What happened to the mental health support village?

[sadandanxious]

I'm sure a while ago there was a thread running for mental health support - a sort of supportive village where we could all come and talk about our mental health worries or just general life and feel safe and supportive. I posted under a different name back then and can't seem to find it any more.

Does anyone else remember it or have I just imagined it? Either way, would anyone else be up for it? Perhaps a yurt would be a safer, more comfortable place than a village?

Just great! My thread the other night got deleted because MN couldn't have just deleted the bit that wasn't allowed?! They haven't even inboxed me about it so now all of that wonderful support has gone

Oh no! Which bit do you think got it deleted?

I think because I put how I tried to kill myself. And perhaps because another commenter wrote about her experience. I understand why they would've deleted that but they could have maybe deleted that particular post or bit and not the entire thread.

And please please please MN if this post isn't allowed please don't delete the whole thread please just this bit.

Anyway, what's done is done. I feel low but I can partially understand

I feel like every day I'm work I lie about how I feel. But maybe it's not so much of a lie. "I'm okay" is partially true, I made it out of bed and into work so in that respect I am okay. My mind feels like it's falling apart as does my body but I made it in at least.

Sorry you didn't sleep much anxious Insomnia is the pits. Have you got anything planned for today?

Work.....fairly quiet day though, including a long meeting in the afternoon that I can easily just get away with sitting at the back and nodding for a few hours whilst more enthusiastic/confrontational people do all the talking. At work I put a mask on. I'm good at my job, and I love it, it's my salvation really. If I wasn't going to work today I probably wouldn't be able to get off the sofa.

DP is here tonight and we're going to the cinema.

Perhaps you can email MNHQ, or even report your post in this thread to ask them to comment? I had no idea that discussing suicide or self harm methods were my allowed, although a trigger warning would be appropriate I guess.

mnhq automatically take down any threads with intent or methodology sadly. I am not sure how i feel about that if im honest. I agree it can be triggering but then deleting removes support. I know that they did consult with mh charities but im not sure a blanket ban is appropriate either. Rock and a hard place.

I am sorry you are feeling so horrible OP. Anxiety is an utter bastard it robbed me of ten years of my life. I am getting better though -you CAN recover. Work is my sanctuary at the moment but i am working for crap money in a job i am seriously overqualified for but i don't fret about it when i come home. I refuse to sacrifice my mental health again but sometimes i give in to feelings of inadequacy.

You have support here Op.

I did as you suggested anxious and reported my own post asking for them to comment. Whilst I disagree with their reasons I do sort of understand and thankfully they'd copied the thread so I can still read the support that was offered. Sadly I felt like I was making progress in opening up and it feels like that's gone and I've lost my train of thought with it all. I still don't understand why they couldn't have just edited my post or title like I've seen them do so many times before. Also the thread title was pretty evident of what it was about, we are all (hopefully) adults and can be cautious of which threads we open if we know a topic triggers us. But there we go, I know for future reference.

lem you are right, I have support here and for that I'm thankful. That's understandable re feelings of inadequacy but it sounds like you're coming at it from a positive viewpoint which helps immensely. I'm relatively new in my job and feel out of depth most of my time. I was told to hang tight until christmas by my line manager as hopefully then in the new year it'd get easier. It's now almost March and I still feel very much out of my depth, treading muddy waters and often simultaneously counting down the time until I leave whilst fretting about the level of work I have.

Sorry, I feel like I'm sounding very negative today. I have counselling in 2 and a half hours which I'm very anxious about. I don't know how much I can trust her to tell her how exactly I've been feeling. Knowing me I'll probably just end up telling her I've cried a lot without going into specific details (like my reason for posting my other thread).

Counselling was difficult. I found it really difficult to focus at times. I got overwhelmed and going back to safe place didn't work I kept dissociating and felt like I had a brick in my head blocking me from thinking and processing my thoughts - which thankfully my counsellor picked up on. I think next time we'll be working more on dissociation before going back to the EMDR. I didn't tell her about exactly how bad things have been in the last week, I just couldn't.

