Newbie!

[150lashes]

Hi All,

I'm new here and newly diagnosed with anxiety and depression, arising from some stressful situations, including a workplace attempted physical assault, verbal assault and harassment via text and email, long work hours, demands of university studies and a very sick 2 year old in and out of hospital & seeing specialists near and far for a diagnosis which is still unknown. It's been an extraordinary time.

I've never dealt with any mental health issues before until these issues arose in my life which I tried really hard to contain and deal with but it just got the better of me, I guess.

Not sure if it's just a sign of weakness on my behalf or whether I could have tried harder. Anyway this is where I am today.

I resigned from work, I deferred my studies and I'm focussing on getting my little two year old well and pain free. Whilst I'm at it I hope to improve my own mental health. I've just started therapy. Antidepressants were discussed but I've decided to give it a go without for a bit.

As for the name 150lashes - let's just say I couldn't think of a screen name and at the moment I'm enjoying a refreshing James Squire 150 lashes beer whilst I type this. It seemed the perfect name 👌 

I have quite a sense of humour which even through this I have been able to maintain. My GP and therapist think I'm taking things much too lightly and I use humour to cover up how I feel and what I am really going through. That may be true. My therapist believes she will break through the walls and make me cry.. We'll see about that 🙂

I think this community is great and I'm looking forward to participating and going through this journey with some company along the way.

Cheers 🍻 

[Bluey_moon]

Hi and welcome, 

I'm sorry to hear all you have been through. 

How is you little girl? 

This community is a good place to be!

sometimes I'm not sure what to offer in the form of advice but I'm a good listener! 

Skye

[150lashes]

Hi Skye 

Thanks for your reply.

My little boy isn't too bad at the moment. He does get some reprieve for a few days or a week before falling ill again.

We are off to another paediatrician and immunologist. Hopefully some answers!

How are you going?

[geoff]

dear 150lashes, your name represents how you feel, with so many questions and so many not being answered, that does happen to anyone struggling with depression, day in and day out.
Whether you want to take your harrassment at work any further is up to you, but from what you have said it seems as though you have a case, but probably not now because your concern is about your 2 year old son and when you don't know why he has this condition makes the situation even worse.
Mental health issues maybe there in a mild form and can be mistaken for having an extended period of being sad, but by being extended could well be depression in a mild form, and I wonder how many people are trying to cope with life that.
You maybe scared of taking antidepressants (AD) because when people don't take take them is to try and cover up that they are feeling depressed, but there is no shame in having this illness as it was once labelled as being taboo, but now that label has been thrown out the window whether we like it or not.
By having a sense of humour is always good just like all the comedians past and present have, and it well be a way to hide your illness, but I don't think that that matters does it, sure it could be a way of putting on our fake face per say.
So there are a couple of issues which are causing the problem here, and both are very serious, your son and you, so both present a real concern for all of us, and want to join you along this path and hope that you will let us. Geoff. x

[150lashes]

Thanks Geoff - I appreciate your comments and concern.

I will consider the ADs - my GP thought ​it was a good idea, but didn't want to push the issue too much as she knew how difficult it was to ask for help in the first place. Baby steps 🙂 

I certainly did have a case at work and enough evidence of both physical assault, verbal and written abuse.

However lodging a fair work claim is not fun. Organisations have a lot of legal and financial resources to fight such cases and they will do so, often leaving the victim to defend themselves with limited resources ar their disposal. The impact of fighting a case on my health and my son was something I considered and after doing some research and speaking with a few lawyers I decided I didn't want thar battle on my Hands.

When I resigned one of the owners acknowledged all I had endured and apologised that he did nothing to help. I don't know how to take that really?! Seems gutless to me.

I still wonder if I had not moved out of the way in a split second and was in fact physically punched in the face, what would they have done then?

Anyway here I am today, and that's what I need to focus on.

Thanks ​

[geoff]

dear 150lashes, I completely understand what your reasoning is, but just shelve all that happened and we do really hope that your son can get the treatment he needs first of all, because there must be someone out there who knows how to treat him, just like a needle in a haystack, but don't give up hope, because if you do then this will add on to how you are feeling now.
I have a 2 year old grand-daughter and couldn't bare to see her suffer from anything, so I am totally behind you all the way. Geoff. x

[NoEyeDeer]

G'Day 150lashes, I am new here, haven't posted before as I want to get to know the forum a bit before burdening forum members with my woes.  

Your post though grabbed my attention from two points.  The first being that you certainly have a lot on your plate with your sons undiagnosed illness and your work harassment experience. Both would add a lot of stress to your waking moments.  I hope that you can get some answers soon and get back on the "well path" again yourself.

The second thing that attracted me is your sense of humour. It seems similar to mine in lots of ways.  We both seem to use humour to balance out the not so pleasant aspects of our lives and personal issues.  I don't believe we are trying to hide those aspects but are trying to use humour to lighten the situation and cheer ourselves up a bit.  The Australian way, laughing at adversity.

Anyway, I hope you are able to get some answers, understanding and peace from the forum.

P.S. If my Forum name followed the line of your choice it would be JamesBoagPremium

[150lashes]

Thanks Geoff for your support. Your kind words are much appreciated.

 Yes my son is my priority. We are off to Westmead children's in search of answers.

Thanks again.

[150lashes]

Hi NoEyeDeer 

Thanks for your reply and welcome aboard!

Yes, I do think humour makes things more manageable for me and I've always been this way. I noted on my mental health care plan that there is a question "does the patient fully understand their condition?" and my GP wrote "partly".

Obviously because I'm not crying in a heap each time I see her I must not understand my condition.. Sigh 

I do understand it. Perhaps it's the medical profession that needs to "chill out" rather than me!

I look forward to reading your posts!

Take care  🙂 

 PS nice choice in beer 🍻 

[NoEyeDeer]

Thanks for the welcome. I agree with you in that some of the medical profession are a bit "serious" or believe that they have to be so.