I know you both don't know me all that well, and you don't know Zoe that well, but we have both walked very similar paths to you.
@Former-Member I was working as a nurse 3 years ago, but I was also presenting to hospital by ambulance every couple of weeks for SA or SH. I eventually got barred from working at that hospital as the nurses complained that surely I couldn't be trusted and quite likely my work performance was suffering. I am inclined to disagree, because work was the one thing that kept me going.
The loss of my work was devastating, and has continued to have impacts to this day. The many months and years after that were very troubled and dark, and life was extremely difficult on many fronts.
I had a flatmate not paying her rent, so I was paying the full amount on a private and struggling on Newstart. I was only left with about $30 or 40 a fortnight to live on. When my flatmate was finally evicted, she owed me over $3000, and I discovered close to that time that she had stolen a debit card of mine (that had about $400 but it was in case of money) many months before while I was in hospital. It has only been in the last couple of years that things have improved, but it's still very much up and down. I SH a couple of weeks ago for the first time in about nine months.
And my SI has also returned. I am fortunate that I have a good support network, both personally and professionally. But the mental health service support has been rocky on many occasions, and I have been neglected, abandoned and ridiculed on many an occasion by those who should have helped me.
I am telling you both this not because I want you to feel sorry for me, but to tell you little by little, step by step, you can move forward. Sometimes you go backwards a little, but gradually you start making ground. These are very tough times for you both, but don't give up. Whatever hope you have, even if it is the tiniest thing you have to hold onto, hold onto tight to that. Don't let it go. Because life is worth living, you are worth being here and there is a reason you are here.
@Lee82
