Depression & Anxiety

Hi @Appleblossom

How are you?

It is great to hear from you, my sister. We all have our problems; no one is immune to this.

My motto is, just to be kind to others, because we don't know people's battles (there often silent/private). Simple acts= big impacts.

I love you too... I'm glad, I was able to connect with you, but you did all the work yourself. We do go back a long time; and it gives me comfort and a sense of belonging.

I just have to remember, how far I have come, and just rest, if I need to. And just tackle one thing at a time. I will try to make a plan to move forward.

@1nsertnamehere

Thank you for your support and message.

I'm sorry to hear of your lived experience of depression and anxiety (you're a strong person). Is there something that helps you?

I think support comes in many forms but sharing our experience and being kind to someone goes a long way. And also, just talking to each other, can help lessen the burden for someone.

Hi @oceangirl, the things that help me are:

Going to therapy: Most, if not all of the advice I mention here comes from the advice I get from my psychologist. For anyone who doesn't know, you can get 6 (and then an extra 4 after a review) sessions a year under Medicare. If you have a diagnosed mental health conditions (I have CPTSD), I 100% recommend that you talk to a psychologist who specialises in your condition! The quality of the knowledge and support you receive is so much more helpful than when you see someone who doesn't specialise in your condition!

Using strategies like the box breathing and 54321 technique. My therapist also recommends meditation (including body scan) and EFT tapping, but I struggle with using these techniques. These techniques reset your biological responses to anxiety. Also practicing mindfulness techniques.

This distracts the part of your brain that is looking for danger, but the strategy I always naturally gravitate towards is using fidget/sensory toys to get rid of nervous energy. When I first started doing this, me and my family thought it wouldn't work and scoffed a bit at the idea, but we were all amazed at how much it helps! I always keep an emergency fidget attached to my keys, and I've got a large variety of them at home. I find my mood can affect which type of fidget works best for me i the moment.

Having a hot drink. It's like a hug in a mug. You should avoid caffeine when you're anxious, as it can make you worse.

Sitting in the sun for awhile. Vitamin D boosts your mental health. Depending on how dark your skin is, will depend on how much time you need to sit there (darker skin needs longer).

Moving my body. Exercise boosts your mental health, but just moving your body can help too. It helps remind you that you exist in more ways than just in your head, and it can help own you up. I like to walk my dog.

Speaking of which, having a pet you can love and care for (and better yet, having a pet that will love you back! ❤️). Spending time watching how they experience their lives and what brings them joy, can help to not only take you out of your head, but helps you to enjoy their joy! Every time I step out my back door, the first thing my dog always does is she grabs the nearest toy and gives me the cheekiest look, so I will play with her! No matter how bad I'm feeling, it always makes my heart soar, because she's loving life and wanting to share that with me! ❤️ Even just watching my fish explore their tank can be soothing. Watching what interests them, and what they think is important to check out can be really calming!

Talking to people on forums like this who are also struggling. I've only got one person I'm close to who I can talk to about my mental health struggles, but they aren't enough to provide me support (outside of my medical supports). Talking to people who also understand the struggle, and doing what I can to provide support to them, helps me to feel less alone and also brings me peace knowing that they aren't alone either!

Journalling. Venting out my feelings and problem solving my struggles can help a lot! It stops my brain fixating on thoughts, by getting them out of my head and making them a solid thing I can look at.

Watching/reading my fave comforting media. Knowing what happens next in a story means your brain doesn't have to look out for any surprises. This helps your brain to go into a more relaxed state.

Weighed blankets or toys, and snuggly clothing or blankets. The weight creates a soothing biological response. Make sure you google what weight is approx for your weight, as too much weight can be dangerous. As far as snuggly things go, I've got a lovely soft blanket, and my oodie. I'm going through some pretty difficult stuff at the moment, and my oodie feels like it's been the only thing keeping me sane through these struggles!

@SunsetSunrise

Thank you for your message and support, I really appreciate it.

Your words and insight and validation have given me much relief and comfort. Because I feel heard and understood. I'm hoping, I can start to heal my nervous system and give my body time to relax more. My focus is to continue to do the things that are healthy and best for me in the long term.

Hi @oceangirl

That sounds like a lot going on for you. Collapsing and being unconscious must have been very scary. I hope your break helps you to feel better. Doing as little as possible sounds like a great plan. Do you have anyone you can talk to about what you’re going through? Do you have any favourite coping mechanisms?

@Lapis_Anteater I have a fair bit on my plate. At the time, it was not scary, because your adrenaline kicks in, but after a week or two (after collapsing), I was more aware, overtime (delayed reaction), and I am still processing it. And to understand what happened.

My go to coping mechanism is going back to basics and normalizing my feelings.

Dear @oceangirl my big gig is finished, and the family went in heir separate directions last night, after we shared a meal after the show. They have all gotten home safe, so today is my day to relax, I just have a zoom with my psychologist.

Toxic work environments are common, very sadly. I hope you get enough rest and recovery, and things improve. Is there any support from unions or fairwork? Is it peers, management or the type of work?

Take care

apple

@Appleblossom The work culture is across the board (peers and management) but some are good though.

Management is the main problem, and this changes quite regularly. The last change happened just before Christmas. It seems the staff that care or do their work are treated unfairly. You have team members/management fabricating stories.

I'm not part of a union. I was working just over a week ago. I was actually called in to work. And then I got a message to say they did not need me. And then 15 mins later saying they needed me. I messaged back and agreed to do the shift.

I went into work, and the case was not done, untidying workspace and behind in cooks. In the planner I was asked to put away the box load and that is done by the day team. I was working as part of the afternoon team, and to close, the department. The day team was short staffed because team member called in sick.

After my shift, I left a message in the planner, I stated I was unable to do the box load, and we did as much as we could. The following week, a person in the team, showed me what had been written, the next day (Saturday after my shift). It said nothing was done and line manager to follow up. That entry did not make sense. The person also wrote on the Friday (planner entry) the case was bad.

We did take the fresh seafood out from the roll cage and put it in the seafood trolley. And I basically worked through my break to make sure the case was done. The team member working with me was still learning her role.

It seems unfair to me, that is just one example, but this happens quite regular. The other examples are more serious. And this patterns of behavior are ongoing.

Hope this makes sense- it is immature and stems from poor management and standards across the board. I can't see it changing anytime soon.

Thank you so much for your support and love.

@TAB

How are you?