Lessons for the year

Hello and welcome @Kmay

What is 'normal'? I guess all of us have a different idea of what 'normal' is, but I hear you, so many of us want to fit in, but what exactly is it to fit in to. So many of us feel alone and that people don't get us, that's why this is such a safe and welcoming place to be. There are times to dabble and times to take a step back, but I think most of us in forumland know how difficult it is living with mental illness. Some people in the real world don't quite know enough about mental illness and therefore don't know what to say, so can feel awkward. I know this may sound corny but love is everywhere, in different guises, whether it be romantic, companionship, religious,sometimes if we look too hard or are too intense, we won't receive love, if we're not desperate, it often happens. We are all loveable and we all belong. I'm glad to hear you feel better on your meds and with support. It's tough going if both of those aren't a good partnership. We are all learning. Take care.

Merry Christmas, @outlander

You are AWESOME!

Great thread @Bunniekins I am learning

I have a voice... just because I think differently doesn't make me wrong, I always though I was, it doesn't make the other persons wrong either, just different, it's ok to be different.

A little self respect, just a tad, but that's improvement.

Boundaries, I'm testing out boundaries, that's coming with self respect, but mainly learning what boundaries are, and putting them into practice.

@Maggie Thanks Maggie but it is all of us who has posted that makes this thread work so well 😄

Sorry.

I am so grateful for this year as hard as it has been. It is awesome to read over some of the achievements people have gained this year and I salute you all for your courage and tenacity and honesty. Our lives are vulnerable and I appreciate the courage it takes to speak of our pain and hard-won gains, thank you.

I learned a lot about myself and why I am the way I am with my MI issues but also my core values which make up the best of me too.

The biggest thing I learned is that all those feelings I have run away from over the years with alcohol and drug use and dissociation could not really hurt me, that feeling them has let me LET GO (or rather THROW AWAY) the past and MOVE ON with my life.

I also learned finally that when I am feeling fairly well to leave my medication well alone and not chop and change because "I feel better", just stick with what is working for me and cop the side effects sweet, because life is too precious to continually be throwing my mental health off a cliff because "I feel better now". Feeling better is always transitory and feeling awful is always transitory. Life itself is transitory. There is truly only "now".

This article came up today and I found that it speaks to what I learned, in retrospect, that may be helpful to others

http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/an-indigenous-approach-to-healing-trauma

Another book that was very helpful was Thich Nhat Hahn's

Healing the Inner Child - which is available here in PDF format
https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Thich%20Nhat%20Hanh%20-%20Reconciliation.pdf

May 2018 teach us self compassion and love and lift us with gentle wings.