My Place

[Oaktree]

Dear @ClockFace 

I have had some very dark days, which lasted years. I never thought that I would come out of the darkness but guess what? I did! 

My psychologist and I parted ways last October and I have to do a ring around to find a new one. The NDIS approved 24 visits a year and my new plan has just begun.

I have a great public psychiatrist whom I have been seeing for several years. She was previously my psych at the clinic for 3 years before she left to work at the hospital but then she came back again. So we have had a relationship over about 6 years. She knows me really well and I am happy with her.

I also have a case manager at the clinic. She is pretty young but really good and easy to talk to.

Other than that I have a support worker who encourages me to get out of the house and takes me to groups run by her organisation. Doing that for like 5 years or so has given me the confidence to start stepping out on my own and going to a few things alone. 

I finally feel like my life is coming together and mentally I am in the best shape I have been since I was 19 years old. I am 52 now! I am finally happy which is something that I never thought I could be. I used to be so detached from my emotions that I just felt numb.

Don’t give up. There is hope. My new avatar on Sane is a baby oak tree to represent hope. 

Meggle

[Paperdaisy]

Such a great story of hope @Oaktree Thank you for sharing 😊

[Shaz51]

hello @Oaktree , @Paperdaisy  i am 58 and you are awesome my friend xxx

[Oaktree]

Thanks @Paperdaisy 

Hi @Shaz51 I think you are awesome too. You are the same age as my sister is going to be this year. I wish she and I were closer in age. We are not very close as a result. I have four brothers one of which was my playmate as a kid. My youngest brother. I don’t see him much anymore. He lives pretty far away from me.

Meggle

[Appleblossom]

Oh @Oaktree the blanket is lovely. 

It is great your husband is trying at work even though not really well.  Its hard to start a new job with pain.  

Your story of hope is inspiring, even though it has been a long journey.  It sounds as if your team is mostly working well for you.  

I have had a busy day: phone calls, zoom, garden, emails, dinner, exercise, music.  Mostly it has been good.  I am liking my new counsellor.  It takes a while to really figure out if it is a good fit, but she comes up with good ideas, as well as having a conversation, and reminding me that I am the driver of the process.  I have more busy days ahead.  I am going for jumping back in the flow of life.

[ClockFace]

@Oaktree 

Hey, finished reading, was a bit odd at times it was like reading multiple conversations at once lol.

My sister was very much into plants for ages but she fell in a heap and so did they. Its not something I could ever get my head into. 

I used to paint squid jigs, was ok at it but  not great. Other than writing on SANE forum I dont have  anything in the way of hobbies.

Im slowly getting supports around me, Ive been fighting on my own for over a decade. I got a case manager through Community Mental Health they got me onto Country and Outback Health who will look after me more now. One thing we are going to try and do again is get me on the NDIS which would get me some more supports 

I dont have a psychiatrist at the moment, had an asssessment recently and will try and get one after the report is received. The psychiatrist did provide a recommendation for a psychologist that I will follow up with as Ive not had luck on the psychologist side. Im on the waiting list for the guided services through SANE

They added to my diagnoses in the assessment, not sure if they removed so waitng on the report for a lot. I got my diagnoses over the past decades, new ones added here and there but other than lots of meds no real treatment so hoping my life can improve now that I have supports around me and coming onboard

[Oaktree]

@Appleblossom 

I am glad that you like your new councillor so far. It can take a long time to really build that trust up. 

Busy is good, keeps you out of trouble. 

I am trying really hard to find the positive things in my life at the moment. Some days that is easier than others. I am glad that you are jumping back into life. That sounds really positive.

Sending you good vibes.

Meggle

[Appleblossom]

Thanks @Oaktree 

Yep being grateful for the good, but also not self censoring any more.

Lovely to have a 'in real time' catch up. 

Take care

[Oaktree]

@Appleblossom 

Hi hun,

I am trying to be positive on this thread but as you can see real life frustrations rise from time to time and that is ok. It’s ok not to be ok! I am not perfect nor is anyone else. I find it refreshing that you don’t feel the need to censor. Just be you! Beautiful and authentic. I love you just the way you are. 

Thanks for being here.

Meggle

[Oaktree]

@ClockFace 

Good luck with the NDIS. It is so frustrating getting it started with all the paperwork and such. Get letters of support from anyone you currently work with. GP, case manager etc, anything that will add weight as to why you need NDIS funding. You also need to have goals. NDIS like goals that are geared towards eventual independence. You may never get there but you should write your goals like that. I have a goal to improve my mental health by losing weight so they approved lite n easy. I also have one about improving my mental health by having an organised home and garden so they fund a cleaner and gardener. The gardener just comes by once a month and mows and tidies up my front yard and the cleaner comes once a fortnight. It’s a big help. So you see you decide what you need and then you write a goal around that support. You can get funding for a psychologist and other therapists as well. Good luck with it, be prepared for it to be super annoying at first.

Did you find the button to subscribe to a thread? You will find post options to the top left of a post. Click on that and hit subscribe. Then it will flash a box that says subscription successful. Or you can go into your settings, go to preferences and tick the box that says subscribe to threads I respond to.

I hope that helps.

Meggle