Fresh perspective of situation

Hey @Whatsagoodname,

Welcome back to the Forums and lovely to have you here!

In my experience, there are definitely challenges with relating to people and I have issues with that too. I find it's a numbers game and the more people I interact with the better the outcomes over a long period of time. I have had too many failures in trying to relate to people and be social than I thought I ever would have been able to deal with. I still second guess myself with every interaction I have and whether I did it right or not. I think it's a normal human reaction for people with complex MH from what I have learned from my own experiences and others.

Medication can have that effect that you described as the "medicated look" but most people don't know it's from medication. Unless they have some MH experience they may think to look like you do and that might be different to other people they know. Which can happen to us all whether we are medicated or not. My body and facial features have changed due to my medication and look completely different from what I did prior to my complex MH experience starting.

You can find acceptance for others in time but there's no secret recipe and we are all different and have different opportunities. But you can create new opportunities for yourself too!

I hope my insight and personal experience help answer your question. 🙂

Take care

RiverSeal

Thanks for sharing that piece about yourself, feels good to know I’m not facing these challenges on my own…

it boils down to how you’re perceived and actions of self improvement can change that over the long term is what I took out of that.

did therapy, counseling or psychologist help you in this regard?

I’ve booked a psychologist in improving my communication hoping that helps me with the circumstances I find myself in… but the wait times are a bit of a pain @RiverSeal

Hey @Whatsagoodname, thank you for your reply!

Yes, how you’re perceived and actions of self-improvement are probably the main things over a long period of time. I have grown an learned what works and what doesn't and the numbers game of always moving on to something else that involves new people and situations and this builds conversation and topics for me to talk about.

I have had extensive psychology sessions and that has definitely helped me work through and analyse things over time. I had some counselling too and use crisis lines at times to speak with counsellors as a one-off situation. I really engaged with my treating team from when I got diagnosed with complex MH back in 2016 and stopped working to focus on recovery. I have had various different supports and still do have supports now that help me work through things that pop up now that I have returned to work.

Yes, the wait times are a pain but remember it's a journey and your path to recovery will take time to walk down so even a small step like booking a psychologist is a step in your recovery. I believe I will be in recovery for a long time yet and maybe forever but who knows.

SANE has counsellors who you can speak with and you may have tried the Support Line already but I will add a link below:

• https://www.sane.org/get-support

Take care

RiverSeal

Thanks @RiverSeal I’ve continued working while I am healing and that’s been draining, I feel super crazy at times but normalize it for the sake of I’m not alone in my journey with as you say complex MH.

sorry for the lateness of my reply, just got caught up doing stuff around the house. I too want to become a support worker and quit my current job for which they gave me some time off for consideration.

don’t know what else to add but I feel seeing a psychologist would be beneficial re some certain aspects of myself I want to improve on. Like communication which I feel is vital for dealing with people and remaining clam during heated arguments or conflict.

thanks again for letting me feel like I’ve been heard, all the best for anonymity I feel I shouldn’t give my previous name away but know I am back, hoping to support people where I can.

Hey @Whatsagoodname ,

Good to have you with us. I respect you prefer to keep your anonymity, but I just wanted to say hi 🙂

Thank you for the posts you have made. It's great to hear you want to improve.

I think I get people now @tyme @RiverSeal @Appleblossom . I wasn’t thinking like them. Bit weird possibly at times, but the general consensus I get when I let go of my own worries the more I can be normal, if that makes sense.

You guys have probably been through this self acceptance phase because we were hard wired to think a certain way and when you lose that through complex mh that it causes you to lose hope.

hope this helps someone out there doing it tough… just explore freedom and what it means to you, maybe just me experiencing this, can’t be certain but I feel good again, don’t know when I’ll have my next bad day, but got the boxing bag to keep me from falling in to something I don’t want to mention

@Whatsagoodname

Glad you are going through a self acceptance phase. Glad you have different methods to help you through complex MH. If a boxing bag is the way. "Great" I say! In 1984 I was taught to use a softball bat on a beanbag ... but it was not my thing really ... still the idea is SOLID. Anger is often a necessary life saving emotion but needs to be well managed and channelled.

The 'what is weird' and 'what is normal' ... are really important conversations everyone needs to have in their environment ... IMHO..lol ...

An hour ago, a lady neighbour want me to agree to her view of 'what is normal' and she has been so upsetting over the years, I resorted to heavy medications to deal with her dominating presence and opinions. I simply was not going to agree with her today, but kept it polite and cheerily neighbourly. No, I am not the first to run out and hire an exterminator for possums in the roof ... go figure! I am more likely to want to strike up a fulfilling relationship with the possum. This lady used to work in a school and is pretty sure she knows what 'normal' is ... her version.

Sometimes these misunderstandings and different ways of being ... can be funny ... but often ... they can result in tragedy ...

Great to hear you are doing alright. Have a good day.

Yeah I hear you @Appleblossom @it can be tough sometimes, but we all have to get along in the end, whether that be from people who get us, those who shun us or those just getting by too.

I keep my diagnosis to my self and people may have their own opinions about me but I want to keep on keeping on. Hope you have a good day