If life is in danger, call Triple Zero (000)
โ02-01-2026 01:48 PM
โ02-01-2026 01:48 PM
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing this with us. Leaving Defence after such a long period of service โ especially through a medical discharge โ can be a huge adjustment, and many people find it far more difficult than they expected. It makes sense that youโd be feeling unsettled and struggling to find your place after nearly two decades in a very structured environment.
Youโre not alone in this experience, and itโs okay to talk about how challenging that transition has been. If you feel comfortable, youโre welcome to share more about what youโve found hardest since leaving, or what support (if any) youโve tried so far. Other members here with lived experience may be able to relate and offer understanding.
Weโre really glad you reached out and posted. Please be kind to yourself โ adjusting after service can take time, and support can make a difference.
Take care,
Moderator
โ02-01-2026 01:49 PM
โ02-01-2026 01:49 PM
Hi,
I have come accross this forum through Open Arms. I am keen to connect with other widows from the veteran community.
โ02-01-2026 01:54 PM
โ02-01-2026 01:54 PM
@RadAcceptance20 , @Rebmevon , @192stoker
a little tip is to put a @ in front of members names so they can receive your message and reply back to you
at the top in the spaces , click on the veterans and to start a new discussions thread for sharing
โ03-01-2026 02:29 PM
โ03-01-2026 02:29 PM
Hi guys, I joined cos I feel overwhelmed at the moment. I have depression and see a psychologist and was diagnosed with BPD many years ago. I live with my teen kids and partner but other relatives live overseas. Over the years I've been 'ghosted' by 3 friends. My aunt just stopped sending xmas /birthday presents etc to us over a year ago. My brother who had reached out to me around 10 years ago on fb ( previously hadn't seen him for years) we got on i sent gifts to his family he did the same. I met up with him and his family 4 years ago it was lovely. Then 2 years ago I said I was flying over for xmas did he want to meet up. His response was ' No Im busy. Happy Christmas " I asked if all was ok, if I'd done something wrong ' he said. " No, happy Christmas' then nothing for 2 years. Ive unfriended him and his family and my aunt.. I feel so sad and crying non stop. I can't deal anymore with being abandoned anymore. Im reaching out as I dont want to put myself out there anymore to be rejected. I dont want to ask them why. If they dont want to text me I would rather just leave it and move on. What is wrong with me?? Sorry for the miserable.post. ๐
โ03-01-2026 03:34 PM
โ03-01-2026 03:34 PM
We wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to the forums.
We hope that you find the forums a great place to connect with other members, share stories and ideas, and find the support and connection you deserve.
Feel free to Introduce yourself here if you havenโt already!
We look forward to seeing you around on the forums!
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The SANE Forums Team |
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We're people like you.
While SANE Forums are moderated 24/7, this email account is only checked periodically. As SANE Forums are a peer-to-peer support community, we are unable to offer immediate one-to-one professional support. If you require urgent one-to-one professional support, please contact Lifeline 13 11 14 or 000 if in immediate danger. |
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โ03-01-2026 05:15 PM
โ03-01-2026 05:15 PM
Hi @Tracey5
Iโm really glad you reached out, and Iโm sorry youโre carrying so much right now. This doesnโt sound like a โmiserable postโ at all; it sounds like someone whoโs been hurt repeatedly and is exhausted from it. ๐
What youโre describing โ friends disappearing, family going quiet without explanation โ can feel incredibly painful and confusing. Being โghostedโ or cut off taps straight into feelings of abandonment, and when that happens more than once, it can really shake your sense of safety and self-worth. It makes sense that youโre feeling overwhelmed and tearful.
I want to say this clearly as a moderator:
There is nothing โwrongโ with you.
People pulling away without explanation is about their limits, avoidance, or circumstances โ not a measure of your value as a person.
Itโs also completely understandable that you donโt want to keep putting yourself out there just to risk being rejected again. Wanting to protect yourself isnโt weakness; itโs self-preservation. Youโre allowed to decide not to chase answers or force connections that arenโt being reciprocated.
A few gentle points to hold onto:
Having depression and a past BPD diagnosis does not mean you deserve abandonment.
Feeling this level of sadness doesnโt mean youโre failing at coping โ it means youโve been hurt.
Unfriending or stepping back can be a way of setting boundaries when contact is too painful.
Itโs really positive that youโre already seeing a psychologist. If you can, this would be a very important thing to bring into those sessions โ especially the repeated losses and how theyโre affecting you now. You donโt have to solve this on your own.
Please know this group is a place where you donโt have to apologise for being honest about how hard things are. Youโre not alone here, and youโre welcome to keep sharing at your own pace. ๐
โ03-01-2026 06:16 PM
โ03-01-2026 06:16 PM
@Zebrastone @Cat34 @Diversity64 @Ruth12 @Tracey5 @LuluTrixibelle @A_PT @RadAcceptance20
so lovely to see you here today my friends
โ03-01-2026 08:24 PM
โ03-01-2026 08:24 PM
We wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to the forums.
We hope that you find the forums a great place to connect with other members, share stories and ideas, and find the support and connection you deserve.
Feel free to Introduce yourself here if you havenโt already!
We look forward to seeing you around on the forums!
|
The SANE Forums Team |
โ04-01-2026 06:58 PM
โ04-01-2026 06:58 PM
Welcome to the forums ๐
Hi there ๐
@Staffylover , @Pearl48 , @Mikee , @emkat , @City_Hustle , @Wabash , @RTGB ,
@BurntCarrot , @ignatius98 , @DLB
We wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to the forums.
We hope that you find the forums a great place to connect with other members, share stories and ideas, and find the support and connection you deserve.
Feel free to Introduce yourself here if you havenโt already!
We look forward to seeing you around on the forums!
The SANE Forums Team
โ04-01-2026 07:05 PM
โ04-01-2026 07:05 PM
Hello @RadAcceptance20 ๐
@Mikee started a discussion thread but it has been moved but it has been locked and now no one can reply to his discussion, can we get this fixed please
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