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rav3n

about 12 hours ago

Wind-down Wednesdays

Welcome to Wind-down Wednesdays where we work through a new grounding or soothing tool on every second Wednesday! 🌺 The purpose of this thread is To learn more about various grounding/soothing strategies (can add them into your self-care toolbox) To understand why we do it and how it works in calming us down To create a safe space for members to visit whenever they need to wind down and catch their breath. You can work on the strategy by yourself here, or tag community members to join you (please be mindful of our guidelines - remember that members may not always respond immediately, and let’s not place pressure on others to respond) Promote self-care and self-reliance in regulating your emotions! Got a grounding tool/soothing strategy you’d like to share on this thread? Email us (team@saneforums.org) to let us know and we’ll save you a Wednesday slot! 😊   The first grounding tool we’ll be exploring is the 3-3-3 technique. 3-3-3: Name 3 things you see: scan the space around you. For each item you identify, really focus on the details of it – what colour is it? Is it heavy or light? Big or small? What’s the texture of the object? Name 3 things you hear: what are some sounds near you or far from you, are they soft or loud? Listen closely to identify them. Move 3 parts of your body: it can be light or dramatic movements such as slowly rolling your shoulders, clenching and unclenching your fists, wiggling your fingers and toes, jumping up and down, shaking your wrists, etc.   So how does this work? Well, when we’re feeling anxious and overwhelmed, it can sometimes trigger a stress response where our body’s fight-flight-freeze system is activated, which you can learn more about here: The Four 'F' Trauma Responses - SANE Forums. This system is typically activated when our body identifies a physical threat, our body enters a heightened state of arousal to help survive – this can look like increased heart rate, increased muscle tension, decreased appetite, etc. When our anxious thoughts keep activating this heightened state of arousal, it can lead to a very dysregulated nervous system where our bodies keep reacting out of proportion to the threat, making it hard to calm down. Moving our focus from internal things (like anxious thoughts/feelings) to external things (like what we can see/hear), helps us slow things down and calm the stress response. It gives our body a chance to focus on things that it perceived as non-threatening (i.e. identifying a cup or a bird flying around), which gives our body a chance to slowly calm down. Practicing grounding techniques regularly can help regulate the nervous system with time. For more information, feel free to read this article: 3-3-3 Rule for Anxiety: How to Use, Scientific Basis, Other Coping Strategies Now let’s give it a go! Feel free to share the 3 things you saw, heard and the 3 body parts you moved – and any other reflections you’d like to add. 

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rav3n

about 22 hours ago

Name Our Community Newsletter!

Hey everyone! 💗 Our EOI for the forums newsletter is now closed. If you’ve expressed interest to us, you would’ve received an email already – if you haven’t, please let us know. Thank you to everyone who’s put their hand up for this round, we’re so excited for this project and keen to see everyone's pieces!! For anyone who missed out, don’t worry – there’ll be more opportunities when we do future newsletters! Now onto our next stage… deciding on a title for the newsletter! The forums newsletter is: a recovery-focused space for the SANE Forums community, created by the SANE Forums community and we’d like a title that really encompasses those 2 values. If you have a title you’d like to suggest for consideration, please post it below – the posted title with the most likes (and that meets the criteria above) by July 18th 2025 will be chosen for the newsletter! Looking forward to seeing everyone's ideas!! ✍️

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Jynx

9 days ago

~ Pride Month - Final Week: Dreaming of a Queer Utopia ~

Pride Month isn’t just about looking back—it’s also about imagining forward.  So let’s get dreamy, radical, and bold!    What would a Queer utopia look like to you?  Forget the limits of what “seems possible” for right now. In your ideal world:  How would people treat one another?  What would love, gender, or relationships look like?  How would community spaces feel?  What would laws, work, healthcare, or education look like if they were built by and for LGBTQIA+ people?  What wouldn’t exist anymore?  Whether your queer utopia is full of rainbows in windows and genderless stars, or simply a world where nobody has to explain who they are—we want to hear it!    Feel free to write a short story, post a list, share a drawing, or even drop three words that capture your queer dream world. Get creative!    Let’s build something beautiful together  😊🌈   Contributed by @RiverSeal @0ddsidian  @Jynx and @Aegis    You can find our other Pride Month posts here: Happy Pride 2025 Queer Joy! Trans & Gender Diverse Mad Pride (By @Appleblossom )   Tagging our previous contributors, with some special thanks to you all for helping us to make Pride Month so special this year!! @MissinTooth @Cuddlebear @Captain24 @Till23 @Appleblossom @The-red-centaur @Glisten @Patches59 @Shaz51 @ale_inmelb @Bow 

