Starting to feel so low again 🙁

[Christmasjumperdays]

I go to a mental health peer support group and I’ve been attending for about 6 years.

It’s a local charity and it’s no exaggeration to say it’s been my saviour in recent years. I was suicidal before I started going, now it’s what keeps me afloat.
During the first and second lockdown they stopped running them and they moved onto Zoom, which was no substitute for the in person groups.
Since the summer the groups have been back in person and I’ve felt so much better in myself and feel like my old self again.
I have formed a real community through these groups and I feel accepted for once in my life.

Now the thought of them being taken away again is devastating and terrifying.
The latest headlines meant I didn’t sleep last night.

I feel sick

I try not to watch the news, but caught a news preview in between adverts last night and I also spent the night awake worrying, so I feel your despair and I hope your support group can carry on.

I really hope so

Could you reach out to a few members to see if they would be willing to continue meeting regardless of any restrictions that might come in? You might feel more comfortable if you know you have a safety net - even if it’s only one or two people.

There is more to health than Covid and I would have no qualms whatsoever about breaking rules if I was in your position.

Agree with previous poster--find a few members who are OK with meeting up in person. Probably the meetings won't be moved online anyway, but just knowing you have options will probably help your mental health a lot.

Another comment to say that reaching out to a few members and meet outside the group is a good idea. From experience though, some people wont though as the group setting is a safe space, and they might be too anxious to meet outside of that.

I was attending a MH support group too, and it has now stopped (funding issue though, not Covid... so no Zoom alternative or anything). They are such a life line to many.

I hope you find a solution that enables you to keep well

I thought support groups could meet in person during the last lot of restrictions?

@x2boys

I thought support groups could meet in person during the last lot of restrictions?

Some chose not too. My local Mind have already shut all their groups down, after only running again for about 8 weeks.

I have a group of friends that I met through a disability support group ,we were told we could meet up as ,it was clear we still needed support