Hi @Corny
It’s so lovely to hear from you - thank you so much for your understanding 
That’s so true! It can take an incredible amount of stamina to live with mental health conditions and there are days when I feel as though I’m running on empty and I just don’t know how I’m going to find the emotional reserves to survive another day.
I’m so sorry to hear that you’ve experienced two nervous breakdowns and I can’t even begin to imagine what life was like for you during these times
Although I’ve never experienced a nervous breakdown, I have experienced something similar and I can honestly say that this was one of the darkest times of my life.
Just prior to making the decision to take some time away from the forums, I found myself shutting down and I noticed that seemingly simple tasks were starting to become overwhelming and increasingly more challenging.
Fortunately, through time, I’ve become better at recognising some of the early warning signs that I’m starting to sink and so (as much as possible) I do what I can to prevent myself from reaching the point where it becomes even harder to find my way back 
I think that you’ve raised a really interesting point in relation to peer support
Unfortunately, in my experience, people often make assumptions that if you live with a particular mental health condition, then you’re automatically well placed to support others - especially if you’re living with the same mental health condition as someone else!
Although I passionately believe that people who have a lived experience of mental health conditions hold a wealth of knowledge and expertise that can be used to support others, I also think that it’s imperative that the expectations associated with peer support are realistic and fall within a carefully defined scope of practice. In my experience, considerations such as these, play a vital role in protecting people from inadvertently finding themselves in a position where they’re expected to address gaps in services and / or respond to issues that are ultimately the responsibility of other professionals and / or organisations.
I love your sense of humour and I had a little giggle to myself when you shared ‘I tied to outdo you with hearts - I’m competitive that way’
I’m not sure if you’ve ever watched the reality television show called ‘Survivor’ but the slogan for the game is ‘outwit outplay outlast!’ Your words reminded me of this and I could visualise people competing in all sorts of challenges with the ultimate goal being to outplay each other with hearts 
Absolutely! It’s hard to believe that lockdown is finally coming to an end and that the world is slowly beginning to open up again
With this in mind, I just wondered if there’s anywhere in particular that you’re looking forward to being able to visit once the restrictions ease?
Thank you so much for sharing the YouTube video with me
The little baby sea otter is so cute and adorable and I just wanted to pick him up and give him a cuddle 
Thinking of you 
Take care of yourself,
ShiningStar 