Newbie's Social Club - Come make some friends!

[rav3n]

@Mum2boys @CK2 welcome!! how's both your Friday going? 😊

[Nerys]

And now to try and summarize myself without sounding completely fictional. Content warnings for intense medical drama.

Last year I:
- discovered I had a 6cm wide meningioma in my head and was lucky to be alive
- survived major brain surgery
- was left in a drug-induced delirium for a week begging for help as I hallucinated all my worst fears
- lost my mind
- spent the rest of the year being promised professional psychiatric help to recover only to have it repeatedly fall through
- suppressed everything so I could move to Melbourne where could actually afford a livable place to rent and recover

I'd be lying if I said I'm okay. I am seeing a psychiatrist every week to learn emotional regulation and EMDR to process what I went through and be able to move on.

I know I have a bright future ahead of me, now having my brain restored to it's pre-meningioma state when I was at the height of my professional career, plus the last five years of discovering so much about myself, who I really am and how to be truly happy. And now I've made it to an amazing city where I can pursue my career and enjoy a much more vibrant queer community and creative life. For the first time in a decade I can stop endlessly struggling to survive, and actually start to live. If I can just recover from what I went through.

I'm trying to be hopeful, knowing I will recover in time, and trying not to lose ground to depression and stay the course. But it isn't always easy, and some days are worse than others.

[pelli69]

Been suffering depression for many many many years. All came to a head last week. Wanted to self harm. Just starting my long journey to recovery

[tyme]

Hey @Nerys ,

Welcome to the forums! Thank you for sharing your story. I can see how much you have been through and how this can affect your mental health. Your resilience shines through even if it doesn't feel like it at times. 

I'm sorry to hear about your medical journey. Did you have people to walk this journey with you? To support you? To sit with you when things were tough?

What are things you enjoy doing?

Tagging some members who may want to say hi @Oaktree @Gremlin24 @Till23 @MJG017 @Shaz51 @Eve7 

[tyme]

Hey @pelli69 ,

Sorry to hear you have been struggling with your depression which is leading to thoughts of self-harm. Is this a new thing? If so, have you spoken to your GP or a professional about it?

You deserve to feel supported so you aren't sittign with these thoughts on your own. 

When you feel down, what's helpful for you?

[Gremlin24]

Hello @Nerys and welcome to the forums. Thankyou for sharing your story, I'm sorry for what you went through. 

I hope you can continue to heal and get your life back on track. 

Stay strong and we are always here to support you along the way 😊.

[Gremlin24]

Hello @pelli69 , I'm sorry that things have been tough for you lately. Please know that you are not alone and we are here to support you. We will walk this journey with you, every step of the way. Sending you lots of strength ❤️.

[CK2]

Thanks for welcome