How useful are blogs/vlogs?

Hi @2angels... 🙂

It's great to hear that you are finding blogging to be a useful avenue of expression... writing really does help to pull some form of order from the chaos...

I have tried blogging... I have a dormant one that I haven't written to in ages...

I even set up a mental health forum on my website... a few people joined, but it didn't really take off...

Often, it seems that I am just about the only person that gets anything from my writings... few others seem interested...

This used to be a big thing with me... I used to really get upset when I felt that nobody was listening... but that's just the inner child, pouting and throwing his toys against the wall...

It's just ego... I don't really buy into my former attachment to self any more... I outgrew that need for attention and/or validation a while back now, so I don't feel down about it any more...

So, I guess to me, blogging really is no different to writing on a mental health forum (or other forums for that matter)... the medium is not as important to me as the messages of wisdom or otherwise that I am able to extract from my life journey so far...

2angels - I feel your pain...

I've been lucky to avoid the whole medi-go-round thing... wise or not, I chose to judiciously self-medicate, based on a lifetime of getting to know myself and an ever-increasing knowledge of self...

It hasn't always worked out great, I must admit... but life with MI is like that... nothing we do is a 100% fix for any of our various grab-bag of ills and oddities...

Sometimes one thing works, sometimes another thing works, and sometimes the thing that used to work doesn't work any more... hahaha...

That whole powerlessness thing... oh my, that is such a strong thing... and I'm not just playing with words... feeling powerless to affect positive change in one's life is a very difficult thing to come to terms with...

Over time, though, we develop the coping mechanisms and wellness strategies, the support networks and avenues of expression, that allow us to navigate this life as best as we can, with mistakes and triumphs aplenty along the way... hahaha...

"My mental illness has profoundly affected my life."

Oh yeah... I feel your words... [nods emphatically]

But as you allude to by calling your black dog of depression an angel, you have come to a place where you see the good in the bad, the bad in the good, and the balance of life that comes only from a subtle shift in perspectives and approaches and beliefs and value systems and world views...

One of my favourite sayings... I am considering making it the second tattoo that I get... it's a little snippet of Latin... it saved my life...

Dum Spiro Spero... while I breathe, I hope...

I am excited for you, @2angels... this life journey thing... it's pretty awesome... making sense of the chaos... learning more about yourself and others... gaining insights into fundamental truths of nature... these journeys can take years, or they can happen in an instant...

There is beauty everywhere, even in a baying black dog...

Hugs and happy vibes beaming to you... 🙂

You are very kind @Silenus, thank you for your understanding.

Blogs are something that I find exciting because someone creates their own platform - encouraging a diversity a bit like the old community radio - that is what I've enjoyed about other people's blogs at least. I have found it empowering for myself because it is something I am creating, with the support of some wonderful people. I don't have any high expectations. It's fun. It's great discovering a supportive community as well. I'm sorry you you didn't have a great experience blogging, but I'm glad you have now found your home. Nameste.

Hi @2angels, I haven't blogged as such but have thought about it. I belong to a private forum where there's a space for members to write - they call them blogs but only members can view them, so it's not the same.

I'm interested, do you think that blogging in a space that everyone can see is more helpful to you than just journalling?

@Former-Member I suppose I've journalled since I was 8 years old. I consider the blogs I write quite different to that. But I suppose it is what you make of it, or what you want to do. I've discovered I love the interaction with social media, getting comments hearing what others get out of it, being in touch with other bloggers... I suppose I'm interested why you don't want to share your work that others may be interested to learn from (eg me)? Thinking more about your question, I wonder I've always hidden my mental illness even when I was hobbling around on stumps I wouldn;t tell anyone. I use a nom de plume, But this is public. I'm me. I'm proud. I'm doing well. That's the other side of it I suppose. Nameste

@Silenus @2angels yeah, the social interaction makes sense. I hadn't thought of it but as you say it, I can see that could be good. I imagine people seek out blogs on topics they're interested in so you're likely to meet people with things in common, right?

I hadn't thought that people would gain much from reading what I wrote. I've thought about it because I can see some kind of possible benefit for myself from saying things that are rarely said in a public place, and need to be said. I have benefited from what others have written though, so maybe I should rethink.

Can I ask what platform you use? Have you found some better than others, in terms of facilitating interactions or other stuff?

yes they are useful. there's the actual process of writing/typing where you will discover your thinking patterns as you write. there's the showing off to the world part where you get empathy or sympathy. unfortunately one of my posts was the subject to a defamation lawsuit in which has made my MI worse (duh) and it was 10 years and 1 career in which I will never get back, so be careful about any actual people you write about. Now I am just back to journalling on my laptop and not publishing them.

@jayskette Wow, that's huge. I'm sorry that impacted on your life to such a great a degree.

@Former-Member I use wordpress. It seems very popular. I like it because it is free and even I could set it up! I hope you do consider pursuing - it's great there's a growing community talking about realities of mental illness advocating on behalf of those who can't.