentment even after finishing you job and moving is this correct? I am guessing it is interfering with your life now as it feels like you can not move on. Am I on the right track or have I read it wrong. I know when I finished my last job I still held some resentment towards it even after finishing. It has gotten better now, however when I talk about it I still notice it. I only worked in that posititon for a year, so I'm guessing being in a toxic workplace for 30 years would be a lot harder to forget.

Would you consider doing ACT again in your new town? If it helped last time it maybe worth trying again. Or even seeing a psychologist one on one if you are comfortable. I like seeing one as I can vent and get a professional perspective and figure out how to deal with it in a rational way.

Feel free to discuss whatever you'd like to on BB forums and on this thread. We are a very welcoming community

[The_Feefenator]

Hi MsPurple, thank you so much for your response to my post 🙂

Yes, I am now struggling with resentment, that I never felt before when I was kept in a controlling relationship (I didn't realise how controlling it was). Yes, I have discovered that there are at least two psychotherapists who offer ACT treatment in my new little town. I need to make an appointment with a GP and get a referral, which I will do soon.

As I write this reply, I have a smile on my face, so hopefully things are changing for the better in my life 🙂

[MsPurple]

HI Fiona

I am glad you have gotten a smile on your face with the idea of going back to ACT. I know the feeling. Having hope and faith that it is going to get better. That can put a smile on anyones face. I think hope is so important and when we are in a dark place, hope just seems impossible.

Resentment can be a horrible feeling to have. It can be hard if your not sure how to deal with or or overcome it. I think ACT would be helpful with this. I have read some books that have helped me. One is called 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***' by Mark Hanson. I found it helpful however it is a slow read (I can't read it in one day).