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Rosie
Senior Contributor

Support Groups

Good afternoon everyone. Rosie here, back again.

I have a few questions today. I'll start with some background.

I am back on the treatement path, and new meds after a long psychosis this time. I didn't really understand it, because it seemed so real, it generally sucked and I feel sad and unmotivated at the moment. See, I thought I was 'fixed'. I had quit smoking, drinking, went down to a low dosage and had my weight under control. YAY. All good. Goals ticked off.

But then the TV began its special messages again etc etc and I believed it this time. "It's real, THIS TIME". I isolated and cut off communication with family which made it all worse.

Golly gosh, I have just come back out of the psychosis, having sought treatment and support in a new town (again) and it's really hard. I suppose now I am really tired and apathetic from it all - and I am worried about work. Meltdown the other day, and I drew up some small steps to solve the myriad of issues in my life. So I felt a bit better after that, but the nature of it, is just that it is relentless. And it's upsetting.

Child-rearing age, about to miss out. I have accepted that. I am ok about it. I just would love to meet someone to talk to who around is my age and preferably the opposite sex to maybe have a relationship with, and this is simply to give my parents a break! They must find it so exhausting. Anyway, not only to relieve my parents of some stress, but to have meaningful interactions with folk who 'get it'. I don't want to start a dating site or anything, but I would just like to connect.

 

SO, my questions!

1) Has anyone ever been in a support group that is real-life meet up? What was it like? How did you find it? Did it need a professional health person to facilitate it?

2) Has anoyone ever started a support group in a community?

 

I am going to ask the health team about a support group, I just thought I'd ask here too.

 

I am grateful for this forum and thank you for reading over these years, apologies if this topic has already been discussed.

 

Rosie.

 

 

5 REPLIES 5

Re: Support Groups

Hi @Rosie  you certainly are a super adaptable and intelligent human, props to you. It's no easy feat and I do think that despite these difficult journeys they create very insightful human beings. This is a great thread, I look forward to the community's input. My experience of support groups is they are incredibly welcoming, and very open and non-judgemental. Of course a lot of this depends on facilitator, but definitely think they're worth a go. Will see what the other members say 🙂 Heart

Re: Support Groups

@Rosie Hi again!

Your episode of psychosis sounds very scary and confusing, but I think it is still fantastic that you ticked off substantial achievements in life  - getting on top of substances and weight etc.

That will always stand you in good stead.

Smiley Happy

I did not want to try dating sites either, cos it felt too heavy! I preferred to just talk about life and found various people here on this forum.  Thats my life where talking mental illness seems more normal than dating issues ... oh dear ...Smiley Embarassed

 

Re: Support Groups

Hi @Rosie, lovely to meet you. 🖐😊

 

In my area there's an excellent attitude toward MH issues due to a local psych hospital, clinic, outreach programs, a drop-in centre purpose built for activities and much more. Obviously we're lucky to have such resources because most regional areas in Australia are screaming out for help.

 

Personally, I don't know of any 'groups'. The drop-in centre is where most meet up to chat, discuss topics of concern or get creative. It seems to attract people with psychosis type diagnosis' more than anxiety/depression disorders.

 

I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'support' group. What is it you really want from a group? And what do you have to offer others? Is it more social connections you're after? If so, a drop-in centre may be what you're looking for.

 

If your area doesn't have one, maybe you could join forces with your local clinic and create one. Put together a submission to the local or state govt's to supply a place or funding for one. This might be a great project for that intelligent brain of yours eh? 👍😉

 

Anyway, it's food for thought. Again, lovely to meet you Rosie.

 

Kind thoughts;

Hope Heart 👵

Re: Support Groups

hi @Rosie I went to an anxiety support group because I was lonely and I wanted to make friends. I found several local groups on the internet, run by my state-wide anxiety organisation. It cost $3 each time.

 

We sat in a circle and everyone complained. Everyone was very negative and if someone was ranting on and on the facilitators didn't do anything. The facilitators were student or qualified psychologist volunteers. They did almost nothing, despite the group guidelines often being breached.

 

I found it very lonely, invalidating and negative. Listening to all the complaining triggered my MI symptoms very badly so all I learnt there was how to tune out in the face of stress. I didn't make any friends, people were very clicky and unfriendly at tea-break in the kitchen.

 

I much prefer the company of well people. I go to meetups and enjoy them & made nice friends that way.

 

 

Re: Support Groups

hii @Rosie whilst my exprience of support groups was very negative, all the other people in my support group seemed to get a big benefit out of it so you may enjoy it too. One lady described the group as soothing and most of the others seemed to have been going to the same group for months or even years so they must have felt very at home there & found it therapeutic to attend. I have two friends with MI who only like support groups, they don't do any form of socialising that isn't a support group/MI group that has a qualified facilitator. They say it makes the world of difference in thier lives and that they feel better after attending group.

 

So you may need to attend a group to see how you respond. You may really enjoy it & find it beneficial. I found social support was definitely a case of trial and error and I had to try many things that I didn't like before I found socialising that I do like.

 

Have you found a group to attend yet?

 

 

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