Winter solstice

I dont have many words at the moment either @Dimity just hugs

❤️ thankyou 🍎 @Appleblossom

I am not logging on as often @Dimity and see that many people are still unhappy with the changes on the forums.

Whatever happens. Please know I have appreciated you over the years.

And I have more than appreciated you dear @Appleblossom

Take care, stay strong.

I needed to hear "Stay Strong" @Dimity

We have challenges ahead, but I pray they are surmountable challenges.

Hope you can embrace your strength too.

Maybe in August I'll catch up in the garden, get back on track with decluttering, and reconnect with old pastimes and interests. Perhaps even make new friends, if I can get out. July was particularly miserable.

I'm sorry July was so awful for you, @Dimity .

Here's hoping your wishes come true.

I think (and hope) I'm levelling out now @NatureLover @Appleblossom . I've caught up a bit on admin and decluttering although there's still a lot to do.

I've been looking around for new supporr groups but haven't found anything that suits so far.

The elephant in the room, my family problem, hasn't gone away and is a very heavy burden. The solution remains elusive although my psychologist has returned to her assertion that EMDR could help me get clarity.

I'm not sure why I keep feeling I'm back at square one and need to begin again. It seems linked to my isolation and lack of continuing supports irl. I need to remind myself I've had some help from extended family, although we rarely talk. Perhaps it's the result of continuing trauma, abuse and neglect, or perhaps it comes from small scale bipolar cycles superimposed on the bigger swings.

Anyway, here I am, unsure of what to do next.

Your family problems sound so difficult and painful, @Dimity 😥

Well done on your recent achievements 👏

@Dimity Great you are feeling more 'level', and moved on tidying and organising etc.

I still have work to do, but it is not top of my list. I need to sort my sim on my phone and do a mending of some old cords. Remember corduroys? These are burgandy, and I bought them as I had some asa a teenager, and they are lovely and warm for winter and actually fit me. Lots of my clothes are little too loose and falling off me! lol. So these are def on the mend list. Too much new fabric feels too fake.

Hearing you.

Complexity in the family ... does not go away ... and a limited Recovery approach ... ican be a bit of a nonsense concept, if there is not enough breadth of comprehension. I dont want to recover from my family, I want to be able to move forward with dignity for both myself and my family. But when family issues have been around for decades, then they are not likely to go away with following a few worksheets.

I am not sure about EMDR ... it may help. I mostly keep open minded about interventions,

I had a lady offer to do it about 10 years ago, but she stuffed up establishing rapport, if they cant do that and are just impatient to try their little technique, then they are dishonouring the bigger picture. I haven't sought it out. I have fairly good distress regulation and gradual integration of my trauma story, its the complexity issue that keeps redistressing me. Ie New things in the present.

Regarding social groups. I found it important to keep a variety going ... at the moment I ahve had some good deepening of connections. I never expected it, and so it was a blessed relief and helps me ground optimism in real situations rather than just keep trying talk myself into being positve.

Do what feels right for you. Listen to your instincts and reflections.

hey @NatureLover