Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

I have found anti-anxiety meds + insomnia meds so helpful in my recovery too @Paulette . Thank you for sharing.

Hello - I've just found this place.

I wanted to have just a private way to find support for some of the things im struggling with. Even just trying to find posts that I can relate to.

I do see a therapist but some stuff feels hard to talk about face to face.

So thank you already for that.

Hi @Chee,

Welcome to you. This is a very welcoming and supportive site to feel comfortable in talking about your experiences. I am only new myself and I too needed somewhere to be supported with my mental health. It can be daunting at times speaking to a Mental Health Professional about certain things. Please find yourself welcome here. I am still getting familiar with how everything works on this site. Lol my IT skills are a bit lacking but I learn each day.

I have been on medication for 6 months now and dont think it doing a lot.

Anyone had the same experience, how many times can it change?

Thanks so much.

Hi @Delicatessen

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

Thank you so much for your beautiful words and for sharing this part of your life with me 💜

I just wanted to start by saying that I’m so deeply sorry for the amount of time that it has taken for me to be able to reach back to you 💜

A few months ago in April, everything suddenly came crashing down around me and I found myself in a really dark place. At first, I thought that a few weeks would be enough time for me to be able to work through things. However, it wasn’t long before I realised that I’d completely misjudged the situation and that it was going to take me so much longer to be able to work through everything that was happening for me. Although I still have my good and not so good days, I’m definitely in a much better place than I was a few months ago and as such, today is my first day back to the forums 💜

I absolutely love listening to your adventures 😊 You have such a beautiful way of describing your experiences and as I listen to your words, the most vibrant and stunning images appear in my mind - a little bit like scenes from a movie 💜

Although I’ve never travelled to New Zealand, a friend of mine use to visit on a fairly regular basis and just from looking at her photographs and listening to some of her adventures, there seems to be some spectacular places to visit!

The enchanted forest sounds exactly that and just seeing the trees framed in clouds would feel magical in itself! Just from how you described this moment, it sounds as though there was an incredibly intimate connection between you and nature and I would imagine that there are times when finding the words to capture the depth of your experiences would be incredibly difficult 💜

Thank you so much for sharing your memory of the snow with me 💜 I’ve never camped on snow, but it would certainly not be without some challenges and you would have definitely been frozen!

Although it’s been many years since I’ve spent some time in a cold climate, I can still remember the biting icy winds and how the cold just seemed to penetrate every bone in my body - despite the fact that I was completely decked out in my woollens and my mum placed pieces of kitchen foil in the bottom of my boots to insulate my little feet against the cold 🤣

As I continued to listen to this part of your story, I felt really intrigued when you shared ‘I share the details of my exploits with very few as it’s not always a positive experience for me.’

I would really love to understand this part of your experience (only if this feels comfortable for you 💜) and as such, I just ever so gently wondered if this is in relation to how people respond to you when you share this part of your life with them? Or if sharing these parts of your life raises some really difficult thoughts and feelings, which means that sharing isn’t always a positive experience for you? Or perhaps this means something else?

I could really relate to this part of your story and there have been numerous times in my life when mastering progressively more difficult challenges has left me feeling somewhat invincible! The sense of euphoria that I felt as a result of my triumphs was incredibly intoxicating and as such, I began to actively seek out opportunities that would enable me to re-create these feelings!

I really loved it when you shared, ‘I’m starting to believe that it’s not unexpected for me to need to walk - I think now that the Elder might have just been stating the obvious!’ As I reflected on your words, I couldn’t help but feel as though perhaps you’re starting to connect with some different parts of yourself and that what the Elder said has really resonated with you 💜

Oh wow! I’ve never been scuba diving (but just from what I’ve seen in movies and documentaries) I think that it would be absolutely breath taking! Not only because of the great expanse of the ocean and the diversity of marine life, but also because it would be such a surreal and unique experience - almost as though you’re exploring a sacred part of the world that’s there just for you 💜

I never tire of listening to all of the different parts of your story and as such, I just ever so gently wanted to reassure you that you’re always more than welcome to share any experiences that feel safe and comfortable for you 💜

It's always so lovely to be able to connect with you 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself 💜

ShiningStar 💜

Hi @Delicatessen

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

You’re welcome - it was my pleasure to reach out to you 😊

In my experience, it can be challenging to find a space where we feel a sense of belonging and as such, I think that it’s great that you feel as though this may be a safe space for you 💜

I have no doubt that you’ll make a wonderful difference to the lives of so many members of our community and I really hope that you find a sense of connection, comfort and support here too 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

Greetings from the GentleGiant.

First time at this. Looking for kindred spirits, ideas, etc?

I wont go into too much, but the reason why I've ended up here... I was a volunteer firey in the 2019/20 fires. Over 20years in the service. Ended up in some nasty situations. A couple of days in particular I thought maybe would be my last. To rub salt into the wound, I was assaulted by my employer for missing 2days work while firefighting during this time.

The fire service pretty much abandoned me and I've not been able to work since. I list 2 pretty big things in my life I was passionate about in my work and volunteer roles.

Not having need for Psychotherapy before, I thought I was getting the right care. Unfortunately this wasn't the case and just over 2.5years later, and a recent long stay in a Mental Hospital, I'm now on better meds and have started sessions with a new Psychiatrist and Psychologist.

These are at some distance to me, so appointments have some long time gaps in between. That's why I'm here to maybe help fill in those times.

My family also have a number of issues, we are all struggling with physical and mental health issues. Our house is a disaster zone, savings gone...

PTSD, Depression, Hyper-vigilance, Anxiety, nightmares, somatic...

One moment at a time, one day at a time.

Hi there @GentleGiant

Welcome to the forums. I"m one of the peer support workers here at Sane.

It broke my heart to read your post. I live an hour or so from where communities were hit really hard and I can still remember waking each day to the smell of smoke in the air. I can only imagine what it was like to be actually in the direct line of the fires. I'm so sorry that your life has taken this awful turn.
I will put this link here where others have shared stories of the bushfires. I hope you find some solace in others' experiences and also can make some meaningful connections here on the forums.

Take care

Hanami

Hi everyone, I’m not sure where to start!
I’m a 33YO queer, cis woman who has lived experience of chronic mental illness.

I went to my doctors yesterday and while I was in the waiting room I noticed a pamphlet for SANE, and these forums were mentioned.

Sometimes I feel like support services and interventions are either directed toward prevention and early intervention, or crisis assessment and support services. I feel like people who have on-going, daily experience of mental illness are often left out (too affected to access P&EI but not “unwell” enough to access/need crisis support). Hence why I thought these forums were a great idea - and here I am 🙂

I have a diagnosis / experience of major depression, generalised anxiety disorder, ADD-PI, substance abuse disorder, EDNOS, and CPTSD.

I received the ADD-PI diagnosis in 2018 which has been a game changer for me although I wish I’d received it sooner - it explained so much to me about my brain, nervous system and how I work. It also cast certain life experiences in a very different light.

I’ve had a bit of a rough time of it recently and thought that these forums might help as a way to connect with others and find support.

I work full-time, and in my free time I enjoy painting & drawing, reading (have almost read one book per week this year!) cooking, gardening, and spending time with my partner.

thanks for having me - I’m happy to be here 🙂