u/DimensionOk5157

If you were given completely free* rein to create an art exhibition about mental health in October (mentalt health awareness month) what would you do? *Inspite of it being free rein you've been told that it should be universal and kind of hopeful with the working title Glimmers. The gallery around 20sqm in a quiet walking streeet. You have 2 weeks to fill with activities and program.

I've been thinking about having a performance called "how's it going" about litterally going/ walking.

I cannot fully and wholeheartedly accept that I have bipolar and have to live with this condition my whole life. Even when taking the meds, getting the sleep, working out and staying sober, I still have episodes and SI and the aftermath of several serious episodes.

My support system is my parents and they've said that they're too old for this shit (fully blown manic episodes) and I can't rely on my siblings for support or anyone else in the family.

I turn manic when I start dating someone I like and they leave, telling me that I should have disclosed earlier or that we're not far enough into a relationship for them to care.

I'm super lonely. I try to open up to friends a bit but they're not invested enough in me to consistently be there are friends who have left me after an episode. Or they keep their distance.

Since I'm not able to accept having this condition I'm relying on others to not feel awful. I get some relief just being around other people but my life is very different from theirs and it hurts.

But

I know that I'm lucky. I know that I need to keep on doing my best, keep getting out of bed, keep showing up to my appointments, keep looking for small victories and be compassionate towards myself and others.

I know that I'm lucky. I have therapy and treatment available and free where I live and I know that I can rely on the healthcare system next time I get an episode (because the last 3 years have been a mess)

I know that I'm lucky. I know that I can create coping strategies to not get manic in the pursuit of someone who might understand this a bit or who wants to stick around and that begins with going to bed and focusing on sleep although all you want is to stay up and chat and be inspired

I know that I'm lucky. I can keep on reaching out to other, putting myself in social settings, but damn I think I need to live alone until someone willingly wants to co-habitate with me and this condition (rearranging everything at 3am, making a ton of food, crying loudly in the shower, making a mess of the entire in depressive episodes too not being able to organise or clean or properly cook) I can live alone and that's a privilege.

I know that I'm lucky, as long as I'm still here there is a chance for change.

Today I was on a first date with a smart, cute, warm, wonderful woman, I liked her a lot but I kept thinking about how nice it would be to be friends. We went on a long rainy walk and I felt comfortable around her.
Before meeting up I almost had a breakdown of anxiety and stress, I was very close to cancelling and I've been nervous (and wanting to cancel because of that nervousness) all day. Dating men is easier for me (maybe because of all the heteronormative we're constantly exposed for) I don't get this nervous and I know more what to do, how to behave, with woman I'm so scared. I want to ask to be friends but I'm not sure how to do it or if it is a good idea. I feel like I'm doing this wrong and that I should know how to flirt but I don't. I really want to be able to not be as scared as I am with dating, I'm very used to being friendzoned or politely rejected. Since I don't flirt and I often meet people who also don't flirt, dating is this awkward why bother thing. You can't know how a person is or if there is psysical attraction from the apps. I'm more sucessful with making friends.

I’m deleting and reinstalling Hinge, I’m not feeling ready to go after what I really want: a long term healthy relationship. I wish I had someone to hug and lie next to.
I’m extremely messy, my place is such a mess. And the people I do end up going on dates with is just friends material.
I want to feel safe to meet people and be close with them. I don’t.
All though I’ve heard many times that I’m conventionally good looking I feel weird and disconnected with my body.
I don’t know what to do, please help me:(

People are usually saying stuff like: have you tried yoga? Have you tried quitting sugar? Have you tried just thinking differently. Stuff like that. Does it work? Does it help? Did it make a difference?

I’ve been searching for meaning and for a reason to keep going, I haven’t found it. I can go months without feeling SI and thinking it won’t come back and then something triggers it and boom it’s back. I feel like giving up and giving in to the hopelessness and SI is my daydreams these days. But how do I find purpose and hope and meaning? Summers are usually depressing. How do I go from wanting to end it all to keep going?

I don’t want to do the several selfies a day and following you and your friends going to Paris. It makes me question my sexuality seriously.

Hi, f32 here, I’m having a somewhat tough day, would anyone be interested in having a chat? 😊✨ I feel a bit lost and alone and anxious. Send me a short text about you.

I went out 2 days in a row last week, got a bit drunk and had trouble falling to sleep. I felt so lethargic after. Now 7 days after I still feel low, I didn’t realize that it would affect me this much, is it just me?

I have a close relationship with my parents, my siblings is another story. They’re older than me and have their ways of being difficult to be around. I don’t want to be a part of Christmas with them, but I don’t want to be alone either. I don’t know what the future holds but as things are today I have my parents and my grandparent and other than that a couple of aunts I see a couple of times a year. I feel like I’ll lose my support network when I lose those three that has always been there for me (parents and grandparent) I have friends and I have my own life as a single woman. I want to cut contact with them (my siblings) we’re just so dysfunctional.

