A sense of belonging

Hi folks,

I would like to say something about the sense of belonging that we get from being in a support forum.

Lots of us will remember what it was like trying to fit in with regular people, while all the time we are having these 'different' feelings of panic, mood changes, all that stuff. People would blame us for our behaviour, and the only time any of my childhood friends talked about 'panic' was when they were strapped into a fairground ride! (and even then they were enjoying it)

All the credibility, at school, socially, in the workplace, everywhere, was about being cool and calm, and being a winner. There was no place in the vocabulary for the experiences we share here at PC.

Over the last year, I have read so many posts, about all sorts of experiences, and emotional and psychological problems that we deal with, and I have understood pretty much every one. It is a familiar landscape.

Regular people think that this landscape is all frightening, and one 3d friend said "why do you go to a depression forum, that'll just make you more depressed." He was so wrong, and he was talking the distancing talk of regular people.

When we already have the symptoms, there is nothing frightening at all in finding a community that can reflect them as a common struggle.

Above all else, I would say that the sharing of common experiences is a most powerful tonic for us sufferers and long may we continue to share.

Cheers, M

i agree with you 100%........for the longest time i was pretty much an observer at PC....tried to be of support when i thought i could..but just lately i've needed that "place to belong" and PC has filled that need wonderfully.....such a comfort to be understood......

What a great post. I think you captured the essence very well!

gg

Yes Myzen, I too agree with your post. I think having a sense of belonging is so very important for us. We struggle everyday and most of us feel so alone in our struggle. It is nice to come here and see and feel that we are not alone. We have a place to turn for support. I have made so many wonderful friends here, including you. I am so grateful for that. We, "PC" as a whole are truely lucky to have this place and eachother. I am so thankful.

Thanks for this post.


Love,


Jen

we view it like family at times. sometimes family drives us nuts. sometimes family is the glue that keeps us from shattering. and sometimes family just is.

kinda like PC.

For me, there's no greater place to find understanding and get some of my emotional needs met. "Strangers" here have stood by me and supported me when my own family members have chosen to put distance between themselves and "my reality." Sometimes I seriously wonder who lives in the real world; me or them. This place has been my life-line many times.

too all!

What this site has done for me (even though I am not online much any more) is made me realize that I am not alone. I am not crazy. I met people who understand how I feel and what I am going through, and they listened... still do... when no one else around me will listen or hear what I am really saying. People here don't tell me to suck it in and act like nothing is wrong. They don't tell me to just get over it or move on or grow up or cheer up. That, to me, is priceless.

Myzen,

I believe what you have written captures the very essence of all that is PC. Thank you for sharing this with us. This place is home. These members are my friends and family.

Jan

Myzen,
I noticed that you started her 3 days before I did last year....I am a very slow starter in anything I am interested in getting involved in....I usually don't just dive in but need to get to get my feet wet first to see if it might be a possibility first. However sometimes you don't really know until you get involved either. I know I had a large block of time when I was going through my Mothers illness & the trauma with the ID theft. Looking back, I wonder if I had gotten more involved initially, I might have been able to handle the situation differently......oh here goes my "WHAT IF" again.

I must admit looking back at my posts during that time, that this place has really grown on me & my feeling of belonging has also been growing. I never imagined that there could be a place like this where I could read experieces that others are going through & realize that it is a mirror of what I have gone through & am going through. I never was good at writing down things....& thinking would allow things to slip out of my mind & get lost in the mess of everyday life. It is kind of a good feeling when something I have gone through can help someone who is going through a similar situation......& the amount of information about new feelings that I have been experiencing to help me understand myself better is valued beyond what words can express.

This is truly a wonderful forum to be a member of at any level of belonging that is comfortable.

Debbie