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@Appleblossom I'm glad to hear that you're in a position in which peer support doesn't have to be paid- that gives more options away from clinicians. There is a great need for more peer support, and it sounds like you're on the right track with networking.

I'm sorry you met such a psychiatrist. Unfortunately, psychiatrists get away with a lot of bad behaviour because of power hierarchies. It is scary to think about the potential harm this particular psychiatrist may be causing to people.

@Appleblossom Yeah I feel the same way for being on the disability pension, I don’t need to worry about paid work for now either, other than having to pay for rent which takes up literally half to a bit over half my income.🙃🥲(I’m ok though)

@Ruby26 its great doing meaningful work.... double bonus being paid

also important to keep a level of busyness and social engagement up...

for me also ... healthy doses of solitude and down time

socialising is my main learning ar the moment... though not in formal course setting... more experimenting with all sorts of socialising... just getting out there...

@Blackcloud yes its a challenge to manage day to day life expenses on a pension

I have plumber coming tomorrow, but it should be fine... its taken a long time to be able to say that... and know I have a reasonable chance of covering random maintenance etcetc

I can go out and buy a meal or a coffee occasionally, but its still pretty rare...

... my self esteem was so low... i ddidn't want to risk rejection by applying for jobs... I have been in the old bracket for a bit... big respect to those still out there ... fighting the good fight

@Appleblossom Unlike me I buy meals very regularly 😂😂 I have just started getting back to purchasing ready made meals from a meal-plan delivery service so that I can stop having to purchase meals from restaurants and all of that stuff that I would do at least once a week or so. The meals from a meal-plan delivery service that I get…the prices are…ok but could be cheaper in my opinion (they range from $13.99-15.00 per meal?). That’s why I’m desperate for the NDIA to add that option of ordering delivery meal plans onto my NDIS budget so that I can purchase meals through my NDIS budget without having to deal with all the out of pocket stuff.

Autistic people like me struggle to cook, especially if the meals we would like to make have sooooo many instructions and our brains can’t keep up nor cope with it all, so for me I usually make really easy stuff like e.g. I normally steam rice & veggies (broccoli, sometimes kale and bok Choy) and I cook eggs — I do all of these separately as one of the ways I can to survive.

you develop a life style that is effective for you @Blackcloud

I was not a great cook... but bumbled my way through and now I am an old lady, I do find it a therapeutic activity... the planning, shopping and preparing food... it is relaxing, now that I dont have to worry about pleasing many different palates and food needs

I take a nutritious but low stress approach... i have chronic neck pain ... and probably autistic... so i keep it simple

its good you have few meals you are comfortable preparing

my son was eating out a lot... and also figured out costs per meals

when I am just feeding me... its pretty low cost... tho I do have more protein in my diet these days... so feel pretty spoiled... even if I am lazy and have lots of left-overs... at least I also know whats actually in the food... a girfriend keeps getting sick from restaurant food... she has a real touchy bowel

have a good day

Thank you friend @Appleblossom and yeah nutrition is really important for our overall health too 🌿 I always choose meals from the meal delivery service that have olive oil & many other healthy ingredients contained. I basically want to follow my naturopath’s advice as I’d like to maintain nutrition (getting enough protein, veggies and stuff like quinoa/lentils/beans etc..) as well as maintaining my gut health with these meals as I’ve been dealing with gut issues for a while now ❤️🌿

sounds like a great balanced diet @Blackcloud

I only discovered quinoa recently tho, done most legumes all my life...

its still good to learn a new trick... soaking it in milk... lol

Peer support work has been incredible for me @Ruby26 . I felt I fell naturally into the rhythm of it because I'd be sharing parts of my life with people for many years before hand. I first noticed the power of this when I connected on the forums, and when I was in a PARC.

For the first time, I was able to share my journey without judgement. And not only for me, but to support others going through something similar.

Now, I work for very organisations in both lived experience positions and peer work positions

@Blackcloud you can cook more than I can. All I can "cook" is vegetables on pita bread, mushrooms and cheese on toast, overnight oats, protein shakes, salad, garlic bread and toast with spreads. I tried to cook eggs and I couldn't even work out how to unlock the childproof thing on the stove top.

I mostly live off frozen meals because I get sick from iron deficiency otherwise. I find meals at the frozen section of the supermarket at about $6-8 each.

I tend to eat out a lot too despite not having a lot of money.

@tyme that's fantastic, I felt the same way about peer work too.