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PixieDarksorrow
PixieDarksorrow Community member Posts: 3 Listener
I've not really opened up about my issues to many people as I don't feel I can either explain it very well or that they understand. I suffer from anxiety and depression, a lot of days I just cannot cope. I have a lot of compulsions and self destructive tendencies - for example I pick the skin on my fingers to the point of bleeding, but that doesn't stop me from doing it. Literally any little thing can set me off and it can take me days to settle down again. Lately I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping so I'm exhausted on top of all my usual problems which is making me feel so much worse. I find myself feeling really lost a lot of the time and at a total loss as to what to do to help. I have joined Scope in the hopes of connecting with people who experience similar problems and can maybe offer some other tips/tricks to help the day to day be a little easier. Thanks for reading!

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,350 Disability Gamechanger
    edited January 2020
    HI and welcome,

    I'm one of the community champions here on scope. I'm going to tag a dear friend of mine, who's another community champion. He's very good with advice regarding mental health and i'm sure he'll be able to advise you. @thespiceman could you advise here please, thank you my friend.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Ami2301
    Ami2301 Community member Posts: 7,942 Disability Gamechanger
    Welcome to the community @PixieDarksorrow are you receiving any support for your mental health at all?
    Disability Gamechanger - 2019
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    Welcome to the community from me too, @PixieDarksorrow. I'm pleased you've joined us all for as Poppy has said, thespiceman understands problems such as yours.
  • PixieDarksorrow
    PixieDarksorrow Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    At the moment, no. It was thought that my antidepressants were doing enough so I haven't really been seen by my doctor or anyone else for a while. However, I recently changed GP and have my first appointment with them later in the month. So far everyone I have spoken to at the practice has been lovely and that's helped me worry less about going, but that's all I have going on right now. I was seen my be local community mental health team a few years ago and I found it to be a complete waste of time if I'm honest, I didn't receive any advice or help and was sent on my way basically. 
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    edited January 2020
    Hello @PixieDarksorrow   Pleased to  meet you.

    Thank you for joining and sharing.

    Sorry to hear what you are going through.

    I am one of the community champions have mental health issue with addiction and a disability.

    My wealth of knowledge, expertise use this to advise members like yourself.

    Please can I suggest the following mental health charities .

    They offer the following, floating support, advice guidance on your issues, wellbeing, health and benefit advice.

    https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.

    https://www.mind.org.uk.

    https://www.rethink.org.

    All charities used coping methods strategies, education knowledge in a support group to help you to understand cope with your issues. Also offer many other aspects of care plans, aims goals to make sure you can cope on your own.

    Please can I also add they may not be in all areas and you can self refer or go to the GP.

    I would also add sleeping problems with mental health anxiety is a common problem.

    I have qualifications in diet and nutrition a few simple changes can be beneficial to aid restful sleep.

    Avoid the following, Caffeine in Tea, Coffee, Chocolate and Cola no alcohol at all.

    When we get anxious we reach for some thing to soothe us, could any of the above this makes the anxiety worse, reaching for more.

    I can also advise on alcohol consumption this another problem if you re drinking and think you are drinking a lot.

    Please contact me and can advise you the next steps to take very happy to do or speak to your GP.

    Often you may not notice you are.

    Understand please never stop immediately or cease if you do consume a lot of alcohol could be harmful if ceasing. You need professional help.

    One other point regarding diet, nutrition missed meals can cause problems so eat the following .

    Whole grains, Bread, Rice Pasta, pulses, beans. Nuts and eggs leaf greens Spinach, Kale Broccoli.

    Plenty of fruit and vegetables lean Chicken, Turkey.

    Another sleeping aid is to use warm milk with honey in it or whole meal bread with honey.

    In the foods I have listed a enzyme called tryptophan this makes you sleepy. If you were to eat Pasta or Potatoes at lunch time you feel sleepy after ward that is the tryptophan working.

