Hi Everyone,

The last lockdown is harder than the earlier ones for me, I'm not sure why but I find myself worrying all the time. I am barely sleeping 3 hours a night or when I'm allowed to sleep. I am reaching out because I could use some advice on what to do next so that I can hopefully get some help with my dark feelings.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I could really use everyone's help please. I am just so tired and overwhelmed. When can I get some help to discuss my feelings and my awful thoughts? I would just like to get better.

Regards,

Emo.

hi Emo

getting the right support, and finding someone who is helpful, supportive, and intuitive is hard - but not impossible. There are some good ppl out there who will listen.

Have you tried phone support at your local triage? Public hospitals have a psychiatric team 24/7 who can talk to u if u feel unsafe. Ive called them and happy to answer any questions about what that service was like.

there are also crises support lines related to different health concerns eg depression, anxiety, sexual assault, harmful or toxic relationships, eating disorders, and there is a line in Victoria called Friendline where you can just chat to a friendly volunteer.

There are also resources just for women which are pretty awesome, including phone lines and financial and legal support for women.

It is important to talk to smeone if something is nagging on ur mind, although i validate that its hard to find the right person to open up to. I have found support through the public mental health system, and also go to a support group which is excellent. It takes a few tries to find smething helpful, for sure.

Hi Sleepy21,

I really appreciate your suggestions on other ways I can get support. I know that my local hospital doesn't have anyone to help me with mental health due to budget cuts and they also don't have a social worker.

I will try to contact Friendliness if I can access a phone during their limited hours although I think it may only help with feeling not so isolated because I can't really open up to them about my life as it can be quite confronting for people who aren't trained to deal with it.

Thank you for replying to me as I'm feeling very overwhelmed as I'm all by myself with no one to talk to. I hope that I can return the favour for you one day. I hope your day tomorrow is all that you hope it to be. You are so truly kind.

Regards,

Emo.

Hi Emo

sorry to hear that the public hospital isnt so good, that sucks.

Mental health nurses or nurses are also helpful, do they have one of those? A MH nurse really saved my life at the triage.

Friendline has extended hours atm 10am – 8pm, 7 days a week in victoria, not sure in other places.

It is definitely limited though and not rund th clock. social workers are so helpful, they are my favourite mental health workers, that sucks though that theres none at your hospital. At one point I was considering studying social work as I loved the way they helped ppl connect to tstuff. Thanks for ur kind wishes, hping today u are feeling a tiny bit less alone. It is not fair and not easy that it is so difficult to find someone sensitive and supportive to talk to.... I know that it is truly hard.

Hi Sleepy21,

Thank you for replying to me. It's an incredible feeling to have someone hear you and be willing to respond to you.

I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to get back to you. I've been in a very bad way, not just physically but emotionally. I didn't exactly ask them if they had a mental health nurse but I did ask the hospital about someone to discuss my problems with and they said that there was no one like that at the hospital so I'm on my own again trying to battle my bad feelings again.

I don't think being so tired helps me to think straight. I'm so sorry that you still have lockdown as I've found this last lockdown the hardest. I hope things improve for yourself.

Regards,

Emo.

Harpbird

I stay up as long as possible but still I toss a d turn in b3d fir hrs before I sleep.

Hi Quirky and Harpbird,

I hear you! I’m also struggling a bit.

Trying to read a bit to see if it helps me get sleepy.

Glad to hear from you both though :)

How was your day today?
I kept thinking it was Friday all day.
It was freezing cold outside here.

LL

l suppose a lot of you aren't sleeping alone so it's not always easy setting things up the way that works for you with two.

But l've had an odd discovery just this last few mths since my daughters been back. l've always hated things too dark my whole life. l like to be able to see a bit if l need to . But she comes and goes and has a few friends about too so l've been shutting my bedroom door of a night , which makes my room black.

Strangest thing , at first l hated it ,this is the first time in my life l've slept in total darkness but l'm sleeping much much better lately and actually miss the darkness of it now if l leave the door open.

rx

Hi guys,

why is it so hard to sleep. Be calm, go to bed, close your eyes, count a million sheep, no two million sheep. Bazinga wide awake .

ahhhhhhh

ah my Harpybirdy, I have come back from the dark and into your light - and what a delight it tis, to see your crazy frog mama, with a suit case of ??? swamp she carries around, just incase her skin gets too dry, she jumps into the swamp and mails herself back to elsewhere!

sleep, sleep, cry no more, sleep doth cry no more. I shall never sleep again, I have slept too much, gone to bed too late and arisen too late, the alarm wasn't set correctly, damn wife put it on am, when it was actually pm, and that effed up all our plans!

oh dear oh dear I seem to have gone quite queer.

as u can tell, I have the heater on and nice warm feet tonight - so such a delight may be somewhat frightening to those not in the know, about how such things go!

Yes yes, I am crazy too, and I wanna come, so lets go! lol.

good evening D&G

I have never been a good sleeper and my chronic spine pain doesn’t help. So it’s Late night telly, though it’s good watching the Para Olympic Games, so inspiring.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced sleep paralysis?

I often did when I was younger, but not so much now. It’s more likely to happen if I fall asleep really quickly.

I’ve learnt a couple of techniques to keep myself calm so it’s not as scary.

Wishing everyone restful and refreshing sleep!

LL

Hi Lillylane, my experience with something that might be similar to sleep paralysis is this.

