Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[perseverer]

@Grasshopper3, I do realise that this is more than mental illness, but how to stop it... I need empowerment, but how? Wherever I turn I am told - with bucket loads of sympathy - nothing anyone can do. I go out birding, and that is my sacrosanct escape.

[Grasshopper3]

@perseverer

Content/trigger warning

 I go out birding, and that is my sacrosanct escape.

Do you mean bird watching? 

That is so cool.....What birds do you see the most in your area?

Grasshopper3 

[perseverer]

Yes, birdwatching. I travel to all sorts of places to find particular species. Today for example, I went to an area of Melbourne called Templestowe to find Swift Parrots. In my particular area I enjoy seeing all the little bush birds such as Red-browed Finch, Eastern Yellow Robin, Superb Fairywren, Brown Thornbill, Satin Flycatcher and so on. But I love all the birds - the water birds, raptors, waders, parrots - and we get them all where I live.

[Grasshopper3]

@perseverer

I love them too! I guess that's why I have a mouse problem as I have seeds out. I get them in my backyard of our little villa: Bronzewing, Twenty Eights, Pink Galah, Rosella's, and few more I don't know the name of. 

I love the little blue wren, but I have to camp to see this shy little bird. They love my car mirror, they dance in couples in front of it.

We also get the Carnaby's big black Cockatoos, they make a lot of noice and eat the gum nuts out of the gumtrees.

It's like living in a zoo sometimes, just lovely. I hug trees sometimes too, so thankful they home these beautiful creatures and clean the air we breathe. 

When do you go birdwatching and if you do, do you take binoculars? 

Funny enough, my SZ son thinks birds are microchipped and they send him messages only he can hear.

Thats another story though.

We fly out tonight and I'll be away for four weeks but I might find time to check in now and again.

Stay safe and enjoy birdwatching as much as you can ok?

Grasshopper3

[Anx]

Oh honey, I'm feeling your pain and frustration. Living in a warzone, just waiting for the bullets to fly, and feeling like there's nothing you can do to stop it. I'm not going to try to offer answers to the problem - other people better qualified to do that here - but I just want you to know you're not alone and there are people who care about you as well as your boys.

Reading between the lines, I'm guessing your own stress levels are somewhere above extreme right now 🙂 If you're not careful, you'll be the first to snap and do something regretable. I know everyone says 'take care of you' like it's the easiest thing in the world to just get away from it all for some personal time, but seriously you need to do something. Sound like you need a holiday from your life.