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RiverSeal

4 days ago

Hearing voices and psychosis 🗯️

Hey Forums friends,   If you are like me and you have experienced hearing voices and maybe even had a psychotic episode, then this is a thread to share your experiences and have discussions!   I have shared some of my story and recovery journey here in responding to Members, and I also did the Lived Experience of Hearing Voices Webinar in late 2024, and the Topic Tuesday, Living a Meaningful Life with Schizophrenia, in mid-2022. My mental health experience is hearing voices and experiencing delusions. I have had many psychotic episodes and been on the mental health ward many times, diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2016 after 9 years of misdiagnosis (Borderline Personality Disorder with drug-induced psychosis), been on the DSP, and I am an NDIS participant. In 2017, I started studying at TAFE and I now have 6 qualifications in NDIS, Community Services, Alcohol and Other Drugs, Sexual Violence and Mental Health Peer Work. I work with people who experience complex mental health, AOD, and gender identity issues and use my lived experience to provide peer support.   Most of the challenges I have experienced happened over 9 years, from 2007 to 2016, when I started experiencing psychotic episodes and presenting to ED at least 9 times, resulting in 7 hospital mental health ward admissions. However, in late 2001, I was overseas and had a breakdown which led to AOD misuse, unstable housing and extremely heightened emotions for 1 year until I returned to Melbourne. On my return to Melbourne, I misused AOD, and even though I worked several jobs to get by, I was experiencing many other life challenges, anxiety, and depression. As a result of my first psychotic episode in 2007, I lost my long-term girlfriend, career, job, I put on a lot of weight from the antipsychotics, started smoking and lost my fitness, lost my passion for mountain biking, swimming and the gym and had to go bankrupt. In 2009, after my second psychotic episode, I mostly gave up misusing AOD and started working with a. psychiatrist and taking my antipsychotic as prescribed, but was not very engaged in my treatment as I believed the alternate reality that was my voices and delusions.   In 2016, I had a turning point in my life and started my recovery journey with what at the time seemed like an insurmountable challenge. I had my diagnosis changed from BPD with drug-induced psychosis to schizophrenia, and I thought that my life was over. I only knew the stigma and discrimination that I had heard, and I thought that if I had schizophrenia, I was not in a good position to put it politely. I went home and looked up schizophrenia online, and I immediately identified with the diagnosis as it sounded like someone had written about my life. I literally thought that if I could sit on a couch and watch TV, that was what I expected I could do for the rest of my life, if I was lucky. Somewhere deep inside me I was not willing to accept this and I engaged with my treating team, researched everything I could find about schizophrenia, watched endless YouTube videos on other people and recovery stories, took my medication as prescribed and made countless mistakes trying to find a way to exist in the loneliness and isolation that was my life living interstate from my family and having been abandoned by people I used to call friends.   My recovery journey from that place I was not willing to accept feels like wading through water, not knowing what direction the shore is in, how far it is, or how long it will take to get there. I’m still not there, and I believe I will be in recovery for the rest of my life. Along the way, I have met some people who supported me, believed in me and gave me opportunities. I have also had even some of the same people and others say the cruellest and most insensitive things, holding me back by not accepting that I am creating a new life that is meaningful and purposeful. I learned that I truly need to believe in myself and my abilities, hone in on my values and beliefs, and never accept less than what I deserve. Recovery is so hard and so challenging, and to walk the recovery journey path, you just need to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward, and it will reveal what is uniquely your experience.     As you might be able to imagine, over 20 + years, there were many challenging situations, not to mention that I was also trying to process my gender identity, as I identify as a transgender woman. This is really just in a nutshell to keep it from being an essay, so please ask questions and be curious if there is anything that you want to understand more deeply!   Let’s create some discussion, and here are some questions (but not limited to) to get us started:   What are some of the challenges you are facing in your recovery?   What supports, services and resources do you regularly engage with in your recovery?   What does recovery look like to you?   What have you learned in recovery that may support another Member?   We also want to hear about your experiences, so if you feel comfortable, please share your story, your challenges and what you have learned!   We all have it within ourselves to live a meaningful and fulfilling life with or without symptoms    RiverSeal ❤️   Just tagging in some Members who may be interested in this thread!!   @Egonza @Patchworks @maddison @Millielulu @TAB @A0ri021 @LW1969 @Elisena @Judi9877 @Eve7 @StuF @Meredyth49 @DIDJane @Dk5 @MissRenae08  @MeerkatMonsta @Hope @recovery @Libra @Cleo2 @Jaybee12321 @sol_87  @Paperdaisy @MDT @boofhead73 @Anon1975 @Bunniekins @Hemlock @Krishna  @Dimity @Dreamy @Eden @creative_writer     

