Lived Experience Forum

[Former-Member]

My mental health worker has presented me with one of these to take home & fill out.

it seems like the start of the end of support provided to me.

The last couple of sessions it’s been strongly suggested that I seek emotional support from family & friends, hello I’m sorry but would I be seeing a phyc & mental health worker if a few tears over a cup of tea would help? I don’t have emotional support, my family pretend I am a part of the family Easter & Christmas & ignore me the rest.

I am a couple of years into recovery from a phychosis & subsequent hospitalisation.

There are still a couple of issues (The biggest most important ones) that I haven’t been able to bring up yet.

I don’t understand the part in therapy where problems I’ve had with parents & family members, they want me to talk to them about it, if I was able to do this I would have done this long ago, 20 years.

Has anybody had good experience with a wrap plan ?

Where do you get your emotional support from if you don’t come from a “functioning family”?

I am in an emotionally abusive relationship (I think but not sure if it’s just me) & tolerating it for my kids so supportive partner is off the list.

I am collateral damage from a failed marriage, my Mum & Dad have moved on with their new family. Trying to hold it all together to raise my kids in a “normal family”

Apoligies for the long post x

[Appleblossom]

Hello @Former-Member 

I came from a family with lots issues and married into another one, though different.

I love that you doing your best with your family.  Different ways of looking at the world between generations, families are difficult to bridge over.

Wish I could say I had success with a WRAP plan ... the neatness of the title puts me off ... but then again I have had just had to go with what was on offer and make things work the best way I could.  I am not sure that "therapy" is about feeling better.  Go with whatever is workable ..

[Jenn4]

@Former-Member  no need to apologise for the long post - happy to listen.

sorry to hear about your struggles! ❤️ ❤️

I am also at the beginning of a recovery from a trip to hospital with psychotic symptoms. I have bipolar. 

finding people you're close enough to to talk to about really personal struggles is hard! this is not the same but i moved abroad for a few months and had no close friends i could talk to in person about my feelings, that was hard.

anonymous online spaces like this are good i reckon! and talking to people who can somewhat understand your experience bc of their own - have you thought of group therapy? 

from personal experience, tears over a cup of tea, whilst certainly often not suffiicient in themselves are really really important so it's good you're looking for opportunities to get that kind of support I reckon. I am also really bad at opening up though, even to close friend, but i'm getting better at it. it's an invaluable skill! and takes time to work at ❤️

good places to make friends can be social groups like a community band or choir if you are musical, a church if you're interested in that option (people of faith are supposed to be open and accepting and giving), volunteer somewhere? making new friends is hard but worth it.

you choose your family, right?

i don't have any experience with a wrap but have heard good things, thinking about exploring that option myself. 

don't blame yourself if your partner is treating you unfairly, call out their bad behaviour for what it is. 

lots of love ❤️

[Former-Member]

Thanks @Appleblossom I appreciate your support  😉

[Former-Member]

I am going to ask about the group therapy because I think it’s a great idea.

I have looked in the past but couldn’t find any in my area.Thanks @Jenn4 , I really appreciate your input.

I joined up with a church early in the piece, in some ways it’s been really good.

In other ways it’s a bit like Easter & Christmas with the family everyone puts on there happy face talk to  about everything that’s good & hides their shit times but I enjoy going & have found great benifit, in other ways I’ve grown up in a very disunctional family  and I  not married so I kind of stick out like a sore thumb which  I sometimes wonder if it helps with mi. It’s about really finding a space place.

I to have bipolar & I just find when I get upset my thoughts can be quiet disordered & a bit too much for friends to cope with. I have lost many friends throughout the years of having mi when I’m manic.

[Former-Member]

@jen4, I just wanted to wish you well in your recovery. It’s hard getting back out there after mi setbacks but your reply shows me you have great insight so best wishes for this 😉

[frog]

Hi @Former-Member just wanted to wish you well today. I also have Bipolar, though I didn't know it till after I was hospitalised 

I have found the forum lifechanging in terms of making connections and then getting braver in the outside world.

I did a WRAP - was really sceptical, but it did help me when I felt things were sliding. However, I have a brilliant pdoc, and psych. I am very lucky, as they are not easy to find, and I have had really mixed experience with health professionals. These 2 play a really big part in my recovery (a never ending work in progress, eh?)

Would it be worth trying another psychologist? The one you're describing seems to have their own agenda, rather than letting you take the lead. Take care

[Former-Member]

Thanks @frog for sharing your experience with me. It is my mental health worker & I also have a phychiatrist & gp.

So now that you mention it I’ll talk it over with psychiatrist &  see where I go from there because the psychiatrist has always been supportive of talk therapy.

yourself & @Jenn4  have inspired me to get it out & have  look at it tomorrow so many thanks for the encouragement & I’ll be sure to list the forums for further support when I need it.

Im just so thankful for the support of @Appleblossom , @Jenn4 & yourself I’ve been worrying about this for a week & didn’t have anyone to talk it through with but now I’m feeling much better about it.

Attacking my mountain of unfolded washing this morning with vigour as my continuous worry has been kicked to the curb for today so Thank you 😊 

[Jenn4]

pleasure @Former-Member , i'm not always on the forums but often am so am very happy to listen/chat for sure 🙂 good on you for getting to the washing!! ❤️ ❤️ 

[Appleblossom]

@Former-Member Keep working your supports.  Apparently that is the way to get the best out of them .. in a good way.  Have fun with that mountain.

Just being able to ask .. straight off the cuff ... not always needing to filter things ... has helped me.