Lived Experience Forum

[tyme]

I'm not sure what will unfold tomorrow @Helpmeheal . I've got a few things to do in the morning, then I'm on shift in the evening. I was planning to get a lot of washing done, but I've just checked the weather... 12 degrees max is not going to dry my clothes!

arghhh...

[Mystery]

@Helpmeheal, I'm sorry you've been feeling low. I sympathise. I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster a lot of the time, and feel alone a lot, too. 

These are some of the first messages I've written on this forum, and feel lucky to have found it - as there seem to be real people here, experiencing similar things. We're not alone at all! I'm happy to listen to you, and what you're going through.

[tyme]

How's your day been today @Helpmeheal ?

[Helpmeheal]

@tyme , hanging in there… rough day, but I did manage some exercise, so pleased with that. Feeling a bit better this evening. How was your day? 

[tyme]

Thanks for reminding me about exercise @Helpmeheal  - that's one thing i DIDN'T do much of today. 

I had a few errands in the morning, then I had lunch with my sister, my nephew and a friend. It was pleasant to get out a bit.

I also did a bit of cleaning which felt great 🙂

I'm glad you did some physical activity today. Good on you!

tyme

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Helpmeheal 

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

Thank you so much for your beautiful words 💜 It was my pleasure to reach out to you and I just wanted to say thank you so much for offering to be there for me - this means so much to me 💜

The phrase ‘a dream come true’ is such an appropriate and wonderful way to describe these particular services 😊

Like so many other people, there have been numerous times in my life when the support that I needed fell outside the scope of what a crisis supporter could provide and although presenting to the Emergency Department of my local hospital was an option, this wasn’t something that felt safe for me. As such, I found myself in an emotional limbo, as although I desperately needed support, there were no other services available to me.

In my experience, ‘Safe Space’ provides an additional level of support that’s been missing from the way in which we care for and support people who are living with complex mental health conditions and as such, I really hope that you’ll be able to receive some support through one of these services too 💜

Absolutely! In my experience, people who have a lived and / or living experience hold a level of knowledge, wisdom and insight that enables them to be able to speak to the heart of other people’s experiences 💜

With that being said, we’re incredibly fortunate to have an amazing team of peer support workers who walk beside us and I love how @tyme was able to share such a valuable resource with you 💜

That’s great! I’m so pleased that you were able to speak with a Peer Support Worker and as I listened to this part of your story, it sounds as though the support that you received was not only really meaningful, but that it also provided you with a renewed sense of hope as well 💜

In my experience, hope can be incredibly powerful and I truly believe that this is one of the greatest gifts that we can share with people during their time of need 💜

I would love to hear how you’re travelling with everything - if this is something that feels safe and comfortable for you to share 💜

In the meantime, please know that I’m thinking of you and hoping that things start to become a little easier 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

[Helpmeheal]

@ShiningStar @Hello, I meant to respond to this sooner! Thank you for your big hearted response. It means a lot. I will definitely look into those safe spaces. I need to find something like that, I think. Anyway, I am sending you hugs and hoping you are having an ok night.

[ShiningStar]

Hi @Helpmeheal 

It’s so lovely to hear from you 💜

Please don’t worry 💜 It often takes me a little while to be able to reach back to people and so I can really appreciate how easy it can be to lose track of time 😊

Thank you so much for sending me some hugs 💜 I’ve been feeling a little bit wobbly lately and so receiving your hugs made such a wonderful difference to my day 💜

That’s great! I’m so pleased that you’re going to look into receiving some additional support through ‘Safe Space’ 💜 During my recovery, one of the things that I found really tricky was trying to pinpoint the support that I needed and manage all of the different thoughts and feelings that came up in relation to this 💜

As I sat her listening to what you shared with me, I just ever so gently wondered if perhaps this is something that you can relate to as well?

Please know that I’m thinking of you and sending lots of hugs your way 💜

Take kind and gentle care of yourself,

ShiningStar 💜

[Helpmeheal]

Hi Shining Star,

I am sorry you are feeling wobbly. More hugs! Remember, you are still a shining star, even when you wobble ❤️… yes, I have had a lot of trouble knowing where to reach out in dark times. Unfortunately, I haven’t had much success with crisis lines and seeing a therapist is not enough. These forums are a really good place to come, they feel like there are humans on the other end. And these humans understand.

I’m looking forward to attending some online meetings and trying the mentorship… I feel hopeful it will help. Have you found anything particularly helpful? I am always on the lookout for new things to try. We might struggle, but we can’t give up!