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Ru-bee

14 days ago

Upcoming Webinar: The Hidden Impact of Military Service on Families of Veterans

Join us for a special community webinar.    💡 Topic: The Hidden Impact of Military Service on Families of Veterans 🗓️ When: Wednesday 9 July, 7-8 pm (AEST)  🎙️Featuring: Ruth Clare, award-winning author and speaker  In this FREE 60-minute webinar, Ruth Clare, author of Enemy and renowned lived experience speaker, will explore the often-unseen impacts of military trauma on the families of veterans.    This webinar will explore:  Personal stories and reflections from Ruth’s journey growing up in a veteran household  The emotional and psychological effects of military trauma on children and partners  Links between PTSD, domestic violence, parenting and relationship challenges, and alcohol use  The impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and why supporting children of veterans is essential  Tools and strategies Ruth found most effective for her healing journey    Includes community Q&A.    About Ruth Clare  Ruth Clare is the award-winning author of Enemy, a memoir about growing up as the child of a Vietnam veteran. She is also a TEDx and keynote speaker, qualified scientist, coach, and copywriter. Her work combines compelling storytelling, research, and practical tools to support others facing trauma to create thriving lives. Her TEDx talk, The Pain of Hiding Your True Self, has reached over half a million viewers, and her next two books, Beyond Fight Flight Freeze Fawn and Turn Fear into Courage, will be published this year.    Register for this FREE community event HERE https://sane-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ff0JIq5iSJW2bjHg9TSaZg     After registering, you'll receive a confirmation email with webinar access details.     We hope to see you there!   SANE Forums Team  

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RiverSeal

17 days ago

Trans & Gender Diverse - Pride Month 🏳️‍⚧️

Hey Forumities   I have been around on the forums for a while now, so some of you may know my story already. I identify as a transgender woman, use they/them pronouns and am bisexual. My journey started later in life, and I socially transitioned in November 2023 after taking HRT for several years. I just love how my life has changed for the better and how I have grown and developed since I transitioned. It’s truly been life-changing, and it’s soooo good living as my authentic self ⚧️   So, for Week 3 of Pride Month 2025, I wanted to open a discussion about recognising people who are trans and gender diverse (TGD) in the LGBTIQA+ community and spaces where we are celebrated and welcomed with open arms. We all live in different parts of the country, some in cities and some regionally, and rurally, so let’s put our collective minds together and celebrate our spaces!!     Where have you been as a person who identifies as TGD where you felt welcome?   Where have you seen flags, stickers and posters welcoming people who are TGD into spaces?   Remember to post within the Guidelines 🙂   I know of some spaces, so let’s start the discussion with these:   Inner West Pride Centre – NSW https://twenty10.org.au/about/iwpc/ Qtopia – NSW https://qtopiasydney.com.au/ Victorian Pride Centre – Vic https://pridecentre.org.au/         Let’s celebrate our diversity and be as visible as we feel comfortable 🏳️‍⚧️   RiverSeal   Tagging Members who contributed to the discussions in Pride Month so far! (Week 1 by @Jynx  & Week 2 by @0ddsidian)   @Jynx @0ddsidian @Dreamy @MissinTooth @Cuddlebear @Captain24 @Appleblossom @Till23 @The-red-centaur @Glisten @Patches59 @Shaz51 @ale_inmelb @Bow 

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Ru-bee

22 days ago

How to Create a SANE Forums Account

Hello! For those who are interested in the SANE forums, maybe you have spent some time taking a look around and reading threads and are now wondering how to get involved, here’s a quick guide for how to sign up and sign in to the SANE forums. Let’s start with an overview of why you might like to sign up: The SANE forums are a free, anonymous space to access peer to peer support, and is accessible 24/7 on any device They are moderated by mental health professionals for safety and support Open to adults in Australia living with mental health issues, their families, friends, and carers How to Start an Account Go to the SANE Forums Website: saneforums.org    Register for an Account Click “Sign up” to create an account. Fill in the registration form: Create a unique username (do not use your real name or a name that might be otherwise identifiable for privacy) Provide a valid email address and basic personal information Set a secure password Agree to the Terms & Conditions and Community Guidelines Don’t forget to click “Sign up” Confirm Your Email Check your email inbox for a confirmation message (don’t forget to check your junk folder too!) Click the link in the email to activate your account. How to Log In Return to saneforums.org Click “Log In” Enter Your Username and Password Use the details you created during registration. Access the Forums Once logged in, you can: Read and join discussions Post questions or comments Connect with others for support Some extra notes: You can browse and read forum posts without registering, but you must create an account to post or interact. SANE Forums are anonymous and moderated 24/7 to ensure safety and privacy. Only one account per person is allowed, and you must be over 18 and living in Australia. If you have trouble registering or logging in, visit the site’s help section or contact SANE Support Services. Safety Note:SANE Forums are not a crisis service. If you need urgent help, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or emergency services (000).

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rav3n

23 days ago

SANE'S INNOVATE RAP - What does reconciliation look like in our community?

