[Chat] Stuck in the middle?
There are many times when we seek out support when we're feeling down, and there are other times when we feel we don't need support because we're happy. Other times we're stuck in the middle
The middle can indeed be a very confusing place, and for a lot of our members here it is something very familiar. After learning how to cope through bad times, there may be times when you're not necessarily happy, but you're also not as sad as you have felt before. So what does it mean when you're in the middle?
We want to hear your ideas and thoughts about strategies and ways to cope when feeling in 'the middle'. So Join us on Monday night next week (the 7th of March) so we can all have a chat about how you cope with 'the middle'.
Here's when its on in your state 
And how fast it changes can also have an impact on the middle.
Is being in the middle frustrating for you? How might you feel more positive about the middle?
I think I've already answered this question lol.
I think you answered it too @redhead quite well too especially considering you didn't know the question was coming 🙂
Is being in the middle frustrating for you? How might you feel more positive about the middle?
I'll take a leaf out of @redhead's book here and say that I think it's about enjoying the moment and trying not to worry about the next up or down toooo much (that can be hard). Mindfulness comes pretty handy for this, because if you practice it regularly, you're more likely to look inward long enough to notice you've hit the middle and take a moment to enjoy that (i know not all of you are fans of mindfulness though, but still!).
I am not sure about this next part, but I also see the middle as an opourtunity: we can take stock of the situation, build up our arsenal of skills to stay well and stay safe if things go pear shapped. I worry about doing that part too much or too little though. It could be a good thing in moderation, but if you spend all your time preparing for the next storm - well there's not much time to just enjoy the moment left. Although I also have supported a lot of people who are like "oh i'm in the middle now so i won't worry about building skills or thinking about recovery" and then the next storm comes and it can be pretty hard.
Hey @RevzZ, welcome!! And yeah I think feeling conflicted can come with being in the middle. I mean, you might not be entirely sure of how you're feeling
I think the one thing we have in common on this is that we've all got different experiences and perspectives on how the middle makes us feel!
So we may have sort of answered this one but what the hey?
Is being in the middle frustrating for you? How might you feel more positive about the middle?
For me, no. I am usually in the middle, sometimes a little lower (feeling down) sometimes higher (feeling happy) but I hardly crash to the bottom or to the top (although, I do get pretty high when watching my cartoons, without drugs, of course :P)
I don't really recognise it as a middle-ground though. I don't know how I would explain it. It's more like a giant field and it's circle too, so there's no clear side happy side sad or exact middle.
@N1ghtW1ng I like the middle because for me I don't like either ends of my moods because they are dangerous or chaotic. I know for others it different.
@redhead thats an interesting point, do you think that how you've experienced mental health stuff can effect your opion of the middle?
@FootyFan26 I guess it depends on how the day goes mostly. However I've sometimes spent the whole day not knowing where I'll land, so the middle feels less like a line and more like a region, or like the middle of a venn diagram
Oh! I actually made it. Luckily.
What does feeling like you’re in the middle mean to you?
To be quite honest, I'm still stuck in the middle. It really makes me feel incredibly conflicted since I'm not sure what to think. There are those times when I both love everyone and yet I don't like them either. It isn't fun and I'm not so sure whether I've resolved it yet.
Hey @RevzZ, welcome! It's ok if you're not quite sure yet, we'll try to help you figure it out 🙂
@FootyFan26 it definitely seems like there can be some uncertainty when we feel like we're in the middle
Hey @redhead! That's a really positive spin on 'the middle', more about feeling level and real
What does feeling like you’re in the middle mean to you?
For me it's being normal. It's the calm and peace from my episodes. All the chaos of bpd and bipolar seem insignificant and I feel real.
@Ben-RO and redhead I didn't think of it as being normal, but you're right. It's like, day-to-day things where you don't need to be feeling happy or sad, you just go with what you're doing. They aren't important enough during your day to day life to be given focus.
I feel like that is coming across differently than in my head.
It's like, your day-to-day life comes first. You don't need to be thinking "am I happy? am I sad?" you just go ahead. Like @redhead said, it's a calm state.
Hey @N1ghtW1ng! I like the void metaphor, that's what it's felt like for me as well
Hi all! Welcome to this week's GR session
What does feeling like you’re in the middle mean to you?
From what I've experienced, it just feels like you feel pretty flat, or like you're not quite sure how to process how you're feeling. You don't feel awful, but you don't feel excellent either. When I think about it, it's just the in-between phase, and in a way it's a good feeling to have since you're starting to move away from the awful feelings
