Hi, New here

[Guest6274]

Hi, I have been living with Schizoaffective Disorder for about 23 years and have had different diagnoses over that time but Schizoaffective has been the most permanent one. I am a solitary, introverted person with sensory problems so I find interacting with people difficult, just because I become so mentally exhausted and then need to be alone to recharge. My family(Mum, Dad, siblings), are really supportive and understanding of me and my illness. I pretty much manage my illness myself and am currently in the middle of researching to find a new psychiatrist. I have trouble with hallucinations but I am able to manage these to a large extent.

I find engaging in activities that feel good are pretty key when it comes to staying well. I make art, I really enjoy gardening and my pets, and I like going for really long walks. I have little nieces and a nephew and they are just amazing and so much fun to spend time with.

Well I guess that’s it for now😊

[Tess2]

Welcome Thinkingalot,

you seem to be very self aware and to have a supportive and understanding family is great. You also value feeling well and know what helps you there.

You will find this a supportive environment and will be welcomed by others .

tess

[Guest6274]

Hi Tess2

Thanks so much for the welcome. I try to be self aware but am sometimes not that successful Lol.

ThinkingAlot

[baet123]

Hey ThinkAlot,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for posting.

Nice to meet you, I'm Nick! It is great to have you here and thank you for sharing your story with us and being extremely honest. I can tell that your a brave, resilient and courageous person and these are amazing qualities you possess.

I think at times we all find interacting with people difficult and mentally exhausting. I think its great that you are aware of your feelings and emotions. There isn't anything wrong with needing to be alone to recharge so don't be to hard on yourself.

It is amazing that you have a great support network around you and that you are actively seeking treatment and managing your condition well! Awesome stuff!

I wish you luck in your search to find a new psychiatrist. I think the success of therapy and treatment is extremely dependent on the client/professional relationship and I hope your new psychiatrist will suit you!

What type of art do you create? I would love to create art but I don't have one artistic bone in my body, unfortunately 😄

Art, gardening, going for walks, getting sunlight and playing with your pets are great self-care techniques!

It was great meeting you and look forward to seeing you around.

All the best,

Nick.

[Burdy]

Hello and a warm welcome ThinkingAlot!

So glad to hear you have a loving and understanding family, so important to have a good support network.

You sound very self aware and a positive attitude to staying well - that's great!

I hope you find a psychiatrist to fit you very soon, I am currently looking for a psychologist who fits the bill for me so know it is sometimes hard and important you have the right person with the right skills.

Again welcome, as Tess said this is a wonderful safe place to share or off load full of beautiful understanding people willing to listen. I have only been here a week or so myself and already feel very comfortable here.

Hope to see you around the forums 🙂

Burdy

[Doolhof]

Hi ThinkingAlot,

I too welcome you to the community here and would like to thank you for such a wonderful, honest and upbeat post!

Thanks for sharing what helps you. I too enjoy being creative, it helps me relax, even if it is just colouring a picture or splashing some paint around creating colour.

One thing I have realised is that my art does not have to be perfect, it is something I enjoy, that is the main point to it.

Sounds like you have some great strategies for coping. There are some days when it is harder to engage in these activities than other days, that is when I might just sit in the garden and listen to the birds instead of being more active.

Cheers to you and thanks again for sharing! From Dools

[Guest6274]

Hi Nick,

Thank you for the welcome, yes I try to manage my illness as best as I can, although sometimes I don’t have as much control over it as I want to.

As for my art, people say it reminds them of children’s book illustrations, except my illustrations are for adults.

ThinkingAlot

[Guest6274]

Hi Burdy,

Thank you for the welcome, yes this forum is a really nice, supportive place. I don’t really talk about my mental illness much in my every day life so being here might be a welcome change.

ThinkingAlot

[Guest6274]

Hi Doolhof,

Thank you for the welcome and positive message. There were some awful things that happened around me in my late twenties that made me realise that life is very short and I felt I had to stop wallowing in my misery and change my attitude. I have had a lot of different therapies and doctors which has helped me a lot. Sometimes my psychotic symptoms are really unbearable and I have to give myself a break, which I think is self care and self soothing. It’s great that you can do art as well, yes I too just like to sit in the garden when I’m not feeling great.

ThinkingAlot

[Birdy77]

Dear ThinkingAlot,

I'd like to add my hello and welcome to the other caring people you've met.

I'm glad you're here and hope it is easing for you to offload some of your worries here.

I too love gardening, and my pets, and find solace in my art ... I love your profile picture, I feel like it has a lot of emotion in it. I like the subdued colours and the background.

Is that one of your artworks?

🌻birdy