Hi, I'll try this again. My original post in intros was, appropriately, moved to PTSD and Trauma, rightly so ... I can be intense lol.
I will try and be less drama & more "Hi There!"
I am a long time mental health consumer in my 50's. I have lived through childhood trauma & an emotionally abusive marriage. I have three children. I left my marital home in 2009 & I moved to a coastal idyll in 2012 which was most recently devastated by bush fires.
I care for my family of 3 full time. In my household there is autism, uncontrolled epilepsy, rapid cycling bi-polar, Major Depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, anxiety, 2 forms of chronic insomnia, sleep apnoea, oppositional defiance disorder, diabetes, c-PTSD, chronic pain disorder, intellectual disability, expressive language disorder ... to name a few. The MDD, GAD and c-PTSD are mine ... lucky me?
I have managed to get 2 of my family on to NDIS, which if any of you know, is a whole new set of horrors and abusive processes. I tried to get it for myself, but when I was rejected & told I would have to PROVE why I have PTSD, I walked away from it ... no thanks.
My passions follow several routes:
1. Macro photography. I chase bees and other small creatures, I love close ups of flowers and I love playing with light. I find when I am focusing on tiny moments in the lens I have trouble focusing on my chaos. A therapeutic past time I highly recommend.
2. I am a bit of a foraging, growing, cooking from scratch, locavore hippy. I love to cook by the seat of my pants. One of my household is a qualified French Chef, retired, he never complains, so that's a win! It also keeps the budget manageable, another win.
3. Dungeons and Dragons! Yes that qualifies me as a Geek. As a family, with 2 friends equally geeky added in, we play DnD. My eldest is working on DnD therapy for youth with special social needs. We started playing to help my youngest with autism & expressive language disorder. Engaging in interactive story telling is helping all of us in so many ways.
4. I read a lot, mostly science fantasy these days, but I cut my teeth on pure Scifi. I will also indulge in classics, especially regency romance.
5. Gaming & social media are also up there, but not at all a priority, just something to do whilst in between my caring duties, cooking & bee worrying ...
I also have a pet duck, Daisy, who is lame & geriatric, & two hens past their prime, but indulged,spoilt & fat.
Well, that's me ... "hi there!"
