Newbie saying hello

[tofler]

Hi, I've been on here for a couple of days and have finally got round to putting a bit of info about me on my profile, so hopefully that'll be visible to anyone who clicks on my username. Having done that, I thought I should post and say "Hello!". I think that online peer support can be a great idea and I've tried some other sites, Big White Wall, Elefriends (on Mind's website) and more recently the support forum on Sane's website. I like the Sane forum because it's organised into different message boards and headings, which makes it easier for me to find the sort of posts that I find interesting and helpful. But it's a very quiet forum (not many people posting or replying) and seems to have a problem with being a target for lots of spam which stays on there for quite a long time, even after being reported to their admin. Still a useful site though. Anyway, I'm looking forward to chatting with folk on here and hopefully picking up a few more ideas and strategies to add to my mental health tool box, to help me have more good days than bad ones. Thanks for reading and I hope you're having an ok day today?

[LoriMS61]

Hi Tofler,

Welcome to the community. Tell us what you've tried and we can share what we know.

Lori

[tofler in reply to LoriMS61]

Thank you! In my "tool box" at the moment I've got things like my medication, challenging negative thoughts and unhelpful thinking patterns (from CBT), meditation, mindfulness, behavioural activation, a few books and several pieces of paper stuck to my kitchen cupboards (to remind me about a few different useful ideas and mantras etc). I still have my bad times though (especially during the winter), but they're not as often as they used to be and not as scary as they used to be. I'm not very consistent at putting these strategies into practice, especially when I come home tired from work each day. That's my biggest challenge at the moment, along with not eating very healthily, not doing much exercise and me being very good at avoiding things that I really need to be tackling (e.g. money worries)!

[Humphrey42 in reply to tofler]

Hi Tofler, Ideas are good, implementing them is a whole different ball game, that's been my experience. My only advice would be do something very specific. We have too many things to do and and often they are too vague. We are too easily distracted and suffer from low motivation. Time and focus is key to making a positive long term improvement. All the best Andy

[tofler in reply to Humphrey42]

That sounds like very good advice to me, thank you! One of the little notes that I have on display in my kitchen reminds me to try and "Stay focused!"

[MattBuckland in reply to tofler]

Hi Tofler

Welcome to the site.

After having a breakdown in August i have made a good recovery (still ongoing).

I have got to the point where I am nearly back up to doing my full hours ( in fact last week I went over them), but can totally emphasise with you on the tiredness thing.

I seem to have such limited energy that when I get home from work I just crash, eat bad food, watch a film and go to bed.

I now have stuff in the evenings that I want to do whether it is choir, CBT exercises or whatever but this seems impossible. I hope I can break through it as I worry if life becomes just work again I will end up back where I was. Bit of a vicious circle.

Anyway, will keep working on it as I am 35 now and want a bit of happiness and no one is going to give it to me.

Hope to chat again, a problem shared.

Laters, Matt

[tofler in reply to MattBuckland]

Hi, I very much agree with what you've said about wanting a little happiness and not expecting other people to provide us with that. Finding enjoyable things to do on an evening when tired sounds like a very good idea. I do better with this during the spring and summer because I like to keep busy in my garden on an evening after work, but I lose this once the nights have drawn in for autumn and winter. I think I might do better if there was somewhere I could go to spend an hour doing something with other people that is a little bit social as well. I think I need to find some type of gentle exercise class to try, maybe yoga or tai chi. Choir sounds like a great idea, but I'm not much of a singer and wouldn't have the confidence. I need something like that, something invigorating and energising after being at work all day.

[Hidden]

Welcome to this site, no real spam on these pages

Good Luck

B.

[tofler in reply to Hidden]

Thanks B, that's great news about there being no spam!

[Lizbett]

Welcome Tofler!

[tofler in reply to Lizbett]

Thanks Lizbett

[Lizbett in reply to tofler]

You're most welcome! ☺