START HERE: Welcome!

Hi, I have just started with SANE as a Peer Guide and I am trying to navigate through the process of group connection which is proving a little difficult for me , as I rarely use online media in any form.

Coming from a medical / nursing / military background, I have broad experience working with several Ex-Service Organisations and DVA as a Wellbeing Officer and Men's Health Educator.

I have the lived experience with mental and social health issues arriving from my military and civilian practice and hope that I may assist and pass on my experience to others within the group.

Welcome @S1TREP

Congrats on making your first post. We are so glad to see you here.

This space can get some time to get used to but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty okay.

You can tag people into your posts by typing "@" in front of their names e.g. @tyme

That way, they will get a notification of your post

Hi @Oaktree @Magpie22 @Pateam1000 !

Hi @S1TREP @tyme @RachSANECEO

@Magpie22 @Pateam1000

Welcome to the forum. I hope that we can get a little action going here on the Veteran’s forum. We may just talk to each other for a while but hopefully that will encourage others to join in on the discussion. I am looking forward to working alongside my fellow Peer Guides. I think we will each bring a different flavour to our posts. I recently got a magazine from the RSL. I am going to read it to see if it sparks any interesting topics for this space.

Thankyou Tyme for the warm welcome.

I was not getting the notification emails as they were going to my spam folder so I have some catching up to do!

Again thankyo

Talk soon.

[edited by moderator]

@tyme

Please see above post

Is there a way to copy over the How To thread onto this space?

Hi Everyone,

I was in the Australian Army over 25 years ago. I wasn't in for long as I was sexually assaulted 3 weeks into my enlistment, which completely derailed my future and life. I was only 20 years old.

For the next 20 years I suffered extensively from symptoms of Bipolar Disorder Type 1 with Psychosis, Complex PTSD, Generalised Anxiety and some physical illnesses that resulted from my mental health treatment. Multiple suicide attempts, weight gain, financial distress - you name it I dealt with it.

Fast forward to now, I'm 46 and have been symptom free for over 5 years. I lost 60kg and now coach others how to transform their lives - lose weight and manage their mindset. I am also a Certified Cuddle Therapist. [edited by moderator]

I struggle with being referred to as a Veteran due to societies expectations and understanding of what that means, but acknowledge I am one.

I have been a Peer/Lived Experience Ambassador for SANE for over 10 years now and am very proud of that role.

I am currently going through Permanent Impairment reassessment of my conditions and have just finished working with my medical team to complete the reports. This weekend I am doing my Non Economic Loss Forms.

Although, I have been mentally well for a while now I understand it is because of the hard work I do daily to stay that way but know that my illnesses are ultimately incurable but manageable.

Looking forward to connecting with you all.

Hi @AllAboutMissy

I am looking to lose weight actually,

maybe you could give me a nudge in the right direction. It’s not that I don’t know what to do, more that I lack motivation. I love to hug people too and think I could do that professionally. I was indecently assaulted during basic training too. I think in part that is the reason that I am overweight. I don’t want men to notice me. That was not the first time that I had had the wrong sort of attention.

I'd be more than happy to help you!

The very first few things I did when I started and still do a few times a year is:

1. Goal setting - what are your goals both physically and in life? I find having real goals to work towards help me get into a more motivated mindset.

2. Values - what are your values and are you living in alignment with them? I had to really work out who I was outside of my illnesses etc..
3. Mindset - Identify your negative self talk and shame cycles that keep you stuck. Learning to override these was crucial

4. Clean & Declutter - Empty the kitchen of all the crap food so you have a clean slate and focus on whole fresh foods.
5. Environment - Are there blocks in your home and your life? Remove yourself from people or things that don't bring you joy.

Even 10 minutes of doing something that benefits you and your health helps rewire the brain and will boost motivation to reach your goals.

Hope this helps you get started x

Thanks so much @AllAboutMissy

I will sit down and do some goal setting and things. Thanks for the pointers. I am planning on starting today using my mini cycle which I bought last week. I went away this week which is why I haven’t started yet. I need to do some time blocking for walking and my mini cycle.