Peer Group Chat// Coping with Overwhelm // Thursday 2nd November 2023, 7-8:30PM AEDT

[amber22]

On Thursday 2nd November 2023, we will be holding a Peer Group Chat on the topic of Coping with Overwhelm.

 

Sometimes life can get a little bit too much and we may start to feel very overwhelmed. Let's come together to discuss our lived experiences and strategies for coping with overwhelm. This discussion could be a great time to learn some new coping techniques or contribute to someone else's recovery. 

The event start times across Australia are below:

This is currently held in daylight savings hours:

WA: 4pm 
NT: 5:30pm

SA: 6:30pm 

QLD: 6pm

NSW, ACT, VIC & TAS: 7pm 

For anyone unfamiliar with Peer Group Chats, each focuses on a specific topic and is guided by Peer Workers with lived experience of mental health issues and recovery, &/or caring for someone with complex mental health. A counsellor is also present as a moderator to help ensure a safe environment for individuals and the group. It is a space for us as peers to share our stories and experiences, and connect with those who are going through something similar. 

Anyone is welcome to join! Tagging some members who may be interested below:

@mr-robot-75 @Hope0011 @Shaz51 @Hams @Appleblossom @Captain24 @Snowie @chibam @Jacques @wellwellwellnez @outlander @NatureLover @Adge  @petrichor @Pancake @Gwynn @Sophia1 @pinklollipop15 @Lila3 @BlueBay @RedHorse @Arizona @SJT63 @Owen45 @Appleblossom @Eve7 @Bow @Snowie @Shaz51 @JungleGiants @BPDSurvivor @wellwellwellnez @NatureLover @utopia @Millieme @Anastasia @Jorge @CogsWhirl @Clawde @SunFlowersHope  @SJT63 @Owen45 @utopia @Laura4 @creative_writer @Glisten @7cough9 

Peer Group Chats are hosted outside of the forums, using a platform called Chatwee. 

To join an Online Peer Group and participate, you will need to register for an account with Chatwee.
To access the group to observe only and not participate, you can access Chatwee as a Guest.
On the night, follow this link to access Chatwee before the group starts.
You can join our Peer Group Chats every Thursday from 7:00-8:30pm (AEDT). Check out the FAQs page for more information.  

We hope to see you there 

 If you can't make it but are interested, you can always catch up reading the transcript afterwards here. 

[TideisTurning]

Hi Everyone,

Just a reminder that the next Online Peer Group Chat on Coping with Overwhelm will take place tonight from 7-8:30pm AEDT.  As always, for ease of reference, times across Australia are in the graphic and listed below: 

WA: 4pm 
NT: 5:30pm

SA: 6:30pm 

QLD: 6pm

NSW, ACT, VIC & TAS: 7pm  

Tonight, you can expect discussion about: 

• How, when and why we might experience feelings of overwhelm 
• Strategies and tools that might help us cope with and recover from overwhelm 
• How to lessen experiences of overwhelm, and supports that could help 

Tagging members who have supported or otherwise interacted with the thread so far as well as those who may be interested to receive a reminder @Ilovepenguins @Captain24 @saturnzoon @Glisten @7cough9 @Snowie @Clawde @ProggyPanther @Patches59 @Valiant83 @chibam @Appleblossom @Shaz51 @lemlem678 @Dyna13 @puzzlingdino @defaultusername @Birdofparadise8 @ElevatedEyeSpic 

[TideisTurning]

Just a reminder that our Peer Group Chat on Coping with Overwhelm will start in just under 20 minutes at 7pm here! Everyone is welcome! See you then 

Tagging members who have supported or otherwise interacted with the thread so far as well as those who may be interested to receive a reminder: @Glisten @Ilovepenguins @Captain24 @Bow @Dimity @Historylover @Birdofparadise8 @Oaktree @NewbyBear101 @Former-Member @Snowie @Spirit_Healer @StuF @Matityahu @Shaz51 @7cough9  @lemlem678 @Dyna13 @puzzlingdino @defaultusername @chibam 

