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Cyclone Alfred - Mental Health Support

replies: 0

Hey everyone, We acknowledge that many of our Forums members here are currently facing the impacts of Cyclone Alfred and might be feeling uncertain, afraid and overwhelmed. We wanted to create a separate post here to come together during what may be a distressing time for many of us to support one another. Recognising that the impacts of a natural disaster can occur both before, during and after, we have prepared some resources which we hope can be helpful: From the Queensland Government, Useful information to help you get ready for a cyclone:Home | Get Ready Queensland Emotional Preparedness: Prepare your mind | Australian Red Cross Three-steps-to-emotionally-prepare-for-the-disaster-season.pdf What now? Coping after the event: Coping after a crisis | Australian Red Cross Maintaining wellbeing in the face of long-term stress | Australian Red Cross Emergency preparedness guide | Australian Red Cross As always, if you wish to speak to a counsellor, the Beyond Blue Support Service is available via phone 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or via beyondblue.org.au/get-support for online chat. Stay safe, everyone, and take good care of yourself during what can be a deeply challenging time. Kind regards Sophie M

Meet your community champions!

replies: 10

Hi everyone, We wanted to share with you the way that our wonderful Community Champions are here to support you. You may have noticed that a few of our Forums members are labelled ‘Community Champion’. Community Champions are volunteers within the Beyond Blue Forums who: have the time, skills and empathy to support other members regularly; help to welcome new members; are actively engaged members that help set the tone of our community. Our Community Champions are regular contributors to many conversations across the forums. They are a consistent and friendly voice that have committed to sharing their experience and expertise with this community. They are not health care professionals or clinicians. Like you, they have an experience with a mental health challenge or diagnosis – either for themselves or someone they care for. This forum is for people who understand what it feels like and have a lived and living experience of mental health challenges. Our Community Champions help everyone feel comfortable and confident by demonstrating what excellent peer support is all about. Click here to find out more about how you can become a Community Champion! This incredible team are excited to introduce themselves below, and we are sure you’ll see them around the forums in conversations important to you.

HELP..Am I posting in the right section?

replies: 10

Welcome to those who are considering posting for the very first time, welcome. Thought I would repost part of the words that Chris B posted awhile ago, (2014) as I can hear that people are unsure if they are posting in the right section or worried that they are posting "the wrong thing". 1.A good title makes the difference Just like a headline in a newspaper, when scanning the dozens of threads to click into, it’s only natural that people will choose the ones that resonate with them most. A title that entices the reader, or asks a question, is likely to get a better result than something non-descriptive like “Depression” or “I don't know what to do”. If you think you’re not good at choosing titles, leave it till last. Spend time writing your post, then perhaps choose a sentence from what you’ve written as the title. 2.Join in threads that have already been posted We all have our own unique stories, but part of the reason for joining a forum like this one is because you know that you will have a lot in common with others who are posting. Before starting a new thread, have a look through the current topics being discussed and see if there’s a conversation you can join in with. It can be quite common to have a handful of very similar threads happening at any one time, with members seemingly unaware that there are others right there who are going through the same thing. Talking to other members on their threads is a great way of getting yourself known so that when you post a thread of your own, people may respond quicker because they recognize your name. 3.Choose the most appropriate section for your post Many people browse the forums looking for stories specifically to do with pregnancy and parenting, employment, grief, loss, separation etc. Going straight for the “Depression” section may seem like the easiest option, but this section is often the busiest, so your post is more likely to get lost among the threads. Making good use of the different forum sections not only helps keep the forum relevant, but you’re more likely to find others who are going through the same experiences as you. Also, if you're wanting to discuss issues of trauma, abuse, suicidal thoughts or self-harm, it's really important you post in the designated section to avoid triggering others who may not wish to read about these topics. Mostly..just come and chat, we are here for you. Our amazing wizards in the background will see your message ends up in the right spot. Sarah

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Introducing myself

replies: 4

Hi, I'm Mark and I'm 66. I have been married for 44 years with 3 children and 9 grandchildren. I have been retired for almost four years, my wife still works albeit part time. I've experienced depression a few times over the years. One episode about 25 years ago was pretty bad, but I got through it with professional help I learned to recognize the signs that I am slipping into depression again and have been able to reduce the severity and duration of the occurrences. Lately though, it's been getting tougher, the negative emotions are stronger and persistent. I'm hoping i can find some support here

