Catchin up!!
Hey all, I haven’t been on much at all in the last few months, i’ve got to be honest here my mental health has improved significantly since the beginning of the year so my priorities have kind of changed from access various services with the goal of becoming stable and well, to now keeping well and maintaining all those good things I have in my life...
I’m just checking in to share what’s happening for me and like I said I haven’t really been on much so I’d love to hear what everyone has been up to... please share!! I miss some of the chats i’d have on here with the crew
For me,
i’m living in walking distance to my favourite surf beach with my partner and brother, who’s doing real well now including working almost full time.
In Hobart typing this as i’ve been away exploring wonderful Tasmania doing some camping, hiking and kayaking with a mate, pretty fun trip not knowing where we would be staying each night, setting up camp or ending up in a hostel in the middle of nowhere
I have my wonderful non blood related family (mentors) who treat me like one of their own
On weekends I sometimes get to hang out with the small children in my “family” who call me uncle J and they crack me up, currently teaching biggest grub how to skate.
In contact with my mob up north
For the first time in my life, I’m feeling 24, well I’ve never been 24 before, only for like 5 months, but you know what I mean, like I feel normal.
I’m not carrying the burden of responsiblity that comes with raising your siblings or dealing with crippling mental illness.
My life isn’t all roses don’t get me wrong but I think I’m at a place I should be and that feels pretty good.
It was weird for a bit - I was like hold on... this is weird, I feel OK and things seem to be going along ok right now, wow that’s weird, I was kind of expecting things to take a nose dive, then a week passed, and then two weeks, I was like hey I haven’t had a panic attack in a while, then I got to a month, I mean I’m not 100% “cured” but yeah I’m definitely functioning better than I have in years.
What’s everyone been up to?
PS
I love this meme
Comments
Hi @Saltwaterdreamtime! It's so good to hear from you again! 
I'm so glad that your mental health is on the right track and that you're in a good place. It made me really happy to read that a lot of supportive people are around you.
I really hope you enjoy your trip! It sounds like a lot of fun. I'd love to go on a trip like that.
I agree with you that life may not always be perfect and we all have our ups and downs. Sometimes, life can be horrible. But it's okay for life to be just okay, and to appreciate the good times as well as supporting each other through the bad. Something that helps me is reminding myself of a quote from The Count of Monte Cristo that basically says that someone who has experienced great sadness is more able to feel the greatest joy.
I'm glad you feel so free of your burdens. I have a lot of responsibilities and am pretty overwhelmed with stuff to do right now, but I'm hoping that things will improve. I'm looking forward to being able to get some extra support with caring for my family members. Reading your post has made me feel more hopeful and optimistic. You're an inspiration to everyone on the forums. 
By the way, I love that meme too! 
Hello @Saltwaterdreamtime, thank you so much for the update! 🙂 I am really happy for you that things have been looking up for you lately. We've missed you too.
This is a testament to your ongoing strength and determination through those tough times. It's so great to see that you have regular contact with your siblings, mentors and your mob. Are you planning another trip up north to see your mob? That's really good news about your brother! 🙂
Keep us updated with how things are going. Thank you again for your encouraging post.
Hi @Saltwaterdreamtime, it's good to see you back on. It's so good to here you took time away to focus on your mental health that is so good and I am so proud of you. It sounds l iuke you are doing heaps good and you should be so proud of yourself, I recently returned back as well as i also took time away to work on my mental health because sometimes you have to put yourself first. It's an act of self love. But anyways it is so good to hear you are doing well and you are so lucky being so closes to the ocean. And for now you should be so proud of you beacuse you are a beautiful unique strong human that puts something special in the world that want here before. X
It’s great to hear from you again!
It makes me so happy to read about how you are recovering and going a lot better than you were last time I ‘saw’ you. It also makes me feel a bit of hope in myself actually.. I’ve been doubting that my mental health will ever improve but reading your post has challenged my thoughts and maybe it will get better for me like it has for you 🙂
Haha tassie.. Hobart.. camping.. that’s freezing!!! Hope you’re enjoying it tho!
I love that meme too! 😆 I sent myself a message once but I wasn’t drunk.. it was when the person took over and I didn’t feel in control but it felt so good when I (the actual MEEE) replied!
Again I’m so happy to hear from you even tho we didn’t talk much 🙂 I Still read most of your posts
Thanks so much for sharing and updating us. Posts like yours are so important because they remind people that they can and will improve. I thought I might tag some users who were feeling quite down last night to remind them that things can get better - @mspaceK, @Bananatime04, @Tiny_leaf, @Pasta.
Saltwaterdreamtime, I'm so happy to hear that things are going well with your brother, partner, and "family"... and that you're spending you're time doing activities that you enjoy . It made me very happy to read this.
I also love that meme haha best!
I'm currently in the midst of applying for postgraduate courses. I recently purchased an iPad and have been doing digital drawings in my spare time. Similar to yourself, I've been spending my time catching up with my partner, friends, and family. I'd love to fit in some hiking in the near future. Any suggestions on where it might be nice to hike in Victoria?
Again, thanks so much for sharing
Have a big of a “secret” trail I like to walk away from the regular track between Pt Addis and Torquay too, but I only share that to very few haha.
What are you studying? I hope that goes well for you and you get accepted into what you would like. The digital drawings sound fascinating too.
@Bananatime04
Hey, yeah I have missed you lot. Tassie was cold but I jumped in the water once - during kayaking lake Roseberry, it was very freezing but one of those duck your head in the cold water to leave the past behind leave all the negative vibes behind cliche kind of moments haha
@maryhadalittlelamb hey, yeah it’s nice to be back on. I guess I just got busy and I was focusing so hard on other things in my life I stopped relying on here for help like I have in the past, that’s a good thing.
@mrmusic
Hey, good to hear from you!!
No trips planned as yet - well, I always have a trip planned in my mind it’s just finding the money and stuff like that.
I would love to go over during the Christmas period maybe.
Yeah the brother is doing really well, working a lot, chipping in for rent and stuff a little bit at our place now which is good.
I’m proud of him for getting to where he has.
@WheresMySquishy
The trip was awesome - but I must say I am glad to be in my own bed right now. Thanks for your kind words, I hope things ease for you soon
Oh no @Saltwaterdreamtime, did you have a skateboarding injury? Hoping you are okay!
It has been so lovely to read your update and hear that things are going well for you, and for your brother as well Must say it brought a big smile to my face to read and really sends such a strong message of hope to the members and readers of the forum who have been following your journey. Your resilience and strength of character through the tough times are really inspiring, and we hope that things keep looking up for you
We will be here whenever you want to check in
Yeah dislocated my ac joint (shoulder)
That was from me dropping in the bowl at skatepark and obviously not doing a very good job 😆
Ouch @Saltwaterdreamtime that sounds incredibly painful!
Hats off to skaters; they really put their bodies on the line to improve their skills and perfect their sport! Hopefully the recovery time is fast for you, injuries are the worst!
Will it impact your surfing at all?
