@tyme Hi we’ve not met here before but I saw a few people asking when you would return. It’s really lovely to meet you and hear about your amazing advocacy at an international conference! Well done legend!
I’m new to the online forums. I havnt posted a thread of my own yet but I’ve helped some other people who in turn have helped me get through this tough time.
I would love to hear about people’s recovery. At the moment I don’t feel sure I’ll ever be happy again. I’ve been unwell a long time and doing therapy and applying what I learn from therapy but I’m just not where I’d like to be. Hope is so important isnt it. The hope we can get better and not feel so worthless.
Thank you for sharing and reaching out! I'm sorry to hear that things have been so tough for you. You are right in saying that when we hear people's recovery stories, it can be so powerful and uplifting. Even in my own recovery, I spent many years in a place of feeling things would never change. It was a very dark period of my life.
Yet taking the steps to reach out (out of my comfort zone), and really pushing myself to stay well played a part in my recovery. These forums also played a huge part in my recovery. I found that the more I reached out and supported others, the more I was encouraged to stay well.
Only recently, I went back to the very very first post I ever posted on the forums. And you know what? I first posted because I connected with the experiences of another member. I felt less alone with what I was going through. If it weren't for the posts of others that I could connect with, I would never have posted on this 'strange, anonymous platform'.
I wonder if this is something you might experience too?
@tyme I am really finding the forums very helpful. When I joined I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’ve been greeted by kind and generous people here. Learning and supporting other people is actually very helpful to our own feelings and situations. It feels really nice knowing I’ve made some friends here and they’re all people who care and understand. I had absolutely no one to reach out to and this forum changed that which I am so very grateful for.
I really love the reflection on your own journey. I am so happy that you are feeling connected here and that it has helped you in leading a happier life. When we are isolated from one another it can feel like no one understands and that there’s no hope of a brighter day, week, month or year. It’s a spark of hope for me and something I didn’t have before our conversation. Thank you.
Taking the step to join felt a bit scary but I thought to push through and I’m so glad I did.
Hearing about your trip has been a really pleasant surprise! I hope that conference attendees can use this as a best practice template to do the same for their local communities. Well done on going and speaking too!
And i think it's always important to remember that WE are the forums. Collectively, we have made it what it is whether it's the social threads, the supportive threads, the carer's threads.
And i think it's always important to remember that WE are the forums. Collectively, we have made it what it is whether it's the social threads, the supportive threads, the carer's threads.