Hope everyone is doing okay today.

I didn't know that about not being allowed to post about self harm or suicidal thoughts in any detail. I know that at Samaritans they say that you can't convince someone to self harm or take steps to end their life just by talking about it. I think if MNHQ are going to delete threads like that they need to do it very sensitively with an appropriate deletion message clearly explaining why, where the acceptable boundaries are and offering/signposting sources of ongoing support, so people in distress are not left abruptly cut off from support like you were the other day, sadandanxious. Sounds like your counselling session was tough today. Hope you're having a quiet and restful evening to recuperate.

I have been emailing a little with OCD Action support and they sent an email back yesterday asking how I was and I replied with a whole flood of emotion. I feel awful at the moment. Have been getting horrendous headaches at the end of the working day. This evening cancelled the plans I had and have just come straight home to hide under a blanket on the sofa, don't have the motivation to eat properly. Feel sick and restless and like my heart is racing. OCD Action can only really offer support about the OCD stuff though (understandably) so after sending my missive to them yesterday, today I have bitten the bullet and sent an enquiry to a counsellor/psychotherapist I had looked up who was reasonably affordable and local but also offers therapy via email which really appeals. The revelation about the influence of my mother's behaviour has really left me a little shell shocked. I've been reading about narcissitic/toxic parents and the 'out of the fog' website (fear, obligation, guilt) and it all fits. It's scary.

Has anyone/does anyone have general counselling/therapy alongside formal CBT? Is that ok? I just have such little faith that the CBT will help much with the whole picture.

I think I'm going to take a Sominex in a bit and try and get a good nights sleep. It'll be a start.

Headache and feel sick and joint pain. Constant intrusive thoughts of self harm. I don't want to or plan to do anything the thoughts just keep going around my mind they're not welcome.

Have taken tablets please hope sleep comes soon

Hi anxiousmunchkin how are you doing? I had a crap nights sleep though I did have a dream about the most beautiful waterfall!! I was being driven towards it and thought we might crash. We didn't! Today I've bewn low and weepy though period due in 2 days so that's not helping!

Stupid hormones making our lives more difficult

Today didn't start well, very groggy this morning, struggled through, and fell asleep after lunch for hours. But then my dog woke me up about 4pm, I managed to take her to the park and then do some gardening, so I feel like I've achieved something today. Still just exhausted though. I need to eat something, think I'll just make some toast. I have to go out later to something I said I'd help a friend with. So just mentally preparing myself for that. Think I'm doing a bit better today though thanks.

I just feel continually tired and could easily just sleep all day. What do people do when they feel like that?

Gosh I don't know anxiousmunchkin I feel like that every day recently as I've just had my medication increased and one of the side effects is drowsiness - or it would appear in my case utter exhaustion!

At lunch time I went for a walk and found being out in the fresh air helped a little. If anyone else has any tips on how to cope with the exhaustion I'd love to hear them!

I like that reasoning from the samaritans. And it's totally true! It can be easy to blame others for thoughts of self harm or suicide but I think actually it comes from within and is something all of us struggling with it needs to accept before we can truly move forwards. MN did post a link to Mind's self harm page but I don't know, I never find those things useful.

Hormones are the pits aren't they Joto. Hope you feel better soon!

How is it you can feel so different from one day to the next!!!! Period not started but no tears slept like a log and minimal anxiety! !!!

I'm glad you slept well. The change in feelings can be really horrible. But perhaps it would help to focus on the positive that you feel calm today? I say as someone who primarily focuses on the negative..

Sorry my post read a bit negative it was written as more unbelievable! Im certainly doing that!!! Birthday Sunday so lots planned for this weekend and just nipped out of work for a mcflurry. Never mind the sugar 😉😉😉

Oh yay that's good joto mcflurry sounds good!!

