Lived Experience Forum

[Shaz51]

Very true @Former-Member 

And it also depends on the house you have too 

At the height of the last cyclone , our roof started lifting and we had flooding in the house , the winds and the rain sounds sooo loud and wild 

[Former-Member]

Sounds frightening @Shaz51 

[Former-Member]

A lot of us here have shared the impacts we have felt and a bit around the ways we have been managing that. Sometimes its important to keep noticing how we are travelling. What signs and symptoms can we look out for, signalling our mental health is being impacted by the current situation?

[Adge]

Thanks @Former-Member I have had to go as far as to request (in conversation) - that the person please not mention (or re-mention) the bushfires.

Because, as I said (before) - they are not telling me their own experience, or anything personal whatsoever.

They have been simply re-reading (out aloud) media reports etc to me, over the telephone - which frankly I don't need to hear.

I am perfectly capable of reading my own media reports, if I need to.

I can only make this request, when feeling Super-Assertive (in a confident space).

In the case of my Mum, my request that she Not keep talking about it (please) made No Difference - Mum ignored my request (as she often does), & continued to read out Dramatic Media Reports & Horiffic details.

This ended with me being in a badly triggered state - & therefore requiring many hours to recover.

Adge

[Former-Member]

@Former-Member  @Shaz51 @CheerBear @Former-Member @Former-Member @Adge 

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.

[Former-Member]

Thanks for your reply @CheerBear and yes, there will be people who will feel a sense of 'guilt' at being safe and not having experienced the crisis.  This feeling can be triggered if you have a previous experience of trauma.  It can be helpful to understand this and acknowledge it and engage in some of your self care techniques to ground you and bring you back into the here and now.  If the feelings persist, then it's always a good idea to talk to someone about them 

[greenspace]

Best wishes @BlueBay

[Shaz51]

Hello @greenspace 

@Gazza75 

[Former-Member]

Hi and welcome @greenspace - thanks for joining us. How are you feeling with the impacts of the bushfires? We have just moved on to discussing what signs and symptoms to look out for with our mental health when we are impacted.

[Former-Member]

It is important to notice different signs and symptoms and not dismiss them.

Again self-awareness is really important, trusting what doesn’t feel right for you. A change in mood, sleep patterns, loss of appetite can be a sign that you are not travelling well. Our environment feels unsafe at times like this and for people who already feel unsafe in the world, they may be triggered or have the trauma response more intensely. People can become triggered in different ways, anxiety may be heightened, impulsivity or compulsions or hypervigiliance may increase, people may also withdraw, become disconnected, or dissociative, suicidal thinking may be present.