My partner has an ice addiction

replies: 0

Hi, I am unsure where my post belongs, however, my partner has an ice addiction. We have been together a year and a half and a month ago I learned that he is using ice. His explanation was that he was an addict 8 years ago and now only uses casually. I don’t believe someone who was once an addict can use actually, but I don’t have any experience with drugs or addiction myself. I cannot get the night I found the drugs out of my mind, I went through so many emotions. Shock, confusion, sadness, anger, numbness and now a month on I feel worse. I have tried to continue to support him, however, it’s clear that I am devastated. I really try not to let it upset me, particularly in front of him but sometimes it bursts out of me and he doesn’t say anything at all, as if I’m not even there. He doesn’t console me, at times he has removed himself from the room I’m in and the past week he has turned on me and withdrawn completely, and ended our relationship.I feel as though I am being punished for finding the drugs and learning his secret and now that I have, he has discarded me. Finding the drugs and reliving that in my mind constantly was already difficult, and a few nights ago I went to see him and found him just after he had used. He had fallen asleep and when I walked in, his eyes were bloodshot red, the pipe was in front of him and he was hiding the ice behind his back. He’d been drooling. Again, I can’t get these images out of my head. I have never seen him like that before and he obviously never wanted me to see him like that. He looked ashamed and defeated, I sat with him, and it was so sad because he looked like he felt so alone. I am trying to put my own feelings aside, at least while with him, and concentrate on him but I worry that I am being overbearing. My thought is, I want to remind him that he is supported, loved and cared for and my hope is, if he feels that, he might not feel the need to use. I also know he won’t use if I’m with him, so I try and be around him as much as I can. Bringing him food etc, just so I know he’s had at least 1 meal. Are my actions healthy though. It feels like I am acting in desperation, I want to do something/anything to help him. I don’t know what to say or what to do right now. I looked at photos of us tonight, and yes I had noticed a change in his appearance but looking at our photos, it’s heartbreaking. He almost looks like a different person. He’s aged, lost weight, he looks so tired and worn out. I feel quite stupid for not knowing, his friends and family all knew about his past. Some friends have suspected he was using again, I’m the only one who was in the dark about this and I’m the one who has been the closest to him. I want to be there for him but I also cannot feel like this longterm.

Owed to Solitude

replies: 380

I owe a lot to my current situation in life. In fact, it's probably as close to heaven on earth that I will ever get. I've served my apprenticeship in the School of Hard Knocks. It was actually a life sentence with no time off for good behaviour. I think it was Mr. W. Shakespeare who said "All the world's a stage". And that is precisely what we are - actors on a stage. Some of us play our parts really well and fool the audience into actually believing what we say we are. Then there are those who find it impossible to be anything other than what they are. Not good actors at all. That's where I make my entrance. But I don't play to the audience any more because it is a complete and utter waste of time and effort. Now that I have settled into retirement, I can stop the acting and the pretence and be whatever I choose to be. It's a great pity that we have to spend the greater part of our lives playing to an audience. Some people get away with turning their backs on the bright lights and sink into blissful anonymity. This is what I am trying to do now so that I can gather a little happiness around me before I drop off the perch. When I think back, I seem to have spent so much time trying to keep everyone else happy and giving in to do things when I don't want to. I never had the nerve to say no so I guess I was a real pushover. I think it's time to turn the page on the script and write my own dialogue for a change. Or is that asking too much? I'm not really sure myself. Maybe I am expecting too much. Shame on me eh? But there will come a time when I run out of choices and that will be the end of it. The curtain comes down on another production. I only hope it doesn't come too soon. If we do what we want to when we want to do it, we are called selfish. I have nothing left to give. It's all gone. The audience have gone home and the stage is a dusty platform waiting for the next deception. Sorry, production.

Medication Review for my 16yr old

replies: 3

Hi, I'm kinda lost here, so please be gentle. My daughter, "Ari" (16) has recently been diagnosed with cPTSD. Her clinpsych and I talked after her last appointment (Friday) where I was told Ari needed to go our closest hospital to have a psychiatrist do a meds review as her current medication isn't working, over asking our GP to do it, as there are things psychiatrists can prescrible that GPs can't. After doing several tests it shows Ari has severe depression and separation anxiety. I'm all for her going to get her meds reviewed, I just don't know what to expect. Ari is extremely anxious about going in as she doesn't know how long she'll be in there for, if she can have her phone (mainly so she can talk to me) and that she'll be lost without her dog there for comfort. Can someone who's been through this process as either a patient, parent or doctor, please give me some pointers on what we need to do?Should she pack a bag and bring it with her?How long would she normally be there for?Her father and I have given her the weekend to get her mind around the idea, and he will be taking her up on Monday. I just want what's best for my beautiful Ari.Cheers

Marriage breakdown

replies: 3

Hi I’m 51 and have suffered depression for years .. on and off medication recently infidelity issues have caused a breakdown in my marriage which reinforces the absolute hatred I have for myself my wife has said it’s now or never for treatment and co... View more

Epilepsy

replies: 15

having suffered epilepsy for over 35 years, I was wondering if there were others who also suffer epilepsy, as would be great to chat, share our stories and encourage one another, look forward to chatting.

