Life is quite hard at the moment

Welcome @down_not_out to our Forum.

Thank you for sharing with us.

Sorry to hear that you have not been out of the house for 5 months - joining Forums can be another way to connect and receive support from the community.

Have to say, that I think the name you have chosen is a great one!

Welcome again

It's difficult to respond sometimes, @down_not_out, but I just wanted to welcome you and say Hello.

I'm recovering from trauma too and have taken refuge in my solitude. I am safe here in pleasant surroundings, after trying to fit in with others when I just don't seem to fit anywhere. I'm giving this aspect of my life a lot of time for reflection at the moment and taking plenty of time out to do so. Sometimes we bounce from one bad situation into another, and it can be very debilitating, to say the least. I am occupying myself with things that interest me. At the moment, I am finding YouTube videos to be so very interesting. I'm taking a daily walk and taking time out to enjoy nature and the peace it offers. I am my own best company, and it would take a lot for me to share it with anyone. If others can't offer me an extension of what I have, I am better off solo and living life in peaceful enjoyment.

Look at your situation, if it's suited to do so, as glass half full. Take the time to find yourself again and keep occupied with interests—watching television, reading books, trying new foods, learning something new. Don't occupy yourself so that you have something to do; occupy yourself to further your sense of 'self'.

@down_not_out, great name. It's a great place to start.

Hi @down_not_out

Welcome to the forums. I also love your username. Congratulations on getting off the meds. I bet that wasn’t easy. Sorry to hear that you are having difficulty leaving the house. I would say take things super slowly and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You are doing the best you can right now and that is good enough. Maybe start by standing outside when the weather allows. Then take short walks. Eventually you will get more used to getting out of the house. I used to isolate at home and ended up getting a support worker to help me. I still submarine when feeling unwell but I am doing much better. You have got this!

Meggle

Thanks for the nice words. I took the rubbish bin out tonight when it became dark. Small steps at the moment I guess. Getting off the meds is a major achievement for me and I need to remind myself sometimes that progress has been made. It is getting to the stage now where I am considering getting some help from a support worker.

Thanks for sharing your situation with me.

I've been keeping my mind occupied as much as possible by watching docos on YouTube and occasionally venturing onto Reddit, the latter being the full extent of my social media exposure.

I know that I need to force myself out of the house but it seems too hard at the moment.

Hi @down_not_out

A forum tip is to tag others that you want to see your post so that they get a notification.

You can do this by typing the @ symbol followed by their name, then select the name from the drop down box. Like this

@ Meggle (without the space) it ends up looking like this @Oaktree

Meggle

@Historylover

@down_not_out Replied to your post above

Meggle

@down_not_out

You are welcome and yes you have done a major achievement! Good for you. I understand that going out might seem too hard and overwhelming right now. Maybe you can make a goal and work out tiny steps to achieve it. Good luck.

Meggle

@down_not_out , @Oaktree @Historylover @Snowdragon

I also like your name!

My neighbours abused me daily for many many years. Let me say 10 years spent in courts.

I never left because l did not want to be abused returning.

I was advised l was Hypervigilant.

Hypervigilance — the elevated state of constantly assessing potential threats around you — is often the result of a trauma. People who have been in combat, have survived abuse, or have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can exhibit hypervigilance.

I have security cameras and could see them on my phone so l knew what to expect.

I found strenth in faith.

Even though things are better, i still am very reserved about venturing out.

Tomorrow l am going to the country to help someone.

I am very lucky l have another outlet. And nice neighbours.

I hear you.

Make small steps.