Advice after suicide attempt

I'm going through a tough time myself, @Meli, but as no-one has replied, I am just letting you know that you've been heard. I'm sure someone will be along soon who is able to assist you better than I can at the moment. I can't offer any words of advice—but you've got the best insight on your situation, anyway. I send my best wishes and hope there are better days ahead for you.

Hi @Meli ,

Hearing you. It sounds like a compromise has been made for you to sell everything and live with your parents due to your mental health.

Owning a house is highly rewarding. In a way, it is a sign of independence. Do you think having this removed has added to your current feelings?

Yet I'm also mindful that your family are concerned about your safety.

Mental health has a mind of its own and is definitely NOT a linear, straightforward journey. Fingers crossed, in the future, there may be a time when you can once again have that independence that you once had.

Consider:

1) what are you short term goals?

2) what is your long term goal?

You are NOT alone in this journey. You have the SANE forums community cheering you on. Each member has their own MH journey story to tell.

Hi and welcome, @Meli ...I really feel for you.

---

@Meli wrote:

I have to sell the house I love and leave my belongings, friends, community and suburb I love behind

---

I wouldn't cope well with this at all, so you have my empathy.

I can only suggest (from experience) that finding some hope for the future could include focusing on your passions. I know you have lost some of your passions in moving...your house, your community and independence 😞 I am really sorry that this happened.

But I guess I had to find new passions, so I started volunteering, and also attending art classes. I was able to rebuild my life from scratch and make new friends, new 'community'. As well, my new psychiatrist put me on a stronger anti-depressant and started talk therapy with me, both of which helped immensely.

Do you have any professional support? Like a counsellor, meds, psychologist or psychiatrist?

An important forum tip is if you type @ and then click on a name in the drop-down box, that person will get a notification and won't miss your reply.

I hope you find the forums supportive...

Hi @Meli

You’ve just been hospitalised from a manic episode and schizophrenic symptoms, go very easy on yourself. It can take a good long time for you to recover and start thinking clearly about life again.

My advice is not to focus on goals at this stage. You just survived a suicide attempt, that’s huge. There’s time for goals in the future. For now, be kind to yourself and take each day at a time. Accept your circumstances and the help you’re receiving from family. I’m 37 and I still live with my parents because I cannot make it out on my own. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live independently so at least you got a taste of independence. The most important thing now is your safety. And hopefully, where you are with your parents you feel safe.

The brain and mind takes time to heal after an episode so hopefully you’ll begin to feel more confident with time in scoping out your new neighbourhood and adjusting.

I’m so glad that you are grateful to be here and hope that your road to recovery and adjustment isn’t too bumpy.

Thanks for your response

I worry about my future a lot and don't know how to deal with the anxiety from it, sometimes I just focus on the day and that feels better

I’m wondering @Meli if you can draw up a daily routine the night before or the morning of each day? Just a loose routine that’ll give you maybe one or two small things to do to make your anxiety a bit less whilst you’re recovering and so that you can avoid another suicide attempt?

I’m recovering from 2 big episodes in 2020 and 2021 and have had a lot of anxiety too. I find knowing what I’m doing each day helps. Each day is pretty much the same for me so some may consider is boring but consistency and routine is so important to me.

I break up my day into timeslots and snack/meal times.

For example:

6-9am: Breakfast and short walk (some days)

9-12am: Do something nice for me (some art) or an appt. morning tea

12-2pm: Rest and reflect (journal writing) and lunch or talk to mum n dad or friend (texting)

2-3pm: Arvo tea

3-5pm: TV and get meds ready and clean up kitchen

5-7pm: TV and dinner

7pm: bed.

My illness is really hard to manage so I have a very strict routine but it really helps me feel safe and content. It will get easier, trust me!!!

But whatever works for you, just make it really, really simple so you don’t have many tasks to do during the day but enough to feel accomplished.

All the best!