Need Advice on What to Do Next

replies: 1

Hi, this is the first time I’ve ever actually reached out for support. I heard online that this might be a good place to start. I’m 19 and somewhat in university, kind of. I don’t really know how to ask for help, but I know I need it. I’m not sure if I’m dealing with burnout, emotional exhaustion, or something else entirely. The past year has been a lot. In April last year, I lost my dad to cancer. I don’t really know how to grieve, or even if I’m still grieving. I was close to him, but I’ve had so much else going on that I feel like I just pushed my emotions aside. Last year, I started my first year at university and took four classes. When my dad passed away, I thought throwing myself into study would help, but it didn’t, I failed all four units. I didn’t want my family or friends to worry, so I told them I was doing fine. In semester two, I retook two of those units but still failed one. Now, this semester, I’ve decided to take a break from university to try and fix myself. But I haven’t told anyone. I’ve been pretending I’m still studying. I’ve been feeling lost and confused. I don’t know what to do. I keep telling my family and friends I’m fine, that I’m doing well, but inside, I feel like I’m falling apart. I smile and laugh, but it hurts. My sleep is a mess, and even though I’ve been trying to get myself together, I’m struggling. I came to this website for advice or support because I don’t know where else to turn.

estrangement from my son 30years

replies: 1

After 5 years of being in a relationship with a narsisstic woman, who literally controlled him and changed his thoughts on all of us, mum, brother, sister and stepdad. we were all very close and three years ago my younger son who is estranged came to our house and had an argument with his older brother. I told them that I was not happy that they were arguing. His brother was just upset on the way he had changed and forgotten about us. He has now left that relationship and two years on, still has not come to see us. My heart is totally broken. I know logically that I cannot change the situation, but he is very easily controlled and manipulated by people. I love and think of him everyday, even though he has not made an effort to get in contact with me as I have been hospitalised with ill health. I want to let him go but this grief pulls me back. He is not the same person, he is not empathic but more narcissitic like his biological father. I try and think of the silent treatment he is using against us all, but I still pray that he will return one day.

Estranged from my adult son

replies: 9

I am terribly hurt confused and depressed about my son’s dismissal of me and his dad. He was always very independent as a child and leader in his life and relationships. We have always thought this a positive and strong attribute but it seems he feels he needs no one in his life and that includes us. It started with his new wife who encouraged his behaviour of independence which was great however she began to dislike me and started causing trouble. She has then convinced him that we didn’t raise him well and that he was abused physically by us as a child. My son told us we are never to contact his family ever again. We miss him so much and our grandson. I’ve tried everything to work through this but she won’t budge and he ignores us. Is anyone else going through anything similar and how have you coped? Thanks

Intro

replies: 3

Hey! I'm new here, and this is probably the first time I've reached out on a website/platform that can connect me with real people who have or know of someone with similar mental health conditions, so I hope this is a first step in building my confidence in seeking face-to-face support.Firstly, I'd like to start by addressing the elephant in the room: why am I here?I have not been professionally diagnosed, so the state of my mental health is still up for debate, however I have been experiencing symptoms the past year and a half which suggest disorders such as depression, anxiety, and/or OCD.To paint you a picture, I feel constantly suffocated by dread, things I used to enjoy feel like a chore, and I can't bring myself to socialise (this is generalising it). An example is after a normal day, I just collapsed in my room because that was just how stressed I felt. My chest was heavy and aching, and I tried to move the pain to my arms by hugging them and digging my nails into them (I often do this when I'm stressed). Then I laid down on the carpet and stared at the floor. Like everything had led up to this final moment, and that was it. Obviously it wasn't, but these moments are becoming more prominent, and every day feels like it's going to spiral into something much worse. I don't think any of my mates have noticed because I come across as a go-lucky, naïve, and optimistic kind of guy. But I don't think a guy like that has to practice their smile in the mirror every day so that it looks authentic.Sorry, I'm rambling. My point is that I think I need help, and I hope people can either relate or recognise themselves in this post. (and sorry if I sound misinformed, that's another reason why I'm here)

Cyclone Alfred - Mental Health Support replies: 0

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

HELP..Am I posting in the right section? replies: 10

Introducing myself replies: 4

My partner has an ice addiction replies: 0

Owed to Solitude replies: 380

Medication Review for my 16yr old replies: 3

Marriage breakdown replies: 3

Epilepsy replies: 15

Need Advice on What to Do Next replies: 1

estrangement from my son 30years replies: 1

Estranged from my adult son replies: 9

Intro replies: 3