Sometimes when In bed I feel like the quilt cover feels so heavy that i cannot lift nor move it. Like I am tied down in the bed by my own quilt and I am just stuck, awake but stuck.

It is very weird sensation, because though I know I can move if/when I decide to move, I actually feel like I can't or shouldn't move... like somehow I am supposed to be in bed not moving.

Is that similar to your experience or otherwise?

love dng.

Hi Dng,

Yes, sounds similar to what I’ve experienced, except I can’t move even if I try to.

When it happens, it seems as though I’m awake and aware of my surroundings but I can’t move at all. It’s very strange.

If I can think of this early on, it helps - I just keep repeating “I know what this is. It’s just sleep paralysis”. This seems to help prevent me panicking and then I’m able to just wait until I wake up fully.

Thanks for sharing,

LL

Worst birthday ever. No one wanted to meet up. Grew up with abusive father, family dont talk to me. No job,no money,disability causes constant back pain,no will to do anything,cant sleep,lonely,divorced. No one cares. Someone asks ruok and if you tell them your not they dont really want to know so i hide it. This is only a bit of what my life is like. Life sucks. Just want to talk to someone.

Probably no one here.

Hi Nadie,

chronic pain keeps me up every night. So recliner is normally where I stay.
it’s true those that ask r u ok, don’t normally really want you to say well no I am not ok ,

I hope you find sleep some time tonight, well now it’s this morning

Hi Nadie,

I found you here. 🐱& although I need to sleep (or pretend to), I feel glad I stayed up so late & have found you. If you'd like to talk, please, be a little patient, & I'll check back and read anything you have to say. It's hard to have a real-time conversation here. So, if you need to talk to someone now, follow Sophie_M's advice.

I'm sorry you had a rotten Birthday. I used to have those, until I decided to give myself a Birthday treat, buy my own gift each year, too. This year I didn't get to do what I planned, but instead, one of my community workers went a little beyond her role, & took me to play with her Labrador puppies, all 7 of them! It was great. Otherwise, I'd've done nothing & would have been miserable.

I have problems getting to sleep, too, no matter how tired I am. Pain is just one problem. Eventually things settle down (usually). I still try all my old techniques. I am so easily disturbed by discomfort. I've lost track of time. It is now later than I thought. Really I must leave it here for now...

mmMekitty

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone has been as well as can be expected during these trying times. I'm sorry I haven't been on the forum for a little while as I've been very sick which is why I'm reaching out tonight.

I guess most people will be sleeping but I'm too scared to sleep. I'm supposed to have more medical tests tomorrow to discover where else the cancer has spread and what treatment they will try this time if any.

I'm thinking of cancelling my appointment as I just can't cope with anymore bad news. I will cancel the appointment as I'm just scared. I'm shaking just thinking about it, I just want my mind to stop going. I just want everything to stop.

I feel dead inside, too numb to process anything else. I'd better go.

Regards,

Emo.

Hi Emo, I'm sorry I missed you early this morning. I was up late again, but finally had to stop & try to sleep. listening to a story helped, because the volume of the voices reading didn'fluctuate too much. I din't hear half the story, because I did get to sleep.

I'm wondering if you are able to get someone to go with you, to support you through these appointments & treatments. An official support worker, or a very good friend? I think, if I had to go through such appointments & treatments alone, I would be as daunted as you are. I am amazed the hospital can't help & find someone to be with you when you go there.

I'm sorry if you have already thought of that & don't have anyone. I'haven't read all your posts, just a few here on this thread.

I was only thinking how good it was when I last saw my GP, & I had gone there with my support worker. (paid for by NDIS) & she was able to help me, just by being there, & in practical ways as well. She'll be there when I go for tests, & I am sure I will cope better because of that.

Personally, I know if I don't know, & procrastinate, because of fear or feeling I am wasting my, & their , time, my anxiety only persists the longer I don't know. That's why now going for test. But I am definitely trying to not think too far ahead before I know anything.

Hope you can find support. I suppose you have tried to access support through various cancer support charities?

mmMekitty

Hi mmMekitty,

Thank you so much for your kind words and your helpful suggestions on ways I could get support, I really appreciate it. My situation is complicated as my husband is an abusive man who doesn't allow me to reach out to others. Just for me to go to appointments requires me to beg for days to go and get help. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to get back to you, I've been going through some pretty gruelling tests and minor procedures. Also please don't apologise for not replying back to me that night as I'm glad that you were able to get to sleep. This thread is supposed to help with that so I'm glad you had a restful night of sleep.

I'm sorry this is a short reply but I'm very sore and I need some rest so I'd better go. I hope to be able to reply to the other kind people who have reached out to me and offered their support but I might have to do it tomorrow.

Please take care and stay safe.

Regards,

Emo.

Hi Emo,

No need for apologies.

I need to ask you, are you safe? From what you said, I am concerned for your welfare. The man has no right to stop you getting medical care. I m appaled he'd even try. I think, as difficult as it will be,I think it's time to consider phoning Respect, 1800 737 732 or 000 if you are in immediate danger .

mmMekitty

Emo we are listening to you.

Many people have followed your post for some time and they may read and not post. We are all thinking of you and admire you determination.

I am sorry you have health challenges that involve gruelling tests.

As Sophie and others have explained there is help but I realise accessing itbis very difficult for you.

Hi, hope everyone has been getting some sleep, and hopefully good quality rest 💜