Isolating

Good morning @LexieJo 🙂

Welcome to the SANE forums. We're glad to have you here with us. You will find the forums community is a lovely bunch of supportive people who share their experiences, stories, hope, coping strategies and more! I'm sure others will chime in to say hello and offer some support.

Thank you for showing up and sharing so openly and honestly, that's not always easy to do. It's great that you are reaching out for support and connection, you're not alone 💌

You might like to check out these threads and introduce yourself to the community 🤗

https://saneforums.org/t5/Welcome-and-getting-started/Welcome-Introduce-yourself-here/m-p/1149480

https://saneforums.org/t5/Welcome-and-getting-started/How-To-Recovery-Focused-Posting/td-p/1673390

I might make another coffee...how about you? What are you up to today?

Sending you all my best this morning.

hopeful_hannah 🤗💌

Thanks @hopeful_hannah for your reply.

Just doing a few household chores today and later on shall go for a walk. Maybe look in the op shop.

@LexieJo You're welcome 😊

Yesssss to Op shopping! I love op shopping too. In fact, I might go and have a looksie this afternoon as well. We have a couple of small ones and a big Savers not too far from where I live. Sometimes I don't even buy anything it's just cool having a look around, seeing what might jump out at me 😋

Well, I hope you have a lovely cruisey morning taking care of some house stuff and enjoy your op shopping later, hope you find some treasure 🙂

I relate so strongly to what you said. I'm also older but have no family. I find it almost impossible to meet people I can relate to. To bent for the straights and too straight for the bent. I have always travelled to the beat of my own drum. Travelled the world alone when I was young and still go overseas a couple of times each year. I was born and bred in Melbourne but moved to rural Victoria over 30 years ago. I have had horses all my life though lost my Big Beautiful Baby in November 24. We had been together for 24 year's. Lost my old pony the same day. Then my adopted son a year ago and my dog 2 months ago. I still have 2 horses and a pony but the grief just doesn't end and I'm so sad.

Sorry for rambling. I have CPTSD too.

Good morning @Leonie2 🤗💌

Hey @LexieJo

I wanted to take the time to welcome you to the online community. I am so glad that you took the step to reach out and learn the ropes here, especially since you said online spaces can feel a bit stressful. It takes so much courage to share what you're going through 💚

It sounds like you're carrying a lot right now. Feeling a sense of profound loneliness at 75, coupled with the silence from your youngest child, is incredibly heavy. Please know that you are not alone in that feeling of isolation; many here understand how quiet the world can feel when family is busy or distant.

That "post-trip" slump can also be surprisingly jarring. Going overseas after so many years is a huge sensory and emotional undertaking, especially with anxiety. It's rather common for the "crash" afterwards to feel like a deep dip in mood as your mind tries to process everything you have experienced.

We are all here to listen to you at your own pace. Since online stuff can be a bit much, don't feel pressured to reply to everyone or navigate the whole site at once. Just being here is enough for today 💚

@MatchaToad

Thank you so much

I do feel like I’m carrying a lot right now.

I know that I have a lot of issues, but they’re usually humming away in the background like a fridge, but since I got back from my trip they all seem to be right in front of me with the volume turned up. A lot going on. Thanks for your support.

I have just received a message from SANE saying that I have to do a survey.

I don’t know what that means. Can you please explain that.

Thanks

Thank you. @Leonie2

I would have loved to have traveled, but it wasn’t possible. I would have especially loved to have visited my family in England, but it wasn’t possible.

I’m grateful that I was able to go to India when I did. It was a dream I had since I was 13.

I was born in England and came to Australia in 1979.

I went to India in the 70s. Virtually no tourists then. I'm sure it's very different now. I was the only foreigner when I went to the Taj Mahal. My favourite places were Kolkotta, Varanessi, Jaipur, Kashmir and Manali.

You would love Penang I'm sure. I went there again last year. Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage site and just wonderful.

I am 5th generation Australian with Irish and British convict ancestors.

Thanks for your reply.

@LexieJo I am 66 and a psychologist said once I had CPTSD, which pretty fair. I Often organise my days quietly around household tasks and exercise or a walk.

I am also curious about finding social connection and been doing a lot of work around it.

I went to a funeral yesterday, and found it good to have real conversations with people. So, weirdly for me, it was a good experience. It was sad, a senior, but younger than me, and a life too short, but most people were being meaningful. Hallelujah!

@Leonie2 I also travelled while young. Really related to your colloquialism about bent and straight. Had not heard it expressed it quite that way, but it brought back memories. Yes I have ethics and values, but also believe in being inclusive and not judgie. OH where to draw the line?

Anyway. A big welcome to the forum, both of you

apple