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All storms pass

Phoenix_RisingSenior Contributor10 Nov 2017, 2:30 pm AEDT

All storms pass

Good afternoon everybody,

As many of you are aware, there was a VERY big storm that swept across Forum Land last night. It started out on the ocean, but being such an extra giant storm, it rolled on quite a way inland too. Indeed, methinks the storm was so big, a tsunami may have crashed into the coast of Forum Land.

However, for the six billion four hundred and fifty five thousand nine hundred and seventy-first time, I have discovered that all storms pass. Even very very VERY big ones. There is going to be some cleaning up to do after this storm, and that might take a little while. But that's ok. The cleaning up can wait until the final remnants of this storm have passed.

Can I just say, the absolute height of a storm is a super good time to practice some DBT skills. It is HARD. It is so so SO hard. But it works. I am living proof that it works. Things got a little dodgy last night, but I still have a 100% success rate of surviving each day living with BPD. I have been on this adventure for more than twenty years now. I know how hard it is. I know how very very VERY hard it is. But with a great big toolkit of different skills and one or two amazing human beings (or carebears or butterflies) in your corner, it is survivable.

Today is still very tricky in my world because of all the debris floating around after the storm. The clean-up won't start happening today. It may not even happen tomorrow, or the next day, or even the day after that. And that's ok. There's no rush. Step 1 is to stay alive. Step 2 is to avoid doing anything that will complicate an already very complicated situation. That is all you have to do during the storm. Everything else will follow in time.

All is well - even when it isn't. I'm super glad I have my DBT skills toolkit. If you want to build your DBT skills toolkit, you might like to come and visit here: Let's do DBT How's THAT for shameless advertising.

I am Phoenix_Rising. Yesterday was hard, today is hard, tomorrow is likely to be hard, and there's a very good chance that the day after that will be hard too. But it won't be hard forever, and all I need to deal with right now, is right now. I can do this, I've got this - and so do you fellow storm-beaten Forumite!

@CheerBear @Zoe7 @Former-Member @Former-Member @Former-Member @Faith-and-Hope @Former-Member @Former-Member

84 replies

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In response to: All storms pass

Unknown userMember11 Nov 2017, 5:03 pm AEDT

Re: All storms pass

Thanks @Owlunar it did get hard the other night but we all got through it eventually. It probably was trying to protect myself from no one on here, but more from the feelings and thoughts I was having towards myself. I had some reflection time and was eventually able to make sense of it all.

Thanks for thinking or me

In response to: Re: All storms pass

Zoe7Senior Contributor11 Nov 2017, 5:09 pm AEDT

Re: All storms pass

Hi @Owlunar and @Former-Member

@Phoenix_Rising Just stopping by to check up on the second shift of the clean-up crew...

In response to: Re: All storms pass

Unknown userMember11 Nov 2017, 5:12 pm AEDT

Re: All storms pass

Ahhh @Zoe7, lets see how long we have to wait for this photo!!

In response to: Re: All storms pass

Zoe7Senior Contributor11 Nov 2017, 5:18 pm AEDT

Re: All storms pass

hahaha @Former-Member - the clock is ticking lol

In response to: Re: All storms pass

AppleblossomSenior Contributor11 Nov 2017, 5:18 pm AEDT

Re: All storms pass

@Former-MemberI am glad you are still on the forums too. I was sad when I read you wanted to stop posting. I never did get to read the fb post, so have no idea what triggered our turtle @Phoenix_Rising. It means a lot for me to have good people to relate to about all sorts of things, work, life and mental illness. I am a teacher too, who is in a current Learning Experiences vollie position.

It matters a lot to me that you cared about your student ... sadly enough to be traumatised. How can I say that .. please do not take it the wrong. It helps me to know that there are genuine people in the school system and in other systems. way.: I wrote and had phone and letter contact with one of my sister's old high school teachers. I know she was kind and cared and even visited her in hospital a few years after my sister graduated. I also had a weird connection with an old teacher who cared about me, but as I was overwhelmed with deaths and being a mum she became overwhelmed with Multiple schlerosis. She ended up living a few doors away from me. Somethings are just too hard.

I have not had too many connections with others who have worked hard to try and stop suicides. @Owlunar is one of the special people who have also worked in this area. I always respect genuine workers in the field.

In response to: Re: All storms pass

Zoe7Senior Contributor11 Nov 2017, 5:21 pm AEDT

Re: All storms pass

Lovely words @Appleblossom

In response to: Re: All storms pass

Unknown userMember11 Nov 2017, 5:32 pm AEDT

Re: All storms pass

Thanks @Appleblossom

I think if we didn't care about our students than we shouldn't be teachers. Unfortunately the trauma I went through at work brought up a lot of other things too. However, I do think there is a big need for a lot more teacher welfare/support services. Sadly the lack of support afterwards was a big factor in how I am today.

Hopefully one day, I can return to teaching

In response to: Re: All storms pass

Unknown userMember11 Nov 2017, 5:34 pm AEDT