Hey Forumites!!✨ A few weeks ago, the SANE Team attended a conference where @RachSANECEO shared SANE’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which now we get to share with you! You can check out our Journey to Reconciliation, and read all about SANE’s Innovate RAP. To summarise, our goal for the next 3 years is to: End mental health inequality through systemic change Eliminate stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion We recognise the deep and lasting impact colonisation has had—and continues to have—on the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. With many of the people we support living in regional, rural, and remote areas, developing an Innovate RAP is a meaningful step in advancing our vision and strengthening our commitment to genuine reconciliation.  We want our forums community involved in this step with us – we want you all to reflect on what reconciliation and closing the gap looks like for you.   Here’s our 2 questions to the forums community: What does reconciliation mean or look like to you? Show us by sharing photos or artworks (make sure to follow the guidelines when posting), or feel free to create your own artwork!As seen on the RAP (and presented below), ‘Heal the People’ by Kelly Marie Taylor is an artwork that incorporates symbols to express her journey. We’ve copied below some symbols you can use when creating your own art piece (and feel free to google some more symbols).   What’s one way you’re thinking about engaging with reconciliation moving forward? Feel free to also share meaningful ways you’ve engaged in the past and what you’ve learnt from those experiences.   We look forward to seeing everyone’s contributions 💖

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AuntGlow

4 days ago

✨Sunday Intention Setting✨

Hello lovely people, I have been reflecting on some ways we can support you all through our recovery-oriented way of connecting on the forums, and thought that creating a weekly intention setting/reflection conversation could be really helpful. 🥰 Intention-setting can allow us to more mindfully focus our attention onto the things we would like to explore more of (without too much pressure!). And when we do so within community, it can help us to feel more supported as we go about exploring new habits and ideas. Now, this isn't about showing up perfectly or reaching all of our 'goals' overnight, but rather, exploring what is possible, what we enjoy, and how we can feel more safely connected to ourselves.  So, what will this look like exactly? 1. Set your intention for the week. For example, I am going to practice allowing myself 5 minutes a day to slow down. 2. Reflect. You can do this throughout the week via your notes app, a journal, or here on the forums. *Notice what feels good, what doesn't, and why.  3. Share the following Sunday. Let us know what you were able to explore and what came up for you/if you have any questions or need some support.  Remember - there is no right or wrong! It's so fine if all you did was hold the intention in the back of your mind - change takes time. I would love you all to have fun with this and to explore things from a place of curiosity and compassion. 💛 And... go! @Dreamy @MissinTooth @Bow @Shaz51 @Captain24 @creative_writer @avant-garde @Oaktree @ENKELI @Dimity @Semly @Appleblossom @MJG017 @Sunnyside226 @Blackcloud @PeppyPatti @Till23  @Jynx @tyme @Ru-bee @rav3n @RiverSeal 

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0ddsidian

25 days ago

Queer Joy! - Pride Week 2

Hello Forums friends, For those who haven’t met me, I’m 0ddsidian (with a zero, instead of the letter 'O'). I’m a background character here within the Forums. I am also a proud demi-pansexual woman and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. For Week 2 of Pride Month, I’d love to flag the concept of “Queer Joy”. In THIS article, Queer Joy is described as “self-acceptance, community, power, and the vibrant celebration of identity” for LGBTQIA+ people 🌈   For me, Queer Joy really does link to the joy I feel in connecting with people in the rainbow community. It’s also about the way I express myself; through art, writing, language, music and my appearance (check out my Pride nails!) 💅   I’d love to know… What does “Queer Joy” mean to you? How do you express “Queer Joy”? Share the (queer) joy with us! Tagging people from the week 1 Pride thread (which you can find HERE) @Jynx @RiverSeal @Dreamy @MissinTooth @Cuddlebear @Captain24 @Appleblossom @Till23 @The-red-centaur @Glisten @Patches59 @Shaz51 @ale_inmelb

