5 Day Online Event! You Are Not Alone - Crisis Advice for Family, Friends & Carers

Welcome everyone to a new style of event, a 5-day conversation for carers about caring for loved ones who are regularly in crisis, and a very extra special warm welcome to those members who wanted a reminder of this week long thread

Welcome to @Clover2020 @Pilpa123 @Rachelsparks @Antics55 @kpreen @Winter3 @Hope12 @Lll @angela4 @Shaz51 @Louisek @Former-Member @Former-Member @Former-Member 💖💖💖

Over the coming days myself and @NatureLover and a couple of our other wonderful guides will be hanging around this thread to discuss ideas and discussion points around how to manage when someone close to you has suicidal thoughts or attempts suicide, it can be hard to respond to their needs while also looking after yourself. If you are a carer who has ever experienced this - this conversation is for you. Throughout the event we will be referring to a new SANE resource which is available to Carers – You Are Not Alone



You are not alone was made with the help of people who have been carers and know how tough it is. Check out the link here. Explore the wheel for information and support. There’s no set order: click what you most need now.

Before I kick off my first discussion point today, I’d like to introduce my wonderful co-host @NatureLover and extend a special welcome to our other community guides who are dropping by such as @outlander @frog and @Shaz51 🙂 Our Community Guides role model our community values and support members regularly, we're so happy the crew are keen to support and check in on this thread across the week in addition to their usual CG Tasks. For any guides that are are around, please feel free to introduce yourself as we get the YANA Thread rolling!

My name's NatureLover, and I have lived experience of 3 suicide attempts when much younger, plus a lot of suicidal ideation throughout my life. Thankfully I haven't had any for about 12 years now. Since joining the SANE Forums earlier this year, I have found myself drawn to trying to support people who are struggling with suicidal ideation, and it's not easy.

The YANA resource provides an excellent reference point for finding support as a carer. When I was at my worst, I had no idea what support was out there, and now that I find myself in somewhat of a caring role, I am grateful for this resource. It's a realistic tool outlining what you can expect when going through this traumatic, exhausting and difficult experience. It has useful information about what to do in an emergency, at the hospital, when the person comes home again, and finding support after that.

I am enjoying being a new Community Guide, and I think the thing I like most is making connections with people.

@NatureLover it is very realistic i especially enjoy the wheel function as well

• Remind yourself that self-care strategies are not selfish. took me such a long time to really own that

thank you @Former-Member

Hello @Former-Member , @NatureLover
Welcome to this week`s online 5 Day Online Event! You Are Not Alone - Crisis Advice for Family, Friends & Carers
My name is @Shaz51

my husband has had 2 attempts and also a breakdown which all ended up time in hospital
I have been a member at SANE Australia Forums now for Five years
And have been a Community Guide for 4 years
(you may have seen me on the SANE Forums across this time).
My favourite thing about being a guide is helping and encouraging others as the Sane Forum members have helped me so much over the years
During my free time,--- I love relaxing with a nice big cup of coffee , Playing word games with friends on the computer
An interesting fact about me is I used do Line Dancing

Glad you like the wheel function, @Former-Member . The information is laid out pretty clearly, isn't it...

That's good that it sounds like you've accepted your own self care isn't selfish but necessary 🙂

@Former-Member, @BreakingHeart , @eth

@NatureLover you wrote ;

The YANA resource provides an excellent reference point for finding support as a carer. When I was at my worst, I had no idea what support was out there, and now that I find myself in somewhat of a caring role, I am grateful for this resource.

this is very true @NatureLover , @Former-Member , @Former-Member

I had no idea what support was out there

and with my experience, I don`t drive

so I had to find where they took my husband

found him the next morning 70km away in a bigger hospital

to read this resources is really good

---

@Shaz51 wrote:

My favourite thing about being a guide is helping and encouraging others as the Sane Forum members have helped me so much over the years

---

I like this 🙂 And I never knew you used to be a Line Dancer @Shaz51

---

@Shaz51 wrote:

and with my experience, I don`t drive

so I had to find where they took my husband

found him the next morning 70km away in a bigger hospital

---

That would have been so hard, @Shaz51 😞

@Shaz51 Thank you for sharing, what a journey for you 70km away, my goodness that is no doubt tricky without driving. @NatureLover Thank you too for your post! So stoked to have you both here 🙂 I am looking forward to getting your thoughts as well as others forum members, I think it's a really tangible resource

I will be posting one discussion point per day to reflect on, first up...

Thinking about the new You Are Not Alone resource...
Sometimes it is hard to know who to talk to when supporting a loved one after an attempt, what has your experience been of engaging with doctors, nurses and hospital staff as a carer (keeping in mind our community guidelines of course)?