Lived Experience Forum

[frog]

Good idea @nashy to keep the discussion going. Hi @greenpea @Adge @Mazarita @Former-Member @Zoe7 @greenpea @BlueBay @Shaz51

I feel like the barriers to social connections are often within me... self stigma, feelings of being not good enough, undeserving etc. Fortunately I dont feel that with the forum, but irl is another matter.

[Shaz51]

I think you are my awesome @frog

and everyone here on the forum would agree with me xxx

[jess_27]

Thanks @nashy for keeping the conversation going! 

I think for me one of the biggest challenges is finding the balance between not enough socialising and too much. It is hard to set up boundaries around what does and doesn't work for managing my mental illnesses. I think a lot of that comes down to what what @frog said about self-stigma. I struggle to express my needs sometimes because I am scared of how people will react. So sometimes it is easier to either isolate myself or hang out with people on a superficial basis, if that makes sense? 

[jess_27]

@Imn83 you and I sound like we have very simialr strategies for managing social commitments and mental health. But please don't ever feel guilty for prioritising your mental health. It is not selfish at all, in fact it is the smart and responsible thing to do. 🙂 

[Zoe7]

Hey @jess_27 Pleased to see we couldn't 'get rid of you'  - lovely to see you posting here and continuing with this discussion. 

ZWHat you wrote mkes complete sense - often the easy way out is to isolate ourselves - it is self-protection. We seem to get really good at doing that at the expense of having those wider and more sustaining connections but it is often necessary also when we don't feel we hsve much to offer in a social setting - that is when we become too hrd on ourselves also.

[Shaz51]

@jess_27what you wrote mkes complete sense - often the easy way out is to isolate ourselves - it is self-protection.-- Yes I agree @Zoe7

My husband rather say No he is not going than to try and then cancell at the last minute , how many times I have rang up to say that we are not coming

[jess_27]

I've been rewatching one of my favourite shows Lady Dynamite on Netflix. I think a lot of you would get something out of it. It is essentially about a woman with Bipolar 2 managing her way through work and social life and trying to find balance. I love it. It's funny too. 🙂 

[Nay69]

Hi @nashy

i am truly happy to meet you. I hope you have had a wonderful weekend. Mine was not so good but that’s life ❤️

[Nay69]

Hi @Zoe7

Hope you are doing great 💐

[Nay69]

Hi @frog

Need to talk if you can