Lived Experience Forum

[Casper44]

Hi 👋 I suppose Iam looking for recommendations or advice. Over my years I have experienced all sorts of abuse, physical, sexual, emotional and spiritual. I have been through some very scary situations. It was suggested to me that I may have complex PTSD........ I cant afford therapy and I dont have alot of resources. Most days I manage fine, I suffer from insomnia at times usually fear based or stressed based as I have too much on my plate and too overwhelmed. I cry alot........ but don't let anyone know, I feel very disassociated at times too, but I just pull through. Iam a single mum of two kids, one with mental health issues the other with ASD. Iam also the carer for a disabled mother who has complex medical and pain issues. I suppose what Iam asking.......... what things have you tried to help yourself get through the pain of past events??? I feel like Iam in a prison of fear and emotions most of the time and alot of the time I feel so overwhelmed 😪 I have not been able to have a positive relationship as my past keeps in and I find it hard to separate the two. Any suggestions by anyone who may understand and know some strategies that have helped? Thank you for your time x

[tyme]

Hey @Casper44 ,

Good on you for reaching out. It takes a lot of strength to reach out to people. This is probably a great starting point to help you with some of the challenges you are going through.

For me, I had PTSD, insomnia, anxiety and depression. I was one of the luckier ones who managed to get therapy through the public system. However, much of the work was also done on these forums. As a regular member seeking help, these forums allowed me to normalise my mental health and gave me the opportunity to start opening up.

Early on in my MH recovery, every time I saw a therapist, I couldn't say anything. I just cried. It was so hard. And then I stopped therapy because I just wasn't ready.

When I reached my early 30s, I realised I wasn't getting anywhere in life. I ended up being admitted to a prevention and recovery centre (PARC) and for the first time, I felt free to talk about my experiences. It was so liberating. Since then, I re-engaged in therapy, had more admissions into PARC, connected with members on the forums, reached out to others, and pretty much I haven't gone back since.

I am on medication so the hospital sorted out my meds. That took some time to get it right.

SANE has a Guided Service which is free of charge if you are interested and eligible. You can check if you are eligible here: https://www.sane.org/referral

Please know you are not alone. Allow yourself to feel. And allow yourself to heal.

[8ppleTree]

Hello @Casper44 

Welcome to the forums 🙂 

Reaching out is the first step to healing, so well done! 

I'm sorry to hear that you have been through so much, without much targeted support. That shows deep resilience. Caring for others can leave us very drained, it's essential we also have supports in place. Below are a few resources which you may find helpful. I also suggest chatting to your GP about finding community funded mental health supports which may be available to you. There may be bulk billing psychologists, for example. They may also be able to suggest other supports that may be available to you specific in your area. 

Phoenix Australia - Australia’s National Centre of Excellence in Post-traumatic Mental Health.

• https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/your-recovery/helping-yourself/ 
• https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/your-recovery/ 

Traumatic Stress Clinic - A leading research treatment clinic for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that provide assessment and treatment via telehealth.

• http://www.traumaticstressclinic.com/treatment-2 

Blue Knot Foundation - the National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma.

• https://blueknot.org.au/survivors/finding-support/ 
• https://blueknot.org.au/survivors/survivor-workshops/ 

Please keep reaching out, we're here for you x