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Jynx

26 days ago

How To: Recovery Focused Posting

Hi there SANE Forums Fam!     This how-to guide was designed to help you post to the forums and create safety for yourself and others when talking about those tough topics, such as suicidal ideation and self-harm related thoughts and urges.    We hope that this guide will help you to share safely about thoughts of suicide and self-harm, and seek support from others who understand what you are going through.      What is recovery focused posting?    When we talk about posting in a way that is recovery-oriented or recovery focused, we are encouraging posting in a way that protects both you, and the community. We let the community know what we need, so that it means even on the tough days, we are all here to support each other's safety and well-being.    What it is -  a way to communicate our needs so we can get the right support all about keeping the community safe  a way for us all to keep working on building our resilience and capacity What it isn't -  about banning or forbidding discussion of the difficult topics a requirement to 'always be positive' or to pretend we're feeling okay when we're not a restriction on sharing big, dark, or difficult feelings Having a 'recovery focus' is all about highlighting our needs, what's worked for us before, and what may or may not be helpful for us now. It helps reduce confusion and concern, helps reduce anxiety for members reading along, and reduces the risk of us triggering or getting triggered. It can even be empowering for us, in helping us learn to identify our support and recovery needs and practice communicating them to the people around us.    Here are some examples of ways we can make our posts recovery focused:       For many members and readers here on the SANE Forums, thoughts of suicide and struggles with self-harm are a common part of their mental health or life journey. It's often difficult to talk about these topics, so we want folks to feel like they can be open about what they're going through - without the risk of accidentally encouraging each others rumination or risky behaviours.   If you are thinking about suicide, reaching out for support and talking about it is an important step to make sure that you get the right help when you need it most. The forums offers a judgement-free space to express ourselves, and we want to continue to encourage people to feel safe in sharing their story here. Creating a safe community starts with how we use our language.   Safe language is important because:   It allows others to feel capable and comfortable with providing us with support.   It can protect others from common triggers and help someone else who is sitting with thoughts of suicide too.   How we talk about suicide in the Forums is important for you, and for your fellow community members.      Before you post to the Forums    The SANE Forums are a peer support community where most of the support is provided by peers. This makes it a great place to seek support from others who understand what you are going through.    It's important to note though, the SANE Forums cannot provide crisis support. We have put together some questions you can ask yourself before posting to work out whether it’s the SANE Forums or a crisis service that might be the best option for you in the moment (adapted from the Chatsafe online resource).    Where is the right place/service for me to ensure I get the right help at the right time? If you are thinking about suicide, it’s important to get the right help at the right time.     We have a flow chart to help you decide where the right place or service might be for you to seek help. This includes when it is okay to post to the SANE Forums, or when crisis services or emergency support might be the best avenue get the support you need.        As a peer-to-peer support service, the SANE Forums can’t provide crisis support   This is because:  Most of the peer support that is offered across the forums comes from other members just like you. In a crisis, or when you are feeling unsafe, it is important that help comes from people who are trained to provide crisis support.  The nature of online forums mean that replies aren’t instant. This means you may not get the help exactly when you need it.  We do have Moderators and Peer Support Workers online 24/7 to monitor posts and offer support when needed, but the nature of forums means we can’t always be as responsive as you might need in a crisis. That’s where phone or webchat crisis supports are a good option to get timely support.   Language can be ambiguous or interpreted in different ways in online, which is why when we are concerned that someone might be thinking about suicide, we check in via post or email, and refer to crisis support  What am I hoping to get out of sharing my story? (aka: my purpose and needs)    People talk about experiences of suicide for many reasons. This includes seeking help and support for thoughts of suicide, to raise awareness, or to support another person who might be going through something similar. There are lots of different reasons. Understanding your reason/purpose will help you work out the right avenue to meet your needs.     What parts of my story am I comfortable to share and how will I feel when I share? (aka: my privacy and wellbeing)   We all have different boundaries around how much of ourselves and our story we feel comfortable to share in a public space.    Ensuring you feel safe to share when talking about thoughts of suicide is important, whether that is in an online space, a private space (eg: with a counsellor or mental health professional), or with a trusted person in our lives.       How can I write my story in a way that ensures I get the support I need AND is safe for others reading?   Think about how you would write your story and whether you are in a space to be able to write in a way that is safe for all to read.     We have some tips to help you do this. You can also look at our Community Guidelines.   How can I write about thoughts of suicide safely?    Let the community know that you are safe:  If you are posting about suicide, and are safe, then include that in your post.  For example: “I have been coping with thoughts of suicide, but I am safe. I am looking for support from my peers”;“Today has been really difficult, and I don’t know if I can keep doing this, but I am safe tonight and will reach out to a helpline if I feel I need to”  or; “I am someone who lives with thoughts of suicide each day, but if they get worse tonight I will go for a walk and speak with a friend. I am safe for now” If you aren’t feeling safe, it’s time to log off the forums and access crisis support.    Use safe language:  Our words have power, and it’s important that we use trauma safe language when talking about suicide on the forums. By trauma safe language, we mean language that is not graphic, upsetting or triggering for others to read. This includes staying away from graphic detail including means or plans, and making sure you are clear and direct about your current safety.   Use trigger warnings:  Help other forum members make an informed decision about whether to read on by including a trigger warning.  You might add TW: mentions suicide in your title, or include Trigger warning: mentions thoughts of suicide in the first line of your post.  Avoid mentioning methods of suicide:  Many members of the forums may have experience of suicidal thoughts, feelings or behaviours, and might be triggered, upset or impacted by mentions of methods.   Instead, remove the methods of suicide and replace with more general statements such as “I think about action to end my life”, or “I have had thoughts of methods before”. You can still get your story across without listing the method.    Let the community know what support you are looking for/what you need:  You know what you need best, and letting others know means they can provide more effective support to you when you need it most.     For example:  “I just need someone to sit with me right now”, “I would like some suggestions” or, “I need some distraction”    I often hear Moderators/Peer Workers ask the question “Are you feeling safe for now?”. What does it mean?    If we have reason to believe that you might be thinking about suicide, we will check in to see how you are feeling, and whether you are currently thinking about suicide.  You may hear us ask if you are safe, but safety can mean many things, so let’s define what we mean in the context of suicide.     “Are you safe for now?”:  If we are concerned that you might be thinking about suicide, we will ask you if you are safe for now. What we mean is, are you planning to act on thoughts of suicide now?    "I am safe for now":  If you are safe for now, we will encourage you to reach out and seek peer support through the forums. There are a lot of other people here sitting with thoughts of suicide too who know what it’s like to take steps towards safety.     For many people, thoughts of suicide can be ongoing, so we may ask a few times as safety might change from hour to hour, or day to day. That’s why we say safety for now, as we are trying to understand your immediate safety and offer appropriate support.     This is especially important in public online spaces where we don’t have the same communication options as we would in real life settings.     It can be really helpful to have a safety plan prepared for times when you might have thoughts of suicide, which will help you take steps to seek help or safety. Beyondnow is a great online tool to help you build a safety plan.    "I am not able to stay safe":  If you tell us you are not able to stay safe, we will ask you to confirm if you are planning to end your life and if you have a plan. This will happen off the forums and via email.     If you aren't able to or aren't sure that you can stay safe, this is when it is time to step off the forums and access immediate crisis support. In an emergency, the best place to seek help is to call 000, or go to your local emergency department.     As a mental health service, SANE can be a safe space to share if you are feeling unsafe, and we will get emergency help to you.    As mandatory reporters, if a forum member tells us or indicates that they are in serious and imminent risk of harm, including planning to end their life now, then we do contact emergency services. This is an important part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of those who access our services.     Mandatory reporting is (as the name suggests) mandatory by law, which ensures that every health service, including SANE, are looking out for the safety and wellbeing of the people we support.      When might Moderators, Community Managers or Peer Support Workers step in?   The SANE Forums team may step in when a post breaches our safety guidelines, and could impact the safety of the person posting or the wellbeing of those reading.     We will remove or edit posts that mention or imply: A person intends to end their life, or doesn’t confirm safety in a way that could be upsetting for those reading. This includes where there are ambiguous mentions or inferences to suicide without confirming safety.  Methods of suicide or self harm  Graphic descriptions    Check out the suggestions earlier in this post to help you stay within the guidelines.  We will email members to:  Check in to see if a member is safe for now and offer referrals to crisis support  Check in with others who may have been upset by something they have read on the forums  Let members know if a post is removed or edited Offer suggestions of how to bring posts back in line with the guidelines  Let a member know if we are involving emergency services, if doing so doesn't put the person at further risk of harm SANE has a responsibility to keep the Forums safe for everyone. This means that there may be times we will need to make tough decisions to remove a post, email you about the guidelines, or pause an account.     If we are concerned about your safety, we want to make sure you have access to crisis services, and we will refer to options such as:  National crisis services such as Lifeline (13 11 14)  and Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467). You can find a list of crisis services at the top of every page on the SANE Forums.  000 in an emergency  SANE’s other support services  Other services specific to your situation (eg: 1800Respect, BlueKnot, Mensline…)   Summary Here are the key points:  It’s important we can talk about topics like suicide and self-harm here on the forums  How we talk about suicide is key to creating safety for the person posting, and those reading  Using safe language, trigger warnings and letting the community know you are safe, and what you need, can help ensure you get the help you deserve, while also looking out for the community  SANE staff may reach out to ask if you are safe and offer referrals to crisis supports. We may also remove posts that breach our safety guidelines around talking about suicide  If you are unsafe and at imminent and serious risk of harm, we are required by law to get emergency help to you  Thanks for reading along folks 😊

