Lived Experience Forum

[Queenie]

Well folks I grow weary of boredom, so therefore I am enrolling in yet another diploma at TAFE. This time Diploma of Community Services. I want to use this as credit towards a Social Work degree. I like to strike while the iron is hot so to speak. My dream is to be a consumer consultant in charge of an entire healthcare district. I want to bring a recovery paradigm into a slowly changing world of psychiatry. Well that's my dream anyway. I've had so many people try to step on or crush my dreams in the past, I can barely lose count of the 'haters'. 

It was always my plan when I decided to apply for the disability support pension, that I wouldn't be reliant upon it forever. Now it is time to declare check-mate and make my move! Over ten years ago, I was stricken down with 'ill mental health' and in 2009, I was forcibly requested to resign from a job I loved and found rewarding, despite glorious and glowing employee performance appraisals. Now I am over the bitterness that brought, it is time to 'reinvent' myself. 

[Kurra]

Go for it @Queenie!

I did all of my qualifications whilst decidedly unwell. It was a huge battle at times but I got there with good grades.

PS It helps to be extremely stubborn, pig-headed and head strong! Hugzzz 💕 🎶

[Queenie]

Thanks for your encouraging words @Kurra. I think I've got the stubborness and pig-headedness in spades! Of course there'll be plenty out there who will try to tear me down and try to crush my dreams and aspirations (hence why I have strike now rather than later). I want to do something I can be proud of and I've always been academically minded, so study seems the right choice for me.

[Kurra]

Oh there's plenty of them around @Queenie. Just don't listen to them.

This is YOUR life! 💜💕

[Former-Member]

Go for it @Queenie. Good for you. Follow your heart and dreams. Sure beats twiddling your thumbs. 💜🤗

[Former-Member]

Just realised that sounded a bit arrogant @Queenie. I meant you may as well do something your passionate about. I'm pretty sure you don't sit around twiddling your thumbs. My bad sorry. 💜🤗

[Queenie]

No offence taken @Former-Member. To be honest, in the past six months, I have spent far too much time twiddling my thumbs as I struggle with this so called illness. I haven't twiddled thumbs the entire time since taking a pension. I've got a Cert IV in mental health, Dip. Counselling and Dip. Youth Work. You'd think with those qualifications, I'd learn enough about self soothing, rather than allowing my skewed reality and negative emotions get the better of me, wouldn't you?