Topic Tuesday // Your mental health and the recent bushfires // Tues 28 Jan, 7pm AEST

[Adge]

@Former-Membersaid: "When thinking about the impact on ourselves remember to

Listen to your body, notice what you’re thinking and feeling and try and slow down and try not to become reactive.

Focus on what you can control, rather than what you can’t. If too much exposure of the media coverage is compromising your mental health. Stop watching. It doesn’t mean you don’t care, it means you’re taking responsibility for you. Do what’s right for you and what you know works for you to keep symptoms at bay and to stay well."

Yes that sounds Helpful.

The Problem is that my Mum, relatives & friend & wrongly claimed (said or insinuated) that I Don't Care -

Simply because I asked them to Not keep on telling me the Media Reports etc (that they have read).

This hurts a lot, when they have said that....

Adge

[Former-Member]

How frustrating and annoying @Adge that you're setting really clear boundaries and  people aren't able to be sensitive to your request.  I hope you're feeling better soon 🙂 

[CheerBear]

Nightmares are a sign my mental health might be being impacted @Former-Member, particularly ones of being trapped or not being able to escape something. Sensing danger when there isn't at the time is another. I noticed this while spending time over Christmas in a bush kind of place I go to often. There were lots of times I just wanted to get out and quickly without any real need to. It teetered on panic at times.

Thanks for validating that @Former-Member. I've heard a couple of other people say things that hint at those guilty feelings too.

[Former-Member]

@Adge That's really difficult. Often people will judge what they think they see and understand but it sounds like your family etc don't really understand what's happening for you internally, the impact on you and what they can't see. Give yourself permission to look after you and know what's right for you. Sometimes as hard it is, we have to detach from what we experience as judgement from others.

[Former-Member]

You're welcome @CheerBear  🙂  

I'm sorry too to hear that you've been experiencing nightmares and yes, they would be a clear sign that you weren't feeling safe.  Do you have any sleep hygiene strategies to help calm your mind and body before you go to bed?

[Joy139]

Hi all. This is my first time on any forum so please excuse me if I'm not doing this right.
I worked in Ash Wednesday as a very green policewoman and had quite a response to our recent bushfires. I had to walk away from social media and the telly for a few days to try my best to gather myself and put the poker face back on...not the best strategy (the poker face) but that is what I had learned to do over many years without realising it. I have been having counselling for old traumas, including the fires, which for me has been the best thing I have done for decades.

[Former-Member]

@CheerBear How frightening, I hope you were able to do what you needed to feel safe again. 

[CheerBear]

I have chronic insomnia @Former-Member. I could write a book on sleep hygiene strategies (that don't work for me 😉). I try and limit caffeine, create a safe and cosy space in my room (dim light, fluffy stuff on my bed etc) and not clock-watch. They're probably the most helpful for me.

[Former-Member]

Hi @Joy139 and welcome - you have done a wonderful job to join us here in the forums for the first time and you have posted perfectly. You can also use the @ symbol to tag people. 

Thank you for sharing what your experiences have been. Having experiences on the frontline, I can only imagine how hard that would be. It is so hard to balance that need to step away from everything (poker face) versus connecting with support and acknowledging what you are working through now in counselling which is so strong. I am glad it is going well and to hear how great that has been. 

[greenspace]

I've been feeling lots of different things -- panicky about friends who live in Lithgow and in the Blue Mountains who had mega-fires within a few kays of their homes. 

Sympathy for friends with asthma who couldn't leave their homes because of the smoke. I don't have asthma, and I had headaches and nausea for most of December from fires in the area, even though they were 40 or 50 km away. 

Heartbroken and devasted hearing about the hundreds of millions of birds, marsupials, reptiles, killed or injured in the fires. 

Touched by seeing news of the rescue organisations giving medical care to those injured creatures, and doing food drops for the survivors in the burnt zones. 

Motivated and grateful that I'm able to donate a bit of money to the RFS, and to WIRES, Wildlife Victoria, and smaller rescue organisations. 

Furious with politicians and mainstream media for denying the connection between the ferocity of the fires and climate change -- though at least some pollies and some news sources are acknowledging it, and admitting that this situation was predicted and modelled accurately by climate scientists 12 years ago. 

Overwhelmed and exhausted, grateful that I haven't been in danger, guilty about being glad I'm safe when others have lost homes or family... 

I have shingles, that nasty outbreak of blisters that is like a recurrence of chickenpox brought out by stress. Not sure if the main stressor is the last few months of bushfires, or knowing that my NDIS plan reviewis in two weeks.