My mood has massively dipped this afternoon. I'm getting very intrusive thoughts of self harm and feeling very low. Had an argument with DP which has made me feel rubbish. I also feel like I'm not coping in work but I really can't afford financially to take time off

It was yummy xx I'm sorry you've not had a good afternoon. How are you feeling now? I bet you're coping really well at work. Sometimes I find what I see and what others see is miles apart xx

Are there specific things at work you feel you're not coping with sadandanxious, are there ways to delegate/prioritise or otherwise lighten the load for yourself?

I agree with joto often my perception of how I'm doing is way off what people around me see. In both ways - when I think I can't cope and can only see negative, my partner can point out all the things o have achieved and can do. Conversely he notices before I do when I really am struggling.

Having a quiet night tonight. Watching a box set with my dog, DP is working. My house is an absolute state, washing up piling up, debris all over the living room. My environment seems to reflect my state of mind. I wish I could just will on an upswing and be up all night singing and dancing and blitzing the place until everything is sparkly and shiny and orderly and organised and lovely. Instead I'm on the sofa amidst a sea of chaos eating crackers and a snack bar for dinner because I can't muster the enthusiasm to make myself anything else.

Awake in the middle of the night again I hate it! So tired. Slept on the sofa for a bit but then woke up. Can't remember the last time I slept properly, without a sleeping pill. Wish there was a short acting sleep med you could take in the middle of the night but not be a zombie in the morning!

Putting a podcast on and lying in the dark eyes closed. Fingers crossed.

Can I join?
Ermm, shouldn't be awake. Can't sleep.
MH has taken a sharp downturn 5 months after abusive ex left the home (still only 1 month since residency was in court though).
I have a post in the Eating Disorder topic.
I just don't know myself any more.

Sorry you woke in the night anxious. Welcome brave.

I'm feeling totally washed out this afternoon. Psych upped my medication and I took my first at the higher strength last night. It's supposed to help me sleep, amongst other things, and whilst it helped me fall asleep I woke lots in the night and feel exhausted now. DP is ill too, which doesn't help when you have a 5 year old in the house. Wish we weren't both ill together. We can manage when it's just one of us but it's awful when we both are.

Hi all! I've had another not too bad day with a lovely walk this morning and a trip to our local castle this afternoon. Oddly felt very weepy but in a nostalgia kind of way. Some memories in both places of happy times so I was doing the old ' why can't I feel like that now' then reminded myself of the stress upset and s**t of the last few months and the fact I'm premenstrual 😉😉 how are you all this evening?

Sounds like the walk was a bit emotional in both good and bad ways Joto?

Sorry you're so wiped out sad can you and DP take it in turns to be 'on duty' whilst the other flakes out for a bit? Sounds like a family duvet day weekend is in order.

I feel my mood has lifted slightly today, still slow and lots of intrusive thoughts and anxiety but things aren't quite so much of a struggle. I took the car to the car wash and spent an hour gardening, and put together a reasonably normal dinner albeit things you just have to throw in the oven but still it's proper food for a change.

Keep on keeping on everyone

Morning everyone how are you all. I definitely want to shelter in the yurt today, the world is cold and grey and rainy and my brain can't think clearly enough to do anything useful. I'm going to flop out on a pile of soft fluffy cushions in the corner of the yurt and try and doze, I think. Back in the real world I managed about 4 hours sleep in a few bits and am just overwhelmed by the urgent need to literally get my house in order but cannot fathom where to start, I feel paralysed. Can't even think what to eat. I've got support group tonight though. Looking forward to that.

Brave I meant to say welcome and sorry to hear things are so tough, I looked at your thread (didn't know we had an ED forum!) is your appointment coming up soon? Sounds like you've done well to reach out and ask for support, this is the start of looking after yourself now.

Morning all. A good 10hr sleep after my walk and no anxiety on waking. It's my birthday so been getting lots of lovely messages and things. Sleep is definitely a key for me so I agree anxious chill on the fluffy cushions today and as you say you've this evening to look forward to xxx