Hello, this is kind of similar to some other messages that have been posted but I really wanted to see if anyone could give me any advice.  I am about 80% well and bored out of my brain!  I also live on my own and lately I've been spending time moping around, which is not a good idea.  I really need some more things to do to get me out of the house and ward off depression. 

 

I'm doing a vocational course from home in my own time but finding it quite difficult so I'm starting to anticipate it lasting longer than I'd hoped, when I thought I could move things along, and start working from home, sooner so that is getting me down.  Last academic term, things were a bit easier because I did a couple of short computer courses at my local university, but these have now finished and, though I looked through adult education brochures and so on, I just couldn't find any courses this term that I was interested in. 

 

So all I really do regularly is yoga, t’ai chi and my ‘direct payments’ helper takes me swimming once a week.  I don't have much of a social life due to problems meeting people, although I did put a message on that website I told you about before, ‘Gum Tree’, in my local area section and had a few people contact me, so I’ve arranged for as all to meet up for the first time at the weekend (scary!).  I hope something might come of that.

 

I feel on the brink of being ready for part-time work but am not quite there yet, because I would need to take a 15 minute break every hour or even 45 minutes depending on the work and - I could be wrong but I don't imagine any employer would be willing to accommodate that.  I have just been to my local volunteering centre and they have passed my details on to a few organisations who need receptionists to do short shifts.  I think I may be able to manage this kind of work but can't say I'm thrilled at the idea, it just seems to be better than nothing! 

 

So I'm wondering if anyone else has been in this situation and what they did - was there a particular type of voluntary work you did or organisation you joined that you ended up really enjoying, did you set up your own project or group or was there any other way you managed to cope with not quite being well enough to work?  I was looking at the website morsbags.com, about setting up a group to make cotton shopping bags to give to people to encourage them not to use plastic ones, and I thought that seemed like quite a fun idea.

 

Any other suggestions most welcome!

 

(to reply please e-mail network@wellies.me.uk and your message will be forwarded, or you can also do so on the website by adding a comment)

A friend mentioned this network to me and it sounds like an excellent idea. I have just come off incapacity benefit after being ill with ME for 11 years and have started 17 hours a week of work and have also started a relationship at the same time! I am overwhelmed both with my ability to do things I haven't done for so long and never thought I'd do again - and also finding my anxiety -particularly about work, is a problem. I think I've taken on too much work and will probably cut back a bit in January. It is hard to get the balance right. I am also shocked at how awful every benefits/ tax credits department has been and the amount of time I am spending trying to sort out housing benefit, DLA and tax credits and back to work grant is crazy.

By the way - CBT was what worked for me - 10 sessions privately spread over 6 months changed my life completely.

I've been "on the up" now for about 10 months, and whilst this is fantastic, I have come accross different problems than those encountered when ill and sometimes felt a bit lonely. What you wrote about living with one foot in the well
world and one foot in the ill world is exactly the same phrase that I have been using, and is sometimes not easy to balance.

Id love to contact people who are recovering as this is just the stage I am at!Having been severely affected for 3plus yrs,I had Reverse Therapy and am now much much better,though still needing to pace and still living with one foot in the well world as you say!