Once upon a time, on a discussion forum far far away, I started a thread in the aftermath of Robin Williams’ suicide. As someone who deals with a grade school birthday party’s goody-bag worth of mental illness issues, I went into detail about my own bouts with suicidal thoughts. I won’t rehash all my problems here, however, because I want this thread to be less about me and more about all of us. (Though I will give a quick background) How we feel, how we cope, and a place for us to reach out to a kind stranger who lives in a computer.
I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar a few years ago, but I’m not sure how accurate that has turned out to be. Severe depression is a no-brainer, with potential borderline personality disorder in the mix. Potentially some paranoia issues. I have a hard time believing that the people in my life are telling me the truth about how they feel.
So anyway, the aforementioned thread turned into a really nice place for a few of us to vent and seek reassurance, and to discuss our issues with others who can relate. It’s my hope that this thread can do the same here. Welcome, friends. Feel free to use this space as a place to seek the help you need.
Hi Nick, Hi Lucy! I’m glad to see you guys have made the transition to the new forums. I myself suffer from Avoidant Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder (though I only meet the minimum criteria), psychotic depression and a myriad of anxiety disorders.
Thankyou for making this thread, Nick, and for making the one in the old forums. It (and those participating in it) have provided me an outlet for venting as well. I remember after my surgery, when I revealed that my mom was abusive. I expected to be met with “attention-seeker” and other things, but you guys were really kind in helping me through it. I just want to say, thankyou for the support
If the old thread taught me anything, it’s that having a place we can go to when we need to get something off our chests is really helpful. I figured I may as well try it again, the worse that would happen is that no one used it and it faded into obscurity. But hopefully it’ll be as good as the first one.
Hi, guys! Sponge Bob here. Had trouble getting into the new community under my previous user name, so used the feature of accessing the site via Facebook. I hope I don’t get mod banned as a Trojan Horse account, but it totally wouldn’t let me in with my old I D and password. Hope you are all doing well.
You can’t log in here with old name and password from the get-go, you have to set up a new account with your old name and a password. Or use a new name. You won’t get banned.
There was an interesting slide show about personality disorders there yesterday on my email. Had never even heard of of “avoidant personality disorder” until then. Some of it, if not most, sounds like me. There were some schizoid personality types until then unfamiliar, as well as those more familiar, like borderline. It’s an interesting read if you can find it on their search function.
Just the opposite, I’ve raised your trust level now that we know who you are. Happy posting! Also, you can change your username back to spongebob if you want to.
I just posted a response in the thread on the old site yesterday. I don’t post a whole lot but will try to do so. From reading through the thread yesterday it seems like a great place with so many supportive people.
Dealing with some personal dark stark reality, my and my wife’s lives, here of late. My wife is not at all well. I am deeply concerned for her, she has been hospitalized twice this year for heart related issues. Her quality of life is suffering vastly, and there doesn’t seem to be a thing I can do about it. My external physical self is suffering ever greater deterioration, getting harder and harder to just walk or use my hands and arms. The pain is almost unbearable at times. That is all weighing heavily on my psyche.
So, I will likely be spending more time here in this new safe place than I did in the old one at the other site.
Talking about issues is a catharsis. Always thought it was wimpy and whinging as a younger me, talking about our problems, then I grew up and learned how much it was just a human thing.
Prayers for you and your wife, Lou. I hope that this trying time brings about a better relationship between the two of you and some joy in the midst of your suffering.
Thanks GW. It is bringing a closeness that is even deeper than before. We are still both growing in knowing that even as we may individually be more diminished we will be even more “there” for each other, emotionally, than ever before, if that makes any sense?
That is what the site did to my name when I first signed up here, put an underscore in for me, until I was able to have a Mod change me back to the old LouC moniker.
No problem. I am suffering from issues from when I was born, crippled feet, and poor lifestyle choices when I was younger, Type 2 diabetes, deterioration from degenerative arthritis in my bones, inherited, as well as lingering problems from a car accident, upper neck disc damage, a farming accident, lower back trauma, and various and sundry job related injuries, plus many off the job attempts to kill myself over the decades.
Age related. Life related. Born with it.
I am just a 61 year old man with a 113 year old body.
But by golly I still see the stars at night, the sunrise in the morning, the snow fall in winter and the first blooms of spring, and I thank God every day for the life he has given me with my wife and to be here for all those blessings.