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Best Of
Re: Mental Health Awareness Week 2025
Three cheers for the Community!!
Hmm, Community matters because it gives people a chance to feel connections to others regardless of their personal situation, and connections like that can save lives and give people hope.
Community to me means safety in numbers, where as long as you have other people around then you can feel safe and unified knowing you have each others' backs
Top tips? Be yourself! Genuinely, people like it when they can see some of your personality. Whether it's how you type, the emojis you use, the references you make. It all brings something unique and personal to the Community and makes it feel authentic. Be open too! You may or see things you didn't know could even exist in people's lives, but it is someone else's reality and it deserves to be respected. It will make you feel more able to be honest too if you are open when speaking to others
Hmm, Community matters because it gives people a chance to feel connections to others regardless of their personal situation, and connections like that can save lives and give people hope.
Community to me means safety in numbers, where as long as you have other people around then you can feel safe and unified knowing you have each others' backs
Top tips? Be yourself! Genuinely, people like it when they can see some of your personality. Whether it's how you type, the emojis you use, the references you make. It all brings something unique and personal to the Community and makes it feel authentic. Be open too! You may or see things you didn't know could even exist in people's lives, but it is someone else's reality and it deserves to be respected. It will make you feel more able to be honest too if you are open when speaking to others
Leyla
5
Mental Health Awareness Week 2025
Hey Community!
You may or may not know that this week is Mental Health Awareness Week and this year's theme is "Community". Community is something which is at the absolute heart of everything that we do. Being a part of a community can make life feel a little bit less daunting, and feel like we are a part of something bigger. Each of you here at The Mix brings something valuable to this community, and this week is to celebrate you folks. Because without communities, there is no mental health.
During Mental Health Awareness Week we have launched our new website which was built and designed with the input of young people. You can meet the young people who helped build our new website here. It features a fresh new look and feel, accessible navigation, brand new opportunities for you to learn skills through our self-paced learning modules and more! Check out our article about our new website and it's new features here.
Being part of a safe, supportive community can make a huge difference to your mental health. It’s not about being popular or having thousands of social media followers; it's about feeling seen, heard and accepted by people who care.
So we want to hear from YOU!
Why does community matter? What does community mean to you? What are your top tips for building community?
Your answers to these questions don’t have to be about our Community spaces here at The Mix. They could be about your friendship group, school club, work or your online gaming buddies. Whatever community means to you we want to hear! Let us know down below.
Katie
3
Re: TW// gonna loose eventually
@Sian321 think I’ve hit some sort of burn out or smth, it happens every afternoon and now I’m sat waiting for class just wanting to curl up in a ball 
I’m safe
I’m safe
River
1
Re: Work meeting
@Invisible_me , I just want to add to the lovely comments here already posted to say it feels so positive that you allowed yourself to speak up and advocate for what you need here. I can imagine that took a lot of courage, and I hear how it feels daunting too to think about going into the meeting itself and the pressure of getting across what you want to say.
I agree with Shannon - I wonder whether it might feel helpful to write a few points down on a piece of paper so you have that as a reference in the meeting? Or perhaps you may even wish to send her an email ahead of the meeting to say, 'Hey, in our chat I'd really like to cover points X, Y, and Z - can you help us stay on track?' so that you can both hold the meeting agenda and it takes the pressure off your shoulders to lead.
We're rooting for you @Invisible_me , and I hope that no matter what happens within the meeting you can speak kindly to yourself. How have you been taking care of yourself in the run-up to the day?
I agree with Shannon - I wonder whether it might feel helpful to write a few points down on a piece of paper so you have that as a reference in the meeting? Or perhaps you may even wish to send her an email ahead of the meeting to say, 'Hey, in our chat I'd really like to cover points X, Y, and Z - can you help us stay on track?' so that you can both hold the meeting agenda and it takes the pressure off your shoulders to lead.
We're rooting for you @Invisible_me , and I hope that no matter what happens within the meeting you can speak kindly to yourself. How have you been taking care of yourself in the run-up to the day?
