What's your support team look like?

Just curious -- do you ever take inventory and remind yourself of the social supports you have in place to help you? I often withdrawl and forget I even have additional supports at hand.

Also, additional question -- what is your one go-to coping skill when things get rough that helps you weather things?

For me it's the following:

My support system is rather simple: A therapist, a psychiatrist, family and a few friends. It includes also mental health forums (here). It's effective though and will hold me accountable and help me evaluate my overall needs.A case manager has been mentioned a few times but we haven't crossed that bridge quite yet.

As for my go-to coping skill? Honestly a walk in nature is the best way to help distract my mind. I naturally and anxious and pace, so taking it out into the world and allowing myself to vent, or process, or just distract, while walking is a great thing for me. If the weather doesn't permit -- pacing listening to music in my house does work as well.

What about you guys? I'm curious.

Here, my husband, pdoc and therapist.

My pdoc, my husband & sisters, to a lesser extent my daughter (since she's only 17). That's about it.

Myself, my daughter, my family, to a lesser extent my pdoc and therapist and people who live in my building. I miss my cat, he helped a lot.

I miss my cat dearly too. Kiki was such a good kitty. Emotional support for sure.

I'm in this program called Assertive Community Treatment so I have an ACT "team" where I mostly meet up with a case manager, therapist, and psychiatrist regularly and there are other people I can talk to (there's a med nurse I have to deal with but I wouldn't call her part of my "support" team she's quite stressful and scary, there are peer support specialists and a person to help with employment too, but I don't talk to any of them regularly unless they're doing medication management).

Other than professional services, I just moved about a month ago into a rent-assisted apartment targeted towards women who were homeless, escaping domestic violence, entering recovery, that kinda stuff, and we do a lot of group activities, there's a resident case worker who helps out, people who work with the local PD, and someone from a local DV treatment/support center (that kinda said "you're hopeless" to me when I was homeless and in an abusive relationship, so I don't go to their groups but it's ok) come by every so often.

I have a couple friends I struggle to keep a steady connection with, but I'm working on it.

Of course there's this forum too.

I always have my journal.

My go-to coping skill depends on what I need to cope with. If I'm getting overwhelmed with emotions, flashbacks, paranoia, racing thoughts, anything that has a lot of intensity really, and it's more "I'm getting into a crisis and need to de-escalate before someone (may or may not be myself) gets hurt" my best one is a cold shower. I forgot how effective they were and I took one this morning and it was instant relief.

If it's more the opposite and I'm just kinda fading into blah, I need to be more proactive and push myself to go outside and it helps to use some mindfulness skills at the same time.

My support system is my pdoc and you all.

My main coping mechanisms are getting outside for a walk (when the weather allows) and listening to music, especially my favorite band Citizen Soldier (all their songs are about different mental health topics). Occasionally, when manic or struggling with SI, I just go drive around for a bit and listen to music.

I have a psychiatrist and therapist that work in the same office/clinic. They share notes. I have my program manager as I live in supportive housing. And I have this forum and also a group of several long distance friends who also deal with mental health issues, I chat with on Snapchat everyday in a group chat and video chat and paint with sometimes too. We actually all met here on the forum like 10 years ago and have been friends ever since. I used to have a case manager but I graduated from that program several years ago.

Those are my biggest supports. My family is basically non existant. My dad never was in my life. My mom died from cancer when I was 22 and the only family I have left I ever really talk to once in a blue moon is my older sister and she’s not super supportive. I’m not in a relationship and have no one else really.

Oh and I can’t forget I have my two cats that I love so much. They mean a lot to me. And the kitties I work with at my volunteer job I feel are a form of support too in a way. The people in my building are pretty supportive I have some nice neighbors.

For things that help me when I’m struggling: art (painting, drawing), music, especially playing violin. Good creative outlets. Also journaling. I picked up that habit back when I was a teenager and inpatient in a hospital and have never stopped journaling ever since and I’m 30 now. Exercise. Getting out and taking a walk outside or getting on the treadmill. But the best is getting outside cause it gets me in sunlight and able to kind of sort through my thoughts as I walk. Reading is another thing that helps keep my general stress levels down. Oh and meditation is helpful too.

Husband, therapist, psychiatrist, friends, definitely NOT my parents or sister! Mostly I've just been listening to music. 🎶 Lots and LOTS of music therapy has been going on over here! Oh, and online "window" shopping for some reason. I don't know why.

I only have my therapist and pdoc, and this forum.

As for coping, there's not much, physically. I don't get pleasure from regular things like walking out listening to music, so if I engage in things like that, it's really just for show, it does nothing for me.

Hopefully that'll change.

I realized a lot of the time it’s not so much about adding pleasure, but about filling the time with something not self-destructive.

My wonderful mom and dad, my godparents, my friends from church, my friends in recovery, my friends online, my two best friends in New York, my special someone in California, and many groups and organizations I am involved in my town and in Raleigh.

Wow, I didn't realize before that's a lot, I often forget I have so much to be grateful for.