Could use some help with coping

@Hanginthere Sorry I mixed up the posts a bit and thought you wrote you were interested in cooking, when it was @Simples44 who wrote about cooking. Oops

I understand the feeling of not trusting people for fear of being hurt. I have been badly hurt by people I thought were my friends, which makes me really hesitant of making any friends again. I have found that it can be easier to try social activities that are focussed on the activity (like an art or gardening group), where other people are there but there is minimal need to talk with them on a social level. I have also found sometimes that groups for people with mental health challenges can feel less judgemental and more accepting of others. To help me feel safe, I avoid sharing my contact details with people or making contact outside of the group. I mostly observe conversations and don't contribute much as I don't feel comfortable about people knowing the real me and judging me or being able to hurt me. Overtime I have found some people that I have been able to talk a little more to, but still the real me is hidden from most people. It is like a necessary armour to keep me emotionally safe while trying to feel a little less lonely. I hope that my experience can provide you some hope of things being able to improve for you after the hurt you have experienced. It has been a slow journey for me to try to have some social contact, but it has helped me to feel a little less isolated and lonely.

Sometimes taking things hour by hour is the only way to get through the day ❤️

Talking definitely helps too. Being able to get the problem/fear off your chest, I find, helps me avoid crisis.

@Hanginthere I'm so sorry you have been hurt by people 😞

I wish we could all be more kind and accepting of eachother.

I also struggle to socialise with others right now. It feels very isolating, because talking to people lifts my spirits and self esteem, but I can't right now because of social anxiety.

The people here are a great way to get meaningful social interaction without having to face scary social atmospheres. Glad you are here ❤️

@Christheart I get that sense that it is a safe space here 🙂

I miss having a life. It is very lonely.

@Hanginthere I know exactly what you mean. I hope one day we can feel like we have a life again. Until then, one day at a time. Life is still valuable even if it is a life of illness.

"Life is still valuable even if it is a life of illness". - Totally true @Christheart ❤️