Introductions

[Oaktree]

@Slipper 

Thanks for your introduction. My psychologist thinks I have ADHD but I am not officially diagnosed. I asked my public psychiatrist about it but they don’t diagnose ADHD there. I will just assume I have it. 

I had trauma in my childhood as well. That is something that I am working on now with my psychologist. 

How far into your course are you? Are you enjoying it? I have found it a bit challenging so far with quite intense feelings of wanting to quit a couple of times. At the moment I am starting to stress out about some role plays that we have coming up. I usually do ok so I dont know why I am stressed. Anyway once we finish this term we don’t have much longer left to go. Just next term and 4 weeks the following term and then prac. We finish early December. 

I am passionate about helping people to make their own choices in their treatment and helping services to treat people with the dignity they deserve. I think there is a lot of good that Lived Experience can do in the mental health sector. I would also like to get involved in advocacy.

[Boots2Glutes]

Nice to meet you! Thank you for sharing. It is hard when we go through the ADF recruitment and training (with a feeling of this is me now) and have this massive idea of our life being set out, and moving towards a certain trajectory then comes to a complete stop, and we have to re-orientate towards other avenues. I have found solace in acknowledging my service as a part of my life but not as my whole being. I learned a lot, had some good experiences and some really difficult ones (trauma included).. my anxiety attacks are still very prevalent however, I try not to discount the "butterfly effect".. if I didn't go through all of that, would I have met my amazing wife? Would I be living in my home? Would I be here writing this comment?..

It's very difficult for me, but I try to stay present as I can only change today. 

thank you for your service!

[TAB]

Funny,I thought was a dift 'intro' thread just woke from a basic training dream okay 45 years ago , but they still crop up sometimes.I was17when joined. My Father was a tank gunner in German Army on Russian front like last2 years of WW2. found out not long before he died his father was in German Navy in WWI. older brother was a a gun number in Ares arty, younger brother went to army like 10 years after me, transferred  to RAAF after afew years and just finished like 40 years service.I forced my way thru 3 year enlistment. in those days was either 3 or 6 , not 4 or whenever yr sick of it lol

I got through basic somehow after nearly being put back a week.slacked off completely at IETs, failed first course; never ironed greens, got charged for hair too long, rarely did PT as always had medical thing to cover it. was sent to psych and offered a discharge,but stayed in for some reason. managed to pull things together a bit more and spent a few years in posting before getting out. Never should have signed up. I lied on questionaires etc. Guess just glad I didnt sign up again  lol.

Never married, no kids, went to public service, did a trade after that, went to uni after that(never settled down really) Ended up in mines like 15 years ago. some good times. lots bad.didnt make my fortune lol. now body is broken, am early 60s living in small house in country that was bought with inheritance. Cant get pension, not worked last 3 years now. tried retraining (certIV TAE) got me nowhere so far so work . Brother did 40 years between RAAFand Army put me onto blanket no fault MH white card they invented in 2019, took years of going to GPs and meeting blank stares and not getting anywhere to RSL put me onto one, now getting free exercise sessions w physio thru DVA. its something, plus seen psych a few times

@Oaktree @Boots2Glutes @Slipper @Magpie22 @Breakfast68 

[Slipper]

Thanks @Oaktree at the very least we're quirky. And I am sorry that you experienced trauma when you were young as well.

On the course, I started it this year and will finish it at the end of the year. And am doing it ("full-time" which doesn't feel like full-time) online via TAFE NSW. That said, I am finding some of the assignments difficult, because I tend to overthink them. While some pressing issues that have come up, combined with a small amount of procrastination. Have seen me being behind in handing some of them in on time. Although I am working on fixing that this weekend and over the next few days.

Otherwise I am finding it quite inspirational and I really appreciate my classmates in what they are bringing to the course as well, since I am also learning from them as well.

Funnily enough I felt like a bit of an imposter, in that I am on this path mostly because of my experience from the carer side of things, so I was worried that my presence within my class group might be unwelcome. I was so worried about it, I talked to the teaching staff about it, with them making it clear that a lot of my lived experience was from the side of being actively involved as a carer in that space. Anyway they assured me that I was on the course because of my lived experience so I have carried on.

Also on you feeling like quitting, although I don't know you, I really hope you don't. Since, I am sure that you have so much to bring in helping others, as you are bringing here. Plus I hope you get into advocacy as well.

[Slipper]

Hey there, @Boots2Glutes it's nice to meet you. And I feel the same way on would I be here now doing what I am doing. Since if it weren't for some of the things that have gone wrong for me, I wouldn't be with my wife today either, and I feel fortunate for being with her as well.

[Slipper]

Hi @TAB it's also nice to meet you. And I feared being back-squaded on recruit course as well, they threatened me with it at one point but it didn't happen.

I can also relate to the not settling down in many ways, my employment history is quite varied and I attempted some other courses which I didn't manage to finish. Although I did end up being married with kids on two occasions, the first time being a self-inflicted "shotgun" wedding when I was 19 (which was short-lived), the second time I was 28 and no pregnancies were involved that time.

And I feel you on the body being broken. That said, I never worked in mines, although a lot of men on my mother's side have. Including one of my uncles, who was also in the Army as well who worked in mines in England before he came to Australia, then was in mines again in Australia after he was in the ARA.

I also hope you're doing okay, because what you're going through is hard? That said, I am glad you have got some help through DVA as well.

Anyway I've got to get back to some assessment tasks. So, I will say bye for now, and I hope you have a good evening.

[Oaktree]

Hi @Boots2Glutes 

Everything we do and have been through have led us to where we are now so none of it is wasted. It can be a big shift though thinking our lives would be one way but then that is taken away from us. It sounds like you have a good attitude about things.

[TAB]

assessment tasks ? @Slipper nice to meet you too and have a good evening

[Oaktree]

@TAB 

@Slipper Is doing the same course as me. Cert IV in Mental Health Peer Work 

[TAB]

ohh okay. @Oaktree  thanks @Oaktree