I struggle with anxious attachment and being. Overly dependent on my partner(if I have one) or on my parents (when I don’t)
I really want to come to a point where I’m ready for a relationship but per now I’m too dependent and anxious :(

I enjoy the buzz of it when being at home not having to go anywhere, but when I’m out drinking (every blue moon) I feel tranqilased like a prey losing my defensive ability. I don’t like that.

The drinking culture is strong and I sometimes just want to lose myself and leave things out to faith. I missed out in my teenage years and it seems like the easiest way to get to know new people.

I took a test that said I should not drink so much, usually I don’t drink at att but some weekends I have 5 beers and that’s it.

I don’t want to feel hung over again, lethargic and with a headache and anxiety. It’s not worth it but I’m so tired of being different, I just want to blend in.

I had this friend (F41) and I’m (32) we met on a hike and that’s what we had in common. After a little while she called me her best friend in the whole world, we’d typically meet once a month or less and we’d had 2 hours and then she’d go. Even if I asked her to stay, she’d go, she’d go in the middle of an activity also some times. During the three years we’ve met now and then, usually when she wanted and what she wanted, if I suggested something she would often turn it down. Sometimes she would cancel on the same day just a couple of hours before and she’d text me thanking me for understanding all though I didn’t. I realised how different our values and priorities was. We also have completely different ways of communicating and I’d tell her to text me instead of voice mails and she’d continue sending voicemails. Lately she’s been struggling, I’ve tried my best to invite her with, she’d say yes then rearrange everything with that appointment. It has been months of me being worried and sad because her situation not being able to change it, and feeling disconnected and like we’ve two totally different people. She would typically talk down different mental disorders, she knows that I struggle with mental health but she would call people she hates different diagnoses. She’ll recommend me to stay with abusive men. But she is a kind and wounderable, strong and successful, bubbly and introverted woman. I wish I could wait it out, it has been rough for about a year, we never got to the visiting eachother’s home. Her situation is stagnant and I feel irritated over our communication so often. I don’t feel met and I feel that I need to adapt to her wishes all the time. So I texted her that. I wish we could have been able to keep being friends but it’s so frustrating, it’s uneven.

I used a Gillette razor and shaved down there and now I have pink bumps that won’t go away. Did I used the wrong razor? How do I make them go away? They came after I shaved.

I have bpd. There was this guy: kind, friendly, energetic and supportive that I met through volunteering maybe a year ago or longer. He would say a lot of nice things about me and repeatedly say how nice it is to be around me. Back then I told him that I just saw him as a friend and the contact died out. Then we met again some weeks ago and the connection deepened a lot and we spoke about things that was very personal, traumatic and private. At first I just laughed of his comments on how beautiful and nice I am. Then we started talking on the phone for several hours each time and in one phone call I fell asleep and the call just continued. After he told me that he’d whispered things in my ear while I was asleep and that I’d laugh. I remember I usually use laughter when I’m nervous or when I disagree. Stupidly I did the same thing again, fell asleep with the phone and got a message on that he loves me as friends. There’s that all the time «you’re beautiful and amazing, I’m saying it as friends» and he would say «when» instead of «if» I date you I’ll buy you so many flowers and travels and teddybears. This isn’t like any friendship I’ve ever had, so I texted and told him that. He answered that he wasn’t looking for a relationship right now. I said that it’s never going to happen and he said that it wouldn’t work as a relationship because of different options and that it wouldn’t just be annoying. So I said that if he feels that way that a friendship wouldn’t work either. And he said that his intentions always was just to be friends. But he would talk a lot about sex and how he’s not able to find someone like me etc.

I feel sad and weird about this. I go in too strong, too deep, too trusting. I don’t know what to think, I don’t know how volunteering will be after this.

P.s I’ve never met anyone who’s as scared of SA someone like he is. I tried to tell him it’s all about communication and the only true yes is a hell yes. He doesn’t have a history of that as far as I know, he has rejected any attempt of intimacy from girls he has dated (as far as I know/ according to him)

When it comes to consistency and them being there for you? I have many casual friends, that I hang out with from time to time but that I can’t call and lean on that much. Sometimes they go weeks to months without reaching out/ answering. Is that normal or am I just really bad with setting boundaries in my relationships?

We matched a couple of years ago, met up sporadically, she seems to have good intentions but then she disappears for months being super active on social media socialising with other people. I feel left out, forgotten. She contacted me after many months asking how I am. I answered that I’m okay, thatnits been a while, asked her how she is and said that I didn’t think I would hear from her again.
Her answer was she’s been busy and lately she’s been a hermit. She’s a kind and nice person but it seems like this isn’t going anywhere. I don’t know what to answer her or if I should answer.

How do I get physical intimacy and stay safe and sane at the same time?

I have friends I hang out with but I have few people I can call when I need someone to talk to, I want a friendship where we mutually support and help eachother. I am a part of several groups and attend a lot of different activities. I listen to podcasts feel less alone. This weekend was spent mostly alone, as all weekends really.

?