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Shaz51Senior Contributor
hello @Former-Member, @Determined, @Appleblossom, @PeppiPatty, @Adge, @outlander, @Former-Member, @Ghost @Butterfly18, @Confused, @pippajay, @Womy, @Anna88, @Susana, @Bella1978 , @Muddles17, @Charlie16, @Dots , @Amberlulu, @KeepingHope , @Time , @RPatty , @Cracked73, @bonty04, @SarahJane73, @Bluesky1 @YellowDay, @Solar , @Winterz, @Carlachris, @SoSad, @girlygirl25, @comingup18, @Faith-and-Hope , @June9
In response to: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
Unknown userMember
Visitors coming shortly @Shaz51 so I best deal with the flies. Roasts make entertaining so easy.
In response to: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
Unknown userMember
Visitors coming shortly @Shaz51 so I best go deal with the flies.
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
Shaz51Senior Contributor
ok @Former-Member, have a good night my friend 
flying ants are anoying and some people can get a nasty hives from them
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
SmcSenior Contributor
Thinking this might be the best spot to go with this...
I'm not looking forward to New Year. Not the social part of it, I enjoy that.
The achievements, goals, hopes part of it.
This time of year I see so many social media posts that are meant to be positive and encouraging- look back on all the special times in the past year, look at how far you've come; look ahead to what you will do in the coming year, set yourself a goal. And similar things in church, but couched in different terminology. All well meant, but it really leaves me flat.
Our MI daughter has survived this year, despite there being a few times when it was touch and go. We have no guarantees about the year to come.
I keep dropping dreams and goals off my list, not adding them on, because the reality is that a lot of them are unachievable while you're in literal survival mode.
The best I can do in terms of plans for the year is keep putting one foot in front of the other, and grab at whatever bits of light I can along the way.
As such, I'm not giving up hope, but I can't pin it down to a "hope for the coming year" . It's more a strong fixed belief that even if it's so dark that I can't see my hand in front of my face, life is still there in the darkness.
Meanwhile... I can "just keep scrolling" past most of the social media posts, or keep away from it altogether for a few days. It's harder to "scroll past" a New Year's sermon with said "hopes for the coming year" handout sheet to fill in and put on your fridge at home. And also hard to stall when well meaning friends ask about your plans for the coming year, particularly when they don't know how much has had to go on hold. (I still get asked from time to time about my indefinitely suspended artistic career.)
Thoughts anyone?
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
outlanderSenior Contributor
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
SmcSenior Contributor
@outlander, the unpredictability of it all is a big one. How can you plan for unknown?
I've felt very flat sometimes looking at lovely work done by my former classmates. While it's good seing them do well, it's so hard thinking "Where would mine be by now if I hadn't had to stop?"
It was oddly encouraging running into one classmate at a supermarket, and finding out she was in a similar position to me. We didn't need to tell each other all the details, but we understood each other.
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
Sophie1Senior Contributor
Hi @outlander @Smc
just read your two posts below - as a carer i can relate to what you are expressing - I’d be happy to get through the next year and not be in a worse place than we are now - mentally, financially, physically and emotionally ... I think the survival mode comment struck the strongest cord with me - as a couple with one partner challenged with a debilitating dose of BPII and myself mild anxiety and depression we are in day to day mode so often ... survival is an achievement ... housework is even an achievement... out achievement list for 2018! reads something like - vacuumed once every three weeks, cooked meals 5 days a week most weeks , house was tidy maybe twice a month, kept my job even though I had two months carers and sick leave altogether ... , MsS didn’t spend any time in a psych clinic as inpatient, Ms S did - 2 x outpatient day program courses on CBT , Ms S only talked about self harm but didn’t attempt , we managed to attend some family holidays without total meltdowns, I went off my antidepressants and then got really down and then went back on them and felt better but not great but ok enough to want to hang around a bit longer sigh ... overall there were many overwhelming moments - but honestly we have had far worse years than 2018 and I am appreciative of all the things that could have happened and didn’t - I’m also appreciative that we are alive and have a sense of hope to the extent that we both want to be alive most days and are completely happy that we are sharing our journies together and agree in general on what’s important in life and where we are headed - our goals are more around sustainability for us both of daily routines that keep us relatively emotionally mentally physically healthy and secure financially. Being alive with the occasional smile and money to buy food and pay bills is the goal !! And every now and then grab a bit of joy or beauty along the way ... or even a laugh .. ok that’s my New Years reflection done ✅
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
outlanderSenior Contributor
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
outlanderSenior Contributor
In response to: Re: what to do when feeling Overwhelmed
SmcSenior Contributor
@outlander, my artistic endeavours have been as a ceramicist/potter. I stopped doing it because I couldn't keep the feel of the work when it was stop-start. Mostly stop.
I've done some drawing and painting as part of my ceramics study, and while I wasn't too bad at it, it doesn't come as naturally to me.
As much as creative work is healthy, I don't think I have the emotional energy to do much of it right now. I do think I'll get back to it, but the "when" is another unknown.
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Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
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