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0
Jynx

26 days ago

Happy Pride 2025!!!

  HIYA FORUMS FAM, IT'S YA BOY JYNXY, HERE TO QUEER UP YOUR LIVES THIS PRIDE MONTH!!    This month's theme is 'Love, Respect, Empower'.  I got maaaaad love and respect for my community, and boy oh boy do I wanna help empower them!    Each week this month we are gonna kick off some discussions, and hopefully facilitate some lovely connections amongst the queer community here on the SANE Forums 😊   So for our first discussion topic, we are gonna chat about queer connections!!    How do you connect to the Rainbow Community? What has been your experience of queer connectedness? The good, the bad, and the in-between?    Tagging a few folks I've chatted to about queerness, or who have jumped into queer threads in the past - but please do feel free to tag anyone else who you think would wanna get involved!!    @Oaktree @wellwellwellnez @Shaz51  @Eden1919 @The-red-centaur @MissinTooth @Till23 @Appleblossom @Adge @outlander @eth @Captain24     

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66
tyme

3 months ago

Coping with Grief

Grief is a natural human emotion that can arise from loss. Whether it be the loss of a loved one, an opportunity, a job, a possession, your health, a pet or anything else.  Whilst the feelings that come with grief can be painful, it is important to make space for these feelings. Pushing them down, pushing them away, or pretending that these feelings don't exist may in fact do more harm than good. It may inhibit the healing process, cause the grief to manifest as physical symptoms, or you may feel a lack of control over your emotions. So what are some tips for grieving? According to Griefline, here are some tips for grieving: 1) Seek Help and Comfort from Others 2) Take Care of Your Mental, Emotional and Physical Health 3) Continue the Bond with Your Loved One While Coming to Accept That They Have Gone 4) Establish Safety and Build Self-empowerment 5) Gain a Better Understanding of Yourself and a Healthy Future Outlook  We encourage you to read about the above tips here: https://griefline.org.au/resources/coping-with-grief/   As a Community: - What have you found helps with grief? - Are there any experiences of grief you'd like to share?  

