Newbie here

Hello and welcome!

You will find as I did a very understanding and supportive group of people here.

While are stories are all different you'll find that we share a common purpose, that is to provide acceptance and an opportunity to share our knowledge and experiences.

We don't purport to have all the answers but we can be a valuable sounding board.

I suffer from MDD, high anxiety for which I chose to self medicate with alcohol for a very long time. My family is pretty much messed up too.

I live alone with my tiny terror dog. And can go from up to down in a matter of minutes..

Anyway I just thought I'd tell you a bit about me.

I look forward to sharing with you.

@Taali

Thank you @Taali

It looks like I’ve come to the right place

I really appreciate you sharing a bit about yourself too. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot, and I’m glad you’ve found some support here.

I can relate to going from feeling up to down quite quickly too, something I really struggle with

I’m looking forward to connecting more on here

Hi @bloom91 and @Taali,

I'm new to this space too and was looking to create my first post when I saw this one come up. It was at the top of the page and resonates with me.

@bloom91 What you wrote in your first post is pretty much the summary of what I've been feeling.

I, too, have ADHD (diagnosed last year) and have been feeling lost, dealing with past trauma and feeling depressed and anxiety.

I don't want to hijack this thread, so I won't go into all the details.

I just wanted to say something in support - and also, I must admit it feels like a good starting point for myself on this platform.

From what you wrote, it seems that you're good at being kind to yourself - something I need to learn to do.

You both seem like positive people and I hope you'll make a lot of positive connections here.

Thank you for the post and for the opportunity for me to start my journey here.

Thank you for your message @bluecaterpillar, and welcome to you as well. I really appreciate you sharing where you’re at. I don’t think you’re hijacking the thread at all, it actually feels really nice to know others relate.

I try to be kind to myself, but it has definitely taken a lot of practice to quiet those negative self-talk thoughts, and sometimes they still get to me. What has helped me is, when those thoughts appear, I try to come up with 2–3 positive thoughts about myself, or think about how I would respond if a friend or family member said those things about themselves. I would always tell them it’s not true and respond with kindness, so I try to offer myself the same

I hope to see you around on here more, share whatever you're comfortable with :)

You're welcome @bluecaterpillar

I hope you find what you're looking for here.

We are all here for you and looking forward to hearing from you.

I hope you are travelling okay today and finding the forum a helpful place.

We have been dealing with some technical hurdles for a while now but it seems that we may be over the worst.

Go gently ✨️ @Taali

@DogMan79 @Lapis_Anteater @Icaruslanded @Emelia8 @Shaz51 @ENKELI @Captain24 @Tolly @Meowmy @Bunniekins @Glisten @GezzaP @bloom91 @Cuddlebear @Nala2022 @Jynx @Flutterbug9 @Tolly @StuF

@Chasingsunsets

And everyone else.

Thank you, @bloom91 and @Taali

That advice on thinking positive things about myself or what I would say if someone around me said negative things, is definitely something I should keep in mind. To add on that, I should also think about what the people who know me well would say when I bad talk about myself. Sometimes it's struggle in the moment though.

Thank you for the welcome and for inviting me to share. I thought of starting a post, but felt it was a bit daunting. There were categories to choose from and I didn't know what to go with. I get a little bit anxious of new experiences and new places. Even when I need to take a new bus route I get anxious despite being used to taking public transport. I feel like I'm going backwards in my progress at times.

When I got my ADHD diagnosis last year I felt liberated. Like finally there was an explanation to why I behave/operate/function in certain ways. There were things I didn't know were linked to ADHD and learning more about ADHD has helped me understand myself better. And for a few months it gave me more confidence. However, in recent months I've been feeling depressed.

Long before my ADHD diagnosis, I had moments where I wondered if I had autism. One of my friends (who has ADHD and a brother with autism) reckons that my capability to be spontaneous doesn't fit autism. After some time I didn't give it much thought and my ADHD diagnosis became the focus. But it seems that ADHD doesn't explain everything about how I operate.

I think it's possible that I have autism - I haven't really had a discussion about it professionally or anything, but I reckon I might have it. I don't know why that has contributed to my depression. Perhaps I'm scared. Maybe the thought of me having autism as the reason why I struggle socially and feel like an alien makes me sad. Which is silly because if I had a valid reason, it should give me peace. I haven't fully figured out why I feel this way.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. Thank you for providing this space for me to share and unload. I've been inside my head too much and it's nice to be able to talk about this without feeling guilty.

@bloom91 and @Taali

I would love to hear of your experiences if you are willing to share. How was it when you first received your respective diagnoses?

Thanks @Taali for the tag 🤗

hey there @bloom91 and @bluecaterpillar welcome, it’s lovely to meet you here 😊. How’s the week been for everyone 🌻

Hi @bluecaterpillar, I’m sorry for the late reply. I just want to say I don’t think you need to apologise for the long post at all. I think this is exactly what spaces like this are for, to be able to get things out of our heads and share things we might otherwise keep to ourselves

I really relate to what you said about being kind to yourself but finding it difficult in the moment. It’s something I still struggle with too. Sometimes we can know logically that the negative thoughts aren’t true, but when we’re in that headspace, it can feel really convincing.

In terms of diagnoses, I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when I was 14. At that age, it was honestly really difficult to understand what was happening. I mostly remember feeling incredibly low, feeling like I had no energy or motivation, and struggling to see a way forward. Looking back now, I think I was just trying to survive those feelings and didn’t fully understand them at the time

I was later diagnosed with ADHD at 27, and that diagnosis really resonated with me. Looking back at my childhood and adolescence, so many things started to make sense. It was almost a relief to have an explanation and to realise there was a reason behind some of the things I found difficult.

That being said, I also understand what you mean about diagnoses bringing up complicated feelings. Sometimes having an explanation can feel freeing, but it can also bring up grief for the years you spent struggling without understanding why. I think it’s completely understandable to have mixed emotions around it

I’m really glad you mentioned that you’ve been learning more about yourself through your ADHD diagnosis. I think self-understanding can be such an important part of the journey. Whether you do end up exploring autism further or not, I hope you’re able to approach yourself with the same kindness you would give to someone else going through this

Thank you for sharing your story :)

Hi @Chasingsunsets, nice to meet you :)

So far my week has been good, despite chronic shoulder pain which I'll be getting an ultrasound done tomorrow and I booked in to see an Osteo on Friday.

Otherwise I'm having a good day emotionally. How about you?