I've been eying up the local Mind centre- they seem to have lots on, and I was thinking I could volunteer at a coffee morning or whatever when I was well, and then go along for support when I'm not (bipolar/psychosis esque problems)
DH says it is like trying to cure TB by getting a load of sufferers to cough on each other.
I think he thinks that I should try to live as normal a life as possible, instead of letting the mental become a big "thing", but the fact is, it is already a pretty big "thing" - I'm looking at a lifetime of never being able to work full time, or even part time if it isn't uber flexible. The only people I know who have suffered from mental illness have had a mild dose of depression, where they took some anti depressants for a few months and led normal lives.
I think it might be useful as I could do something useful. I can't volunteer normally as I might have to let them down too much if I was ill, but surely Mind would understand?
I can kind of see DHs point though - I don't want to get into a "patient" mindset and end up letting it rule my life - that approach could probably make me more ill anyway.
However, I have (and have always had) a strong interest in mental health and social policy - I studied social policy at university and was hoping to be a mental health social worker or an academic researcher in social policy/sociology, or a benefits advisor/campaigner (or something with bringing literature to disadvantaged people - a public librarian or some form of project worker). One of the hardest things that I've had to come to terms with is that it is now increasingly unlikely that I will ever do so much as get a degree (I have dropped out of six degrees - I have always been academically minded, so it is a big deal to me that I don't have so much as a BA when I had always assumed I would go on to postgrad stuff) and I would love to at least volunteer doing something vaguely in that direction.
Also, when I am not so well, I find it hard to get out of the house and interact normally with people (if I'm low, I can't do it at all, if I'm high I just talk utter rubbish at them) so a support group would be great.
Has anyone done this kind of thing? Did it help? How about volunteering?
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Mental health
Support groups, volunteering etc - help or hindrance?
6 replies
butterpieify · 21/03/2011 21:48
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