Sian321
1
Re: Work meeting
You’ve done really well reaching out it’s ok to ask for a 1 to 1 if that feels safer. Just be honest about what you need from the chat. You’re allowed to speak up for yourself. Please take care
Re: it's been a month and they won't leave me alone
@PunchThe_Internet , how are you feeling this afternoon? Thank you so much for sharing this post and for letting us into what's happening for you right now. What I'm hearing is that over the last month your experience of both these visual and auditory hallucinations has been intensifying, and that's felt really unsettling and sometimes guilt-inducing or terrifying for you because you feel watched and the hallucinations feel beyond your control too. I can imagine that being extreamly distressing, and you're doing so well to talk about this both here and with your therapist too.
May I ask, how has it been to explore these experiences within therapy? I wonder how listened to you have felt, and what your relationship with your therapist is like?
You mentioned towards the end of your post that you have been nine months clean without relapse, and I hear the amount of energy and focus this has taken at times. It sounds incredibly tough, particularly when you're being bombarded by such scary sensations and hallucinations. Can I ask - if you feel safe sharing - what might it look like if the hallucinations 'find you' or if a relapse happens? Over the last nine months, what would you say have felt like some of the most helpful tools for you in avoiding relapse, or finding regulation through other ways?
Again, thank you so much @shannon_164 for these helplines.
We're here with you to listen @PunchThe_Internet and appreciate your trust.
May I ask, how has it been to explore these experiences within therapy? I wonder how listened to you have felt, and what your relationship with your therapist is like?
You mentioned towards the end of your post that you have been nine months clean without relapse, and I hear the amount of energy and focus this has taken at times. It sounds incredibly tough, particularly when you're being bombarded by such scary sensations and hallucinations. Can I ask - if you feel safe sharing - what might it look like if the hallucinations 'find you' or if a relapse happens? Over the last nine months, what would you say have felt like some of the most helpful tools for you in avoiding relapse, or finding regulation through other ways?
Again, thank you so much @shannon_164 for these helplines.
We're here with you to listen @PunchThe_Internet and appreciate your trust.
Sian321
2
Re: TW// gonna loose eventually
Hey @Rose113 , thank you so much for this post and for opening up so honestly. We're listening, and I wonder how you're feeling today too? What has the end of this week been like?
I could really hear a sense of exhaustion from your message - of just how straining it is to feel this hypervigilence all of the time. For your nervous system to never ever feel truly safe. To be screaming on the inside yet others percieved you as the one who has it all together, the one who is there to be a 'therapist' for them. That sounds deeply lonely at times, and so much to carry and manage.
I wanted to ask how you are feeling about your ADHD, Autism, and impaired interception diagnoses? Recieving a diagnosis can bring up a lot of different feelings for different people, and I hear that for you its been hard re-configuring the way you think and feel about yourself too, maybe, esspecially when you had held the belief that you were 'a mess and broken.' That sounds like a lot to reconfigure and adjust to, which can also be overwhelming. How supported have you felt by your assessors?
I noticed you mentioned at the end of your post too that you feel there's a sense of inevitability about loosing your battle, but you judt don't know when. I hear you, and I hear how hopeless things can feel somtimes. How much of a fight it is day-to-day to cope. Can I ask how physically safe you are feeling right now?
Thank you so much too @shannon_164 for sharing those helplines.
We're here for you, Rose, and you're doing so well to talk about this aloud.
I could really hear a sense of exhaustion from your message - of just how straining it is to feel this hypervigilence all of the time. For your nervous system to never ever feel truly safe. To be screaming on the inside yet others percieved you as the one who has it all together, the one who is there to be a 'therapist' for them. That sounds deeply lonely at times, and so much to carry and manage.
I’m getting support by professionals but it’s so draining especially with now being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism and being told I have impaired interception I know they are there so I can get supported but it’s just hard especially with growing up thinking I was just a mess and broken. I’m trying but I just don’t know how long I can do this
I wanted to ask how you are feeling about your ADHD, Autism, and impaired interception diagnoses? Recieving a diagnosis can bring up a lot of different feelings for different people, and I hear that for you its been hard re-configuring the way you think and feel about yourself too, maybe, esspecially when you had held the belief that you were 'a mess and broken.' That sounds like a lot to reconfigure and adjust to, which can also be overwhelming. How supported have you felt by your assessors?