[TideisTurning]

Hi Everyone, 

one way I have found it really helpful in terms of thinking about overwhelm is considering it through metaphor of a water bottle. If you think of a bottle as a metaphor for coping capacity, the water or liquid that fills it is the things we might have to cope with. The bottle empties when we are able to release any tension or emotional experiences that are causing stress, anxiety or other hard feelings. But, if it’s been a while since you’ve had the chance to release, there is more potential for the bottle to overflow as more ‘liquid’ fills the bottle and little to none is emptied – that overflow is when overwhelm might happen. What I would be curious to hear, from anyone who would like to share, is two things: 

1.  What things tend to fill up your bottle? (i.e. stressors, things that provoke anxiety or tension)

2.  What things might help empty your bottle? (self care and/ or self soothing activities that allow you to release and/or relax).

@Glisten @Ilovepenguins @Captain24 @Dimity @Oaktree @Eden1919 @Moon_light_lion @lemlem678 @Snowie @Shaz51 @Appleblossom @tonys 

[Captain24]

For me the overwhelm mostly comes

from the pressure I put on myself. @TideisTurning. Expecting to get so

much done. Most of the time it’s not achievable. Also my anxiety adds to it. When I have to go somewhere or see someone. Anything social totally overwhelms me. 

I feel like my water bottle is always full and never empties. Sometimes all I can do is reduce the overflow. 

Ways I’m trying to slow down that feeling is diamond art, time in the sun and now Lego too. This helps calm me down for the social things but with what I expect myself to do, by doing that stuff puts me further behind though which increases the overwhelming feeling. 

[Dimity]

@TideisTurning self care and self soothing is hard if/when you grew up with trauma, abuse and emotional neglect where it was invalidated and tainted. It's hard to reinvent yourself without support.

Sorry to sound negative,  I'm a bit overwhelmed at present.

[Glisten]

I get very overwhelmed when I am in a situation where I could be at risk. I don’t know the rules, the players look dodgy. I don’t have confidence in my abilities.

[tyme]

Are you okay @Glisten ? Please feel free to email us if there's anything you want to discuss off the forums team@saneforums.org

[TideisTurning]

@Captain24, the pressure we can sometimes put on ourselves is a really tough one, especially when you throw anxiety into the mix as well! Expectations can also be tricky to navigate. It sounds though like despite constantly feeling like your bottle might be full, you found some great strategies that work for you to manage a little bit of the overflow- I also want to commend you for digging a little deeper to identify what it is that helps you. This stuff is really important though, and as hard as it might seem in the moment, it's also really important to prioritise little moments of self-care to ensure our bottles don't overflow too much. As a mentor of mine told me, we can only do what we can do, and I've also come to learn myself that if we don't pay attention to and make a little time for self-care, what we can do is a lot less. 

@Dimity, and you're right. Self-care is hard, especially when you are in struggle or there has been really difficult experiences like the ones you're describing that have a lasting effect. I don't feel like you are being negative, but rather letting us know where you're at with this and that there are extra challenges for you. No need to apologise at all. Thank you so much for your courage in sharing this experience with us, though I'm sorry it's something that you've had to go through.  I'm not sure if you've been able to identify anything that might help empty your bottle, but there are a few other forum discussions here and here with a few ideas I wanted to share just in case they might help.  

That sounds tough @Glisten. As Tyme said, please reach out for support if you need to. The resources I've shared just above might be helpful for you too- feel free to have a look.

Please, everyone, take care of yourselves and know that overwhelm and overflow are absolutely ok and a normal (albeit at times rough, challenging & unpleasant) part of the human experience. 

[Glisten]

@tyme  Thank you very much for checking in on me and thank you SANE for this Forum. I would not have made it this far without the Forum monitors and members.

@Jynx gave me some productive tools from the Toolshed.

Medication helps.

Occasional flashes of how brilliant my brain used to be. Work in progress.