Hi IMs,
I am a mumma who battles chronic illness every day. My level of severity means I cannot leave my home unless needed, I cannot spend much face to face time with people, I cannot hold down a job or study and I spend my energy on my kids with only some left over for myself sometimes. I am bed bound when my kids are at school.
I am posting here, because I am extremely lonely. I have joined Facebook groups for my illnesses, for many years but I still haven’t found anyone as severe as me or found a friendship. I even tried to create a chronic illness social group online with very little to no interaction. It has been 10 years of isolation and the struggles that come with chronic illness have resulted in friends and family walking away.
I feel so alone in the illness experience and so alone in having no friends or family. Not to mention being extremely bored but not able to do much! I am wondering if anyone has any ideas for finding some friends and anything I could do to occupy my mind? Keeping in mind that I’m minimally functioning.
Please be kind, as I’m accessing all avenues of NDIS help, medical treatments, and it is a physical disability not mental health (not that mental health is not valid or important, but it’s different to what I’m going through). Thank you.
6 Replies
Are there still visitors through somewhere like BaptistCare? I would be contacting my local church as well to see if they have a community visitors group as some do. There used to even be housebound library where members of the community would go and borrow books and deliver them. I would ring your local neighbourhood centre to see what they can offer.
I know you mentioned not mental health but sometimes it's kind of nice to talk to someone to avoid social isolation which long term can lead to Depression. If it were me I would be tempted to access NDIS for some counselling just as a kind of check in 🥰
Why limit yourself to finding friends suffering from a similar illness? Maybe try joining online groups around your interests and hobbies and get to know people through that
Do you happen to know where I can find hobby or interest groups that meet online? I would like to do this.
Not the commenter but I stumbled across a local book club which is all online. I would go to facebook and search for a local recommendations group. E.g. type in 'your location' and then 'recommendations'. If you post there, even anon, some locals may be able to help you 🥰
I feel so sad for you.
I get chronic migraines and it’s destroyed my life. I make up so many excuses for not going places because people think I’m just saying it for the hell of it. Roll my eyes at me if I tell them my heads in pain. I now hibernate away and deal with each day as it comes and get out side on the days I can. I hope you can find some friends close by.
Sorry to hear you struggle with this sort of thing too. Happy to chat anytime.