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35
Paralyzed

2 months ago

What your nervous system would say about living in Functional Freeze!

Hello to all Sane community members,   I hope life is being kind to you and that you are well. It is a little after 5am and I am wide awake, after an unfortunate relapase but I am doing okay. I was scrolling through instagram and I came across this post and wow, did it hit home for me. I know a lot about functional freeze but I have never quite read anything so informative and so true, about what it is like to be me. I had to draft the post into a word document for furture reference and I thought I would share it. I relate to every single word the author has written about the freeze response and its devastating long term effects on the mind, body and soul!!   What your nervous system would say about living in functional freeze:   I can't be rushed to change. This feels like too much pressure. But when you meet me with patience instead of frustration. When you offer atonement instead of force. When you stop trying to 'fix' me & learn to listen. That's when I'll soften. That's when l'll begin to trust that it's finally safe to feel alive again. The numbness, the heaviness, the emotions that seem to come out of nowhere, this is the stored energy asking to get unstuck, move through and be transmuted. I'm not trying to pull you backward, even though it might seem this way. I'm trying to find a way to bring us back to balance. I don't do this to punish you. I do this because, for so long, this was the only way to get through overwhelm. But the survival energy & trauma cycles never had the chance to move through me. And now they're waiting for the right time to be sensed and completed. Staying functional no matter what came at a price. That's why these days, joy feels distant. Why rest doesn't restore you. Why it's easier to think than to feel. Why you crave closeness but struggle to let it in. Because even though you're not in the past anymore, I'm still holding onto it. So, I helped you push it down. I made sure you could function no matter what was happening inside. And now, those around you might see or even admire your strength and resilience but they don't see what it cost you. I made you look calm, capable, and composed-because you had to be. This way, you became exceptional at solving problems, at carrying on, at doing what was expected. Not because you were always okay, but because for me this was the only way to help you survive. So I froze. To help you move forward, I numbed the parts of you that were hurt. I disconnected you from your body to protect you from overwhelm. I gave all my energy to keep you functional. And I buried everything you couldn't make sense of and process deep inside. You grew up in confusion. The people and communities who were supposed to make you feel safe also caused you harm. Love and relationships felt unpredictable. Connection came with a cost. I couldn't let you feel it all. Feeling it all would have been too much for the younger version of you. I know you wonder why you feel disconnected and far away from yourself. Why you can do all the 'right' things— work, socialize, take care of others-but still feel numb, exhausted, like you're just going through the motions. It's not because you're broken. It's because / had to protect you. If your nervous system could speak to you, this is what it would say about being stuck in freeze after trauma:   Be kind to yourself, and others. Stay safe and take care.    P 🤗

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12
avant-garde

25 days ago

Women's health (TW)

Hello fellow forum dwellers,   I had no idea where to put this or what to call it but I think it needs a space... (so yes feel free to edit or move, but I don't think I've breached any guidelines @Ru-bee @rav3n @tyme not sure who else)   This is a place where you can talk all things specific to the female reproductive system or body... Periods Cervical Screening Tests (new name for pap smears)  Menopause Hormones Fertility issues ---------------------------------------------------- So here I'll go first    I'm due for a cervical screening test and I'm booked in for about 12 hours from now... They have these home kits but I can't be on my own after so I opted to have a female doctor do it, that and to check something else out... I can't even handle tampons without completely being triggered... let alone anything remotely medical!  Yeah I'm scared... There's a library next door almost and so after I'm going to either start a new sheet on my spreadsheet for the upcoming election or work on my photobook project... as a way to settle... and probably play bubble shooter...  

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110
rav3n

4 months ago

Roots & Resilience – Mental Health through Cultural Lens

Hello fellow forumites! 👋   As a daughter to first gen immigrants, I've found it difficult (and still do at times) to find my identity and navigate what it means to be brought up in a western world while also being ethnically South Asian. And then you throw mental health into the mix, and sometimes there's different challenges to face (i.e. language barriers, lack of cultural understanding, intergenerational trauma, religious and cultural stereotypes/discrimination, etc).    From the discussions I’ve had with others from multicultural backgrounds, a lot of us tend to share this feeling of ‘conflict’, where something in the western world may be viewed in one way but culturally, it may be the opposite – and sometimes dealing with cultural clashes on our own can be difficult. So, this thread here is a space for us to feel less alone and share things that have helped us feel more empowered in our mental health journeys. Even if you yourself haven't experienced any cultural clashes or challenges, feel free to engage - maybe there's a media representation that opened your eyes to mental health from a multicultural lens? or maybe you know someone who's overcome some cultural hurdles in their journey?    You’re all welcome to share any thoughts you have but in case you're stuck, here's a few prompts to get you started: What’s helped you deal with cultural stigmas when reaching out for support and/or talking about mental health? Share a quote/piece of advice/story that’s been impactful in your recovery journey. What are some books/movies/tv shows/celebrity stories/any other type of CALD representation that’s helped you feel seen or inspired?

