Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

[Someonetotalkto]

@MotherDuck

Great to meet you. I am new here so still finding my way around.

.Love your fun facts. I haven't come up with any yet!

Loving this social forum. Works really well for me.

[benji2705]

Hey everybody hope you’re well
I’m a messing myself within these forums as my partner has just received a diagnosis of bipolar one followed almost immediately by a severe depression psychosis

I guess my aim in using these is to get support, a better understanding and potentially advice on situation that I’ve never experienced before I love and care my partner very much and I’m already seeing the challenges that we potentially have to face moving forward and I’m aware that I’m gonna need as much support as possible to remain strong during his episodes

[Faith-and-Hope]

Hi and welcome to the forums @benji2705 

I am sorry to hear about your partner’s diagnoses and the challenges they, and you, are faced with moving forwards.  

Firstly, it takes courage to reach out the way you are for your own support needs, which will be necessary.  It’s always important to consider who is caring for the carer ….. and while bipolar is not an immediate lived experience for me, and if it was undiagnosed in my ex-husband’s patterns of behaviour, he is no longer a valid part of my life and responsibilities.  I joined the forums as his carer, however other mental health issues arose within my family, including situational depression for me.

In saying that, there are many long and short term friends here on the forums who do have lived experience of bipolar and severe depression psychosis, or other equally challenging medical conditions, or are carers supporting partners and family members.  You are not alone, and you will find a generosity amongst the members here in sharing their experiences, strategies, support systems, humour, kindness and hope.

I will tag a couple of such wonderful forumites, who may then introduce you to others ….. 

@Determined 

@tyme 

@BipolarPenguin 

F&H 🌷

[Sbee]

Hi,

I've had mental health issues that are ongoing.

I started last century on a private interest bulletin board.

This is new to me.

Here to contribute with no stings. And would like to benefit with no strings.

[tyme]

So great to have you with us @Sbee .

I'm interested in hearing what you mean by 'no stings'.

Just to be transparent, if I'm on the right page, sometimes, as much as we try not to trigger/activate/sting others, we may end up doing so - unintentionally; and likewise, other may also 'sting' us. 

But of course we are here to support each other in case it happens. 

From my experience, I feel I've needed the stings to get a good hard look at my life and make changes.

@Sbee , I'm interested to hear your thoughts?

[Sbee]

Yeah sorry i've been elsewhere where there's banter and when I can't be around that I'm not.

[Sbee]

I've also learnt about resilience and empathy in a workplace environment but knowledge isn't a coping mechanism if your unable to use it.

[tyme]

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@Sbee wrote:

I've also learnt about resilience and empathy in a workplace environment but knowledge isn't a coping mechanism if your unable to use it.

---

Very true @Sbee 

[Sbee]

Yeah thanks, I like radio, music over tv. May I ask what media you like?

[tyme]

Text @Sbee . I'm not good with sound, so I don't go for TV nor music