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Branching Out (Quietly). Hello from TheQuietOak!

Deleted User

Hello from TheQuietOak! (Currently Navigating the Labyrinth of Mental Health Services)

Hey everyone! Figured it was time to introduce myself. I'm TheQuietOak, and if my username doesn't give it away, I'm a big fan of all things nature – think quiet forests, wild winds on the water (windsurfing is my jam!), and getting a good grip on a climbing wall. Basically, if it involves fresh air, a bit of an adrenaline kick, or just me and my bike, I'm probably there. The gym is also a happy place, mainly because it's one of the few spots where I don't have to decipher human small talk.

On a slightly less sunny note, I've been wrestling with my mental health lately, and let's just say my current dance with the Community Mental Health Team feels less like a waltz and more like a wrestling match with a very stubborn octopus. It's been a bit of a battle trying to get support that actually fits how my autistic brain works (apparently, "text-only communication" is still a mythical beast in some kingdoms!).

So, I'm here seeking some understanding, shared laughs, and maybe a few tips on surviving the system without losing my sense of humour (or my mind!). Looking forward to connecting with you all – quietly, of course.

Parents

  • Hello and welcome to the forum TheQuietOak.

    I like your name; TheQuietOak branching out is a wonderful analogy. 

    Many of us here have had engagements and disengagements with the Community Mental Health Team; in my case several. 

    I am quite an outdoor type, although in a more restrained fashion than I used to be when younger. I enjoy walking in nature and I am lucky to have countryside and sea at close hand. I try to keep up to date with material culture archaeology and I am researching religion and beliefs in ancient Mesopotamia and the surrounding area.

  • in reply to ArchaeC

    I also live in the countryside by the sea, not sure I could be away from it now. I grew up in Africa and spent many years as a kid in the desert in Egypt looking for stuff, I've got some cool arrowheads, bones and stuff. Did you ever find the CMHT to be helpful? I'm worried they will make me feel worse. Thanks for replying.

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  • in reply to ArchaeC

    I also live in the countryside by the sea, not sure I could be away from it now. I grew up in Africa and spent many years as a kid in the desert in Egypt looking for stuff, I've got some cool arrowheads, bones and stuff. Did you ever find the CMHT to be helpful? I'm worried they will make me feel worse. Thanks for replying.

Children
  • in reply to Deleted User

    Your early life sounds idyllic. I would have loved to spend time in the desert searching for stuff, all that sifting sand revealing things.

    CMHT was helpful up to a point, in the sense of being a supportive presence in times of crisis, and in encouraging me to take active steps to improve my mental health through short courses on mindfulness and self esteem. The last engagement with the service did not help me at all because much as I wanted to feel better, I couldn’t face going through much the same thing again. It felt pointless and I didn’t have the energy for it.

    Cognitive Behaviour Therapy has been helpful, and since my ASD diagnosis seven months ago,  I have adapted the techniques to suit my autistic self and work on long held guilt. I’m happy enough working alone with that for now.

    I didn’t know I was autistic when I was engaging with CMHT, so maybe things would have worked better for me if I had known and if the CMHT members had been qualified to work with autistic adults.  Since diagnosis, my mental health has improved because I don’t feel so guilty over past and present behaviours. I don’t think my engagements have harmed me. In hindsight they have validated me indirectly,  because now I am more aware of what doesn’t work and I have more space to focus on what might be helpful in my life.  

    It sounds like you are self aware and can communicate the needs of your autistic brain to CMHT, so I hope they will will become open to working in a way that suits you.