Topic Tuesday // Finding community: Feeling belonging and connection // Tuesday 7th December, 7:00- 8:30PM AEDT

[chibam]

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@Daisydreamer wrote:

5. a) Have you experienced barriers or challenges to finding community?

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Ooooooh yes!

Basically, once you finish school, you get zero opportunities to meet new people. So unless you gel very well with whatever crowd you weaved yourself into at school, you are in a condition that rhymes with "royally chucked".

And good luck if you think that the mental health system will help you find your rightful clan, because they have an internal guideline against offering real-life help to patients.

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@Daisydreamer wrote:

b) Have you been able to overcome these challenges? If so, how?

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Fraid not.

[Shaz51]

Hello @StuF 😀 talking a community  to help us 

[HenryX]

Hello @CapnWannabe 

Just enter < Henry's Landing Strip and Hangar > (without the pointers) into the search box at top of forum page or click on my forum address @HenryX and scroll back a page or two in my profile

Cheers, @HenryX 

[still_bookish]

My trauma history/cPTSD and extreme social anxiety are major barriers for me. I find it so hard to trust people. Throw a pandemic into the mix, especially in combination with my OCD, and things are suddenly so much harder. When I was just battling my brain mess, I could try to reason with it. Being out in the world and around people feels impossible now. I try to make connections online (via social media, here, etc.) but even that is hard.

[Daisydreamer]

It's a good point @chibam that finding connection after school gets really challenging. It can be hard to meet new people as an adult

[Former-Member]

It definately gets harder to find opportunities to meet new people outside of school and work environments @chibam and I have found it takes a lot more effort to find people who are open to even having a conversation sometimes.
Have you found any communities through seeking out a leisure activity or hobby?
I feel that sometimes having an activity can also help with taking the pressure of the direct exchnage with others.
Makes me feel more at ease I guess.

[outlander]

What does belonging look/feel like to you?

I wouldnt know, i dont really fit in anywhere.

[Former-Member]

Really happy to see a shared interest & connection with you both from this discussion!
@HenryX @CapnWannabe

[HenryX]

Barriers can, I believe, be both internal, self generated and external, imposed either deliberately or unintentionally from or by others.

It takes time sometimes to sort out each factor and influence.

[Daisydreamer]

I really relate to what you mentioned @still_bookish, my mental health often feels like my biggest barrier too. It sounds like you have taken lots of steps to find connection online, and as you mentioned with the current state of the world, it can be a good option. 

For me, one of my biggest barriers was stigma. I was always really concerned about how other people feel about my mental health concerns, especially when I was having a hard day. It often meant withdrawing from social situations. 

Over time I have found community with friends who are also going through their own mental health concerns, and we support each other. It really came down to feeling my fear, and doing social activities any way. It didn't always work out, but when it did I found people that I really value who see me for me