Lived Experience Forum

[SwearyCyn]

Thank you @Former-Member and everyone else for providing a safe place for discussion. I'd love to see more people be able to be "loud and proud" with their loved ones and the people around them, and in public, and then allowing xmas to be a choice. I make a point to be honest with people, I'm tired of hiding, and how they react is a reflection on them and what they need to learn. I hope that we can pave the way to create an easier life for people with depression in the future. Thank you all again, and I look forward to the next forum. Everyone look after yourselves, and I hope you get some relaxing moments over the next couple of weeks.

[Former-Member]

Great motto @greenspace:  May your Christmas not be as bad as you feared.  Love it 🙂

[Shaz51]

Hello @Former-Member xx

Any last thoughts/survival tactics?, --

as a wife and carer, even though hubby says i am not his carer ,

as a survival tactics is to take one day at a time , to try to make it stress less as we can even if it means saying no we can not come on the day

making the day enjoyable with whatever we do on the day

[Former-Member]

If it's okay @Former-Member and @Former-Member, I might try to touch base with you tomorrow.  Maybe we can do some planning?  No pressure, just an offer to consider 🙂

[Shaz51]

Welll said @SwearyCyn xx

don`t forget to have a look around the forum

Thank you @Former-Member, for a very interesting night xx

[SwearyCyn]

Wonderful advice @Shaz51

[Former-Member]

Night night peeps.  Thanks for the solidarity

[Appleblossom]

Fabulous thread. I missed it last night as I was out.  

Makes me feel normal. lol

@Former-Member Collaborative is the way to go .. I also loved your bottle under a shady tree.

@Former-Member You matter to me as a gentle cat loving vegan beautiful lady who is also courageous facing MI demons head on.

@BlueBay You made me laugh out loud with your quip about squeezing butterfly into hospital.  Hilarious and also NOT .. the bittersweet 

I have had parties in hospital .. there have always been so many people to visit .. sad but true.  3 years ago had last christmas dinner with my daughters in the outside walled in yard of a high dependancy unit .. 

[Shaz51]

It was a good discussion last night @Appleblossom

and @SwearyCyn, @greenspace, wants a calout too xx

[BossandSqueezy]

Hi @SwearyCyn, I wish I had some answers for you. I have 5 children who I brought up as a single mum. My family is very small, other than my kids. I have a sister and a Mum who both live interstate. That's it. When my kids were small, I tried very hard to do the whole Christmas/Santa thing, but now that they're adults, I tell them to spend Christmas with their partners and family. Fortunately they are exceptional kids and understand my lifetime trauma. I'm very lucky. I spend Christmas and New  year alone. I'm not complaining, it's my choice. I don't have to put on an act for anyone anymore. To get to this point for me was just time (MANY years), but I'm more comfortable around holiday times and special occasions now. I don't know your family situation, but I just played along with a smile on my face. I guess I'm a people pleaser which can deny your own needs and make things difficult and unpleasant. Stay strong, tell people what you need, and those who really care for you should respect that even if they don't understand it. Foster your relationship with these people. I hate to say it, but those who judge or are nasty perhaps should not have the privilege  of being your friend. As far as family goes, I kept the peace and did what was expected because I wasn't strong enough to tell anyone how I felt. I wish that strength for you.