I noticed you mentioned at the end of your post too that you feel there's a sense of inevitability about loosing your battle, but you judt don't know when. I hear you, and I hear how hopeless things can feel somtimes. How much of a fight it is day-to-day to cope. Can I ask how physically safe you are feeling right now?
Thank you so much too @shannon_164 for sharing those helplines.
We're here for you, Rose, and you're doing so well to talk about this aloud.
Sian321
1
Re: Direct Messaging (DMs)
@Katie thank you - that’s good to know. They all just disappeared with all my old DMs (good luck to them I had hundreds of threads hahaha)
Can't sleep
I was going to talk about this on support chat tonight but it was unfortunately cancelled which is ok, it happens. Anyway Im struggling to sleep atm , also I’ve been struggling to get up and face the day, often feeling overwhelmed. Every time I try to move forward and leave my failures behind, something happens that pulls me back. I was supposed to have an interview today for an internship that helps place people in work, but now it's looking unlikely because something needed updating and I’m not relying on it. This is what I mean. Just when things seem okay, they fall apart. I had my first placement assessment and thought it was a good chance, but my interview answers were too short. I waited so long for another shot, then ended up late for the recent placement. That’s on me, just silly mistakes, but it feels like I keep getting held back. I’ve tried to sort out backup plans, like having a placement assessment session, but I also had a potential backup plan doing domestic steam cleaning. Unfortunately, the company decided they didn’t want to go ahead with it. I know I’ll get there, but I’ve been stuck in this uncertainty for so long. I wake up feeling overwhelmed when I should feel refreshed. I’m also losing sleep, and my stress shows up in bad dreams.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been focusing on personal growth and developing a better mindset. It’s been an extremely long road, and while it’s been tough, I’ve come to understand that it’s okay not to land my dream job right away and that starting somewhere is normal. I’ve struggled at times, but I keep moving forward despite the overwhelming moments. I’ve worked on reducing inappropriate jokes and taking responsibility for my actions, and I’ve also tackled old habits, like drinking daily, which I’ve now reduced to weekends, maybe reducing it more. Career efforts haven’t always worked out, but I’ve kept trying, even when things haven’t gone as planned. While stress and uncertainty are constant, I remain hopeful and determined to reach my goals, including finding a job, getting a new car, owning a home, and traveling more. I know the first step is securing a job, and though it’s challenging, I’ll continue to push through with support, hoping that everything will come together gradually.
It is just a long road just the big steps like big changes of securing that role. It's just a tough process, it often keeps me up like this at night and really overwhelmed during the day too. I do feel like A LOT what I have done is nothing, not at all enough because of not making that big step of getting secured in employment and I'm not at where others are are at, I know its not a race and I'm on my own journey but I struggle despite that.
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been focusing on personal growth and developing a better mindset. It’s been an extremely long road, and while it’s been tough, I’ve come to understand that it’s okay not to land my dream job right away and that starting somewhere is normal. I’ve struggled at times, but I keep moving forward despite the overwhelming moments. I’ve worked on reducing inappropriate jokes and taking responsibility for my actions, and I’ve also tackled old habits, like drinking daily, which I’ve now reduced to weekends, maybe reducing it more. Career efforts haven’t always worked out, but I’ve kept trying, even when things haven’t gone as planned. While stress and uncertainty are constant, I remain hopeful and determined to reach my goals, including finding a job, getting a new car, owning a home, and traveling more. I know the first step is securing a job, and though it’s challenging, I’ll continue to push through with support, hoping that everything will come together gradually.
It is just a long road just the big steps like big changes of securing that role. It's just a tough process, it often keeps me up like this at night and really overwhelmed during the day too. I do feel like A LOT what I have done is nothing, not at all enough because of not making that big step of getting secured in employment and I'm not at where others are are at, I know its not a race and I'm on my own journey but I struggle despite that.