Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

[Faith-and-Hope]

Good morning @Persephonyx and welcome to the forums.

I lived with in-laws when my eldest son was young, and that can be really tricky.  It also create strong conflict of interest, because you are grateful for somewhere to stay, but also need your own relationship boundaries held and respected within that environment.  It’s not an exchange, one for the other.

I am sorry that the Bondi attacks have triggered your trauma responses.   That will be a common outcome here, and you are not alone.  Compound PTS is something that travels with many mental health conditions, unfortunately.  I hope that being with others who hear you and understand helps you through this part of your challenges.  Other forumites might respond to you here about that.

Perhaps your family doctor is a good starting point for finding support around the self-medicating drinking issue.  It’s great that you recognise this as self-harm and you are endeavouring to address it early, because it does have the power to escalate other issues quite dramatically.

Two year olds can be little dynamos 

, but also a real joy.  Keep taking care of yourself and your loved ones, and keep posting with us on the forums.  We can walk along with you in this journey.

🌷 F&H

[tyme]

Hi @Persephonyx ,

Thank you for reaching out. It's so great to have you with us. We appreciate you sharing some of what's been going on for you. 

I can see that things haven't been the easiest lately, yet you have been reflecting on life to see that there are parts you want to change - well done! This is certainly the first step!

I want you to know that you are not alone in navigating this. Life can throw many curveballs at us, and often, when we least expect it.

I'm glad to hear you are seeing a psychologist. Do you have any particular goals you want to work on with your psychologist?

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[Marie30]

I am Marie30 and would like to hear all your life experiences & get some support as I am a carer of someone who suffers from delusional disorder. 

[Alonely]

Hello,

I am a sufferer of social anxiety and OCD. I am hoping to connect with others that share similar struggles.

It's a lonely life when others fail to see past your reserved, quiet, nervous first-impression to discover the smart, humourous, friendly person you actually are under the surface.

Over the past 15 years I have made and lost many "friends". It is exhausting to open up and let people in, only for them to eventually stop being interested in you or show any sort of care. Those experiences just make my social anxiety worse, and making new friends all the more difficult. 

At this stage in my life, mid-30s, my mum and dad are my best and only true friends. I am extremely happy to call them my friends and value every moment that we share. But I also know that they won't be around forever, and when they are gone I will be truly alone. 

So I am here. Hoping to make some connections. To be understood and accepted for who I am.

[lavenderhaze]

Hi @Alonely, welcome to the forums 🙂

I can relate to a lot of what you have said. It's so hard when you want to make connections but struggle with social anxiety. 

Have you tried going to any meet-ups? There are a few online communities for introverts or people who want to make friends; they have meet-ups, too.

I hope you can find comfort in this online space and build a community here ❤️

[Alonely]

Hi @lavenderhaze 

Could you please direct me to where I can find the online communities/groups?

I'm based in Sydney. 

Thank you 🙂

[Trickster]

I've honestly been putting off an Introduction post; I'm terrifyied everything will be used against me by my family as evidence of lying, sympathy gathering ect. I recommend sites like this and never use them for my self because my list of diagnosed conditions is so long it genuinely does look ridiculous some of the conditions look made up essentially I look made up when in reality I'm suffering.

Complex mental health conditions wise

CPTSD

MAJOR DEPRESSION

PSYCOSIS

GAD

PTSD

physical conditions

ABSENCE STATUS EPILITICUS (complex epilepsy)

COLD URTICARIA

There are symptoms galore beyond the label I am not just the diagnosis I am not just the symptoms but I live with them I live with things I cannot control and things that were beyond my control and the things I can control I do my due diligence with I know my responsibilities and it's way more than some were given but I will keep moving and doing what's best for my health and thriving not just surviving. I needed somewhere to say this.

[tyme]

Hi @Marie30 ,

Welcome to the forums!

So great to have you with us. Thank you for sharing a little about yourself. I'm sure it can be challenging caring for someone with a MH condition. 

What are some ways you help yourself to cope when things are tough?

Tagging some other members who are also carers @Shaz51 @Anastasia @greenpea Also tagging some Peer Guides and Community Guides @Asgard @Former-Member @MermaidHair @Minkie-Rose @nula_ray @SkySeeker22 @Hope2Recovery 

[tyme]

Welcome @Trickster @Alonely ,

Thank you for sharing a little about yourselves. I can hear the MH journey can be a bit lonely and challenging sometimes. 

It's great to be able to connect with others and share experiences as it can provide a different insight. Despite the many different walks of life people have, one thing we all have in common is that we are REAL people with REAL experiences.

By connecting with people here, we hope you find a way to navigate some of the challenges in life.

Tagging a few members who may want to say hello @NatureLover @Snowie @Shaz51 @Former-Member @Tranquil_Atoms @HelloKitty1981 

[Shaz51]

Hello and welcome @Marie30 , @Alonely , @Trickster 🙂

How are you going today xx 

Letting you know that you are not alone my friends❤️