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How do others cope? I feel like I'm on verge of complete breakdown

Panda70

Hi all, I'm in Newcastle upon Tyne and have Crohns, ehlers danlos syndrome, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and hypothyroidism. I'm 46 and returned early from work in Feb. I feel totally isolated and need to find a support group in my area, I lost alot of "friends" due to having to cancel plans, my family don't help, my dla was stopped when I applied for pip so money is none existent, I have an appeal going ahead with citizens advice bureau helping my case, but generally I'm struggling to come to terms with my new life of illness, I'm mourning my previous busy, career driven, socialising life, how do others cope, I feel like I'm on verge of complete breakdown, SOS anyone,

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Comments

JenniferU

Hi @Panda70, welcome to the community.

Really sorry to hear you're having such a hard time. I'm sure you can find lots of like-minded people on here who can give you some support. Have a look around the discussions and start some of your own too. https://community.scope.org.uk/categories/disabled-people

I'm originally from Newcastle but I'm afraid I'm not sure of local services, although I'm sure that @DebbieVoakes can help and also advise on benefits as she's a superstar in that area.

Best wishes
Jen

htlcy

Hi Panda70. I'm really sorry to hear you're feeling this way. There's a wealth of support groups online as well as this forum, which may be of use to you. I have made life-long friends online, and they can be a really good way to connect. Perhaps try facebook or twitter? In my area there are courses to help with adapting to disability and chronic illness, which includes the emotional side of things. It might be worth checking out if something like that exists, so maybe try asking your GP. Remember that your mental health is incredibly important, and don't hesitate to get in contact with your GP if you feel something may help. I have several mental illnesses and physical problems, and counselling helped me work through some of the frustrations I have. Really hoping that you get somewhere and that you start to feel better soon. Please take care of yourself and don't hesitate to post on here and ask anything that may be useful.

Heather

Fredegonde

May God bless and help you.

Debbie_Alumni

Hi Panda70,

Sorry for the late reply! Gosh you're really going through it at the moment aren't you! I saw your other posts about your benefits and I will respond to them as soon as I can.
I agree with Heather above about the emotional side of things. Often we put so much into keeping our physical self well that we neglect our mental health. Our mental health is just as important and is just as prone to illness as the rest of the body, particularly in times of great pressure and stress. It sounds as though you would benefit from talking to someone about all of this so I agree with Heather that you should have a chat with your GP and see if you can get some local counselling.

You may have lost friends but this just means that now you have room to make new ones

There's an organisation called Disability North in Newcastle and you can find out more about them on their website, they could be another useful contact for you http://www.disabilitynorth.org.uk/index.html

If you would like to talk on the phone or want to email me, please feel free to get in touch with me at the helpline.

Best wishes
Debbie