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21
RachSANECEO

4 months ago

We did it! SANE secures 3 year funding for forums and guided recovery

Hi SANE Community  It is my absolute pleasure and privilege to be able to share with you that SANE has successfully won sustainable funding to continue to deliver these forums and expand our guided recovery program to open to ALL postcode regions in Australia from 1 July.  I can’t even begin to describe the effort over the past four years that has gone into this and the enormous team effort behind the scenes, there have been times in the last four years where I have been genuinely worried about whether we would succeed and felt the huge weight of responsibility to you all to make sure your community would continue.  I am so, so thrilled to share that we did it - and this week Minister Mark Butler MP and Assistant Minister Emma McBride announced $27.3 million in funding to continue and expand nationally SANE’s digital mental health support for people and families with complex mental health needs.   

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18
MJG017

about 2 months ago

The Sane Cattery: Because normal is overrated

Welcome to The Sane Cattery, the totally rational, completely normal place where we - totally sane humans - gather to admire our feline overlords. This is a judgment-free zone (unless your cat is the one doing the judging, which, let’s be honest, they always are). Feel free to share photos of your majestic moggies, chaotic kitties, and everything in between. Whether they’re plotting world domination, defying the laws of physics, or simply loafing like sentient bread, we want to see them. Because nothing says "sane" like dedicating an entire discussion to our tiny, furry dictators.@tyme @avant-garde @Ru-bee @Former-Member  Allow me to begin...Here is our oldest, Roughy who is 9. Ryker, who is 7.  Trying to convince himself he still fits in this thing like a glove! And the latest edition, Luna (14 weeks)...and another one of Luna, 'cause she's so damn cute.  I have been instructed to say that she was in no way stuck, and was just testing my responsiveness. 

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85
Jynx

3 days ago

Newbie's Social Club - Come make some friends!

Hey Forumites!!    This is a space for members new and old, to gather around and help make our newer members feel welcome!    We've all been newbies ourselves at some point, and can empathise with how incredibly daunting it can be entering a new space. A lot of folks have trouble even knowing where to start, and (even though we're in the midst of improving it all) we know the forums can be a tricky space to navigate - which can make it very difficult for newbies to be able to find their footing! On top of that, joining any established community means being 'the new kid on the block', and seeing others connecting easily with established relationships can sometimes feel like we aren't welcome, or that we need to 'break in' to the conversation somehow.    Well this space aims to alleviate that pressure and help facilitate some new connections! Whether you're brand new here or you've been here since the very beginning, you're welcome to come hang out, meet some new people, reconnect with others, and maybe even make a new friend!   We will try to tag new members as they join, so help us make them feel welcome!  Here's today's newest forumites: @noodles1  @IndigOverwhelm  @Sam63  @Sosad01  @jsbpd  @JJll  @Andora  @riotgrrl  @HopeEverlasting  @Bellle    Feel free to tell us a little about yourself, what brought you to the forums, and what you're looking for here!   Tagging in our lovely bunch of Community Guides too! They're seasoned members who volunteer their time and energy towards making the forums a safe and welcoming place for everyone. We wouldn't have the community we do without their efforts and their passion! Feel free to reach out to them, they're always quite happy to help guide and support 😊 @Anastasia @BPDSurvivor @Eve7 @Faith-and-Hope @MDT @Judi9877 @outlander @Shaz51 @Snowie @wellwellwellnez @Zoe7     

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1,283
Daisydreamer

12 days ago

Welcome! Introduce yourself here 🙂

New here? Welcome to the SANE Forums! We are so happy you found us and have joined our wonderful community. There are lots of people here like you, who can understand what you might be going through and offer valuable peer support.     You may see members reaching out to share their stories, asking questions about mental health, looking for others who get it, seeking support and offering support. We hope you find this a supportive and welcoming space to be.    We want to get to know you, and introduce you to other members of the SANE Community.    To get started, you can simply post here by clicking "reply" to introduce yourself and a fun fact or two about you.    Or, you can introduce yourself to the community by starting a new discussion thread! How to do that you ask? Follow the below steps to create your first post.   Click back into the Welcome & Getting Started topic area Click the ‘New Discussion’ Button Type in a subject title Enter your post (there are some helpful tips on how you can introduce yourself below) Then click post! You may see our Peer Support Workers welcoming new members in this space, so please reach out if you have any questions, or if we can help you get started 🙂 We are always happy to help! To reach us, @moderator or email us at team@saneforums.org. We look forward to getting to chatting soon

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SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.

SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

Back to top
SANE logo
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care NSQDMH Accreditation logo

Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.

Donate Now
National Standards for Mental Health Services - IHCA Certified
Aboriginal flag
Torres Strait Islander flag
LGBT flag
Transgender flag

SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.

SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.

SANE is a public company limited by guarantee and registered tax-exempt charity with DGR (Deductible Gift Recipient) status.

Charity ABN 92 006 533 606. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. SANE, PO Box 1226, Carlton VIC 3053.