Enjoy this encouraging and inspiring post from our volunteer Community Correspondent Laura, sharing some valuable online resources which have helped her throughout her recovery journey. Just a note that the organisations or pages mentioned are not designed for dealing with crisis situations. If you require urgent help please refer to these NHS numbers and resources.
We have all heard that saying, “just keeping my head above water”. I completely resonate with this when it comes to my own finances. With an avalanche of reasons completely out of my control. You or the main bread winner in your household becomes sick. Job loss, bereavement, invisible illness, episodes of poor mental health.
It is like a suffocating weight. Spiralling further outcomes of added pressures. I pause here for a minute. Take a breath. My head feels like its in a spin. You many well have experienced depression, anxiety, panic attacks too. You feel everything is just coming at you. One thing after another.
Despite the waves, throughout my life journey I’ve always supported others and tried to offer resources and peer support to help myself and others through. You could say I have a business savvy and solution focussed hypervigilance which stems from trauma. My survivor instinct has served me my whole life, like many of you out there. You are not alone. I know you think you are. But tell yourself this,
“I need to keep going. I will grown, flourish, learn things that I never thought I could. I am enough.”
As part of my advocacy mission, eight years ago I created #TheWellbeingSignpost Facebook group. Here I post information and share support on anything relating to stopping stigma and shame, offering a space for peer support. These past two years I’ve seen a massive increase of support needed and I feel very honoured that people can – and do – reach out privately to me.
I also recently found a group called Renfrewshire Helping Those in Need run by Amanda and Jade McDonald. Amanda and Jade are just two of the most inspiring people that walk this earth. In their own time they run this absolutely life changing community group for everyone. No shame or stigma at all (which is refreshing and no mean feat in this current climate!). Visit their Facebook group to find out more.
Within this group I share anything wellbeing related that offers support on all aspects of mental health. I do this from home because of issues with my own health. Through social media I see first-hand the inspiring, lifesaving support. Unfortunately, one of the main symptoms brought forward is suicide ideation where you feel helpless and blinded by despair. Your mind doesn’t reason and goes offline. The work these selfless volunteers do to reach out to people!
They are offering their lived experience to address isolation. To help build your self-esteem and support networks. Proper real life skills. Those skills that we pass to each other. Allowing trust, love, hope and glimmers to guide you through. To reach your goals and improve your situation. We are all different. Nobody’s story is the same, but we all have common goals. Be kind to yourself. Pause for a moment and affirm to yourself,
“I am no longer alone”
Another Renfrewshire based resource I can recommend is the LEAP Project who have a plethora of information to support your wellbeing.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read this. To find more encouragement you can simply follow #TheWellbeingSignpost. Put the hashtag into your search engine and you will see a whole host of support. If you are group or community wishing me to share your services simply comment on this post and we can discuss how I may be able to support.
I advocate for peer support and all things mental health, wellbeing and Adverse Childhood Experiences. I receive no payment for the work that I do. I’m self-managing and discovering. I’m just a devoted volunteer who loves to collaborate in providing safe and supportive information so that we can ALL live life by my motto,
“We all deserve a life to thrive and not just survive”.
With Love, hope and glimmers,
Laura x
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