    Please can I reassure sorry to hear you had have bad experience with Mental Health  teams usually ones I used were rarely good. Council ones so used these three charities totally find you will a lot of people like you .

    Please if I can help further any questions please ask.

    Please take care.


    @thespiceman  
    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • PixieDarksorrow
    PixieDarksorrow Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    I will definitely look into those, thank you so much. I did a StressControl course thing recently and they mentioned the caffeine and alcohol so I have been very conscious of what I'm drinking/eating and when to see if that helps. I've honestly not noticed any changes, positive or negative. I am quite prone to missing meals, especially when I'm feeling particularly low so I will try to make sure I am eating properly. I'm quite a fussy eater so my diet is fairly limited, however I am trying to be a bit braver, try new things and I have discovered a few new loves which has been surprising. I have started trying to swap pasta and rice to wholegrain as I have heard it's healthier, but extending that to everything else is a challenge. In regards to my experience with the mental health team, I got the feeling that they wanted to get me in and out as quickly as possible and for me as someone with a difficult past, I found the whole thing quite uncomfortable to be honest. It wouldn't put me off giving it another go at all, but it makes it harder to open up when you have got the impression people aren't bothered or interested in what you're saying. I don't necessarily expect them to care as such, but it would be nice to feel you are being heard. I don't know, perhaps I got her on an off day or something, but it wasn't great. I know that I need help and support, finding it is the hard part.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @PixieDarksorrow   Thank you for reply, sorry to hear this.

    Your experiences sorry about it all. Heard this had this must add myself many times.

    Problems are not your fault this the issues, remember this is a business so if costing a lot there do cherry pick those can help, those who do not get treated badly.

    All about funding understaffed, over burdened clientele , low wages long hours and much more assaults violence towards staff.

    Bullying, intimidation all goes on, find the charities a lot different first they do the following.

    You make an application they contact you . Discuss in a sensible, practical manner your needs , wants and aims . Offer solutions.

    In agreement with you. To be reviewed and consulted regularly.

    All charities have a code of conduct care plans others one particular Richmond Fellowship has a policy of clientele involvement at meetings, ideas, suggestions and used them willingly.

    Also clientele consultations on mental health teams, complaints, structures of branches and designs often working parties to look at specific reports or forms.

    In house advisors on employment even clientele are considered for vacancies.

    Please contact me if you wish to be looking at any nutritional or diet happy to help or other option.

    Speak to your local Community Health Unit has wellbeing service.

    Looking at one to one diet, nutrition and fitness support, guidance.

    I used them after addiction, helped me get qualifications.

    Great about your alcohol if your doing that stopped or not at all well done and avoid Caffeine.

    I am aware of a lot of the information, advice I given you may be helping,.

    I would always consult your GP plus look at the links provided.

    Many charities have nutritional advisor staff member sometimes some are vegan or vegetarian .

    Often useful to know.

    One other bit of useful information is using herbs and spices to maintain your mental health if your using supplements if you are need to be aware can interact with any meds.

    Most spices used for calming the anxiety stomach are useful but you need to consult your GP first.

    Your on antidepressants certain ones can take a long time to kick in and have a lot of side effects.

    Read the packet information leaflet all meds do work but in conjunction with some changes diet, consumption of certain foods can effect meds so please be careful look the leaflet given.

    Sertraline  grapefruit be avoided and foods with amino acids in them can effect the workings of the meds.

    Has a lot of side effects, too many.

    Mirtazapine another common one lots of side effects.

    Please if your having problems your meds need to speak to your GP.

    Please if I can help with anything please ask.

    Please take care.

    @thespiceman







    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 10,821 Scope online community team
    Hi @PixieDarksorrow. I just wanted to pop in and welcome you to the community. Getting a handle on what's going on inside our own minds is tough enough, without then having to put that into words for the benefit of someone else, but you're always more than welcome to talk about stuff here. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to support you. :smile:
    Community Manager
    Scope

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