Support groups, volunteering etc - help or hindrance?

[butterpieify]

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?

I see your DHs point, but it sounds to me like you are quite passionate about mental health, so I think volunteering for Mind would be a good idea. And yes, why not a support group as well? Do they have that kind of thing? I volunteer on a helpline and I love it - infact it has changed my life.

"DH says it is like trying to cure TB by getting a load of sufferers to cough on each other."
Blimey!

I think you should go for it. I used to attend a support group (I only stopped because the group stopped due to funding being withdrawn) and found it extremely useful. It made me feel more "normal". I don't see why you shouldn't try volunteering. I've been in paid employment now for many years but there have been many times when I've gone AWOL or on sick leave. Nobody is 100% full-on all the time MH issues or not so I would try not to worry (easy to say ) in advance about occasions when you're "not well". As you say, you'd think MIND would be sympathetic.

Do you happen to know what goes on at the support group thingies? What type of people go?

I imagine each group is different. A range of people went to mine. There was 5 of us that attended regularly and a couple who came infrequently (presumably as and when they could or needed to), age ranged from approx. 19 to 45 yrs, only one other female apart from the member of staff "running" the sessions, a mixture of employed status and the severity of illness varied hugely (from long-term childhood issues to recent depression following surgery) though the group I attended was specifically for depression. I joined the group from it's formation so that may be different from joining after it's already started but basically we were told it was 'our' group and we had a say in what we did. Predominantly it was a chance to off-load but we also had talks from guests (for example from depression sufferers on how they "cope" over the long-term).

That sounds good...tbh I'm a bit worried it will all be people who are so ill that they are just there so the carer can say they have got them out of the house. If it is like that I am happy to volunteer, I'm just wary after being encouraged to join in with activities as a patient on a ward and it being embarrassing how patronising the staff were. At least that made me rethink how I did activities at my work (at the time I was still working as a carer myself), especially as I was a patient on the same ward as sombody who I had looked after previously.

I've seen groups for women with PND, which, although that's not my illness, I thought would be a nice gentle way to go out and socialise with the kids, but they are restricted to mums of babies under one.

It's hard, because I'm pretty well atm, so I can sort these things out, but I want something in place for when I'm not well. In a way, I think that will help me not get ill, as it won't be so big a worry, if that makes sense.

Perfect sense. Good luck sorting it out. There were no carers at my group - I'd be interested to know if that's standard.