Tomorrow (now nearly Ancient History - Xmas that is, not me)

TBBD will be Open For Business As Usual on Xmas Day and my thoughts are with all of us who can't be with those whom we want to be with, etc.

And for those of you who do enjoy Xmas (I've heard such oddities exist) then, Have a Cracker of a Day and don't be affraid to say 'Hey, its been a good day' - 'cos misery aint compulsory, tomorra or any other day.

Take Care all of You and a Very Merry Bah Humbug Indeed

Paddy.

Thanks Mr Quinn

I know my boys are looking forward to christmas morning - thank heavens for flybuys & the ben 10 and bakugon games they have!

Thanks Paddy. I would like to add that I hope the day goes well for everyone who is part of our TBBD family. I'll be thinking of you all when I'm with my 'other' family. We have a small and low-key pot- luck celebration lunch at my Mum's place this year. For the rest of the day I am spending time with my man. We'll probably go for a walk on the beach or something similar. To you all, take care of yourselves, and be kind to you. Thankyou for allowing me to be a part of your lives and also for letting me have a place where I feel accepted and supported. Hugs to you all, Love Becks.

Merry Xmas, You Lot.

Take care and remember to be gentle with yourselves and to save some trifle for me, please. Yum, thanks.

Merry Xmas and a very Safe and Happy New Year to everyone here in our TBBD Family.

Thank You so much for being part of 'us' here. It means a lot to me.

Paddy.

Dear Paddy

Ain't it a bitch.

The early hours of Christmas morning and here's me a Registered Mental Health Nurse reaching out for help and thank God you're here.

I hate Christmas too and I am lonely so is my husband and we've been in beautiful NZ for 10 years and don't have any friends. Isn't that pathetic.

Thanks for this opportunity to just reach out to someone else somewhere even if its in cyberspace

hey Maritine,

If you were in Auckland, i would come and see you!!!

I know Christmas can be awful for people, but try and make the best use of the lovely weather and surroundings,

Hell go all out and shout yourself and icecream!

The simple things can make the day special,

Take care my new 'cyberfriend' ok?

Hi Guys, Hope everyones day is going ok. am not really into saying merry christmas, I find it a very depressing time.

Been thinking about it, not in any great depth, but, thinking, it is overated. How much of it all is simply rather competitive. Bigger tree, bigger toys more expensive blah blah.

Then those silly enough to have taken part in that kind of activity end up in finacial woe......
I am not saying all do this

You know, it all kind of reminds me, when I was a kid, id see the adds for cigarettes in books, all sitting round a pool etc, all with large smiles on there faces......yeah right, I took the habit up.......It never made me sit in groups with a silly big grin on my face. I have seen so many die because of it, Thank god I no longer do it.

Im trying to say to Martine that I think many people are in a large family, or group type situation, and, really rather wishing they werent.

Its put the pressure on.
Many families tend to have a few 'issues' that really do never get ended, so its like people smiling outwardly, inwardly grimacing....and to me, if its like that, hey, better off not there, family or otherwise.
Some people just simply would rather have a quieter time, but go in the feeling of being obligated, again, not how it should be. Just my take.

You know how many rows etc happen this time of year.

Also, you know the old thing, you can be in a full room, but still feel alone.....

I do think on the whole, we tend to feel we have to be full on one hundred percent of the time, and I think a lot of people do that as show, and that makes others feel thats what we have to do,

STUFF THAT I SAY!!!! be who you are, do what makes YOU happy. Yeah I know, I come here cos of depression, but I have a wonderful councellor who tells me, just do what you can do comfortably.

About having no friends, nor do I.....and lets be very honest, how many people do have TRUE friends, I think so many people are so superficial... and thats not the kind of person I would want, I would rather have no one.

Well, Im prattling, enough of my point view about it all.

Just try enjoy all the special things about your partner and your life, house surroundings that you do love, and dont worry about the externals, thats what usually gives us all the grief.

XO

It may be prattling but I for one am pleased you are.I have been on this road for only about 5-6 weeks and while I am feeling better days like today where the expectation on me being normal are way to much. My husband has been laying the guilts on me about returning to work and am I aware of the financial pressure me being of is causing us! He has gone of to the beach with two of our children after bitching about me not wanting to do things any more---"Come on babe have a swim ..its not fun without you...you used to"! Ahhh I am so sick of him belittleing me. I wonder why I bother.

Tonight we are of to the in laws for tea.Oh yeah ha...NOT. I wonder if they would notice if I didnt show.Days like today I just want to leave.

Oh well tommorow is another day. My mums coming down today.She was going to come yesterday but changed her plans.I think she is nervous to be down here.I am actually feeling nervous about her coming...silly aye

OH well just for today aye.

The Good News is, its over half done already, is Today.

Haha Today, 'cos WE ARE going to beatchya. 'K, it may not be a bundle of laughs, but we'll have the Last One, pffft. Roll on Midnite.

Nah hang on, 'cos then its Boxing Day and I can't go to the Bike street racing at the Wanganui Cemetary Circuit. Bah Humbug to Boxing Day too.

Ah well, maybe they will show a wee bit on the TV3 News (cos its the only channel I get - go on, you try doing mental illness 'n broked backs 'n long days and longer nights with only One TV Channel - I dare ya to, just for a week - its not as entertaining as it sounds, especially if one does not watch soaps, supercops or medical drama.)

Bah Humbug to piss poor TV Reception, too.

Roll on 2010, whoopee.

Paddy

ok guys,

well, I'm going to say that my day has been ok, yesterday my doc increased my meds (oh yay) but I am not going to let that bother me, nope not today,

And my boys don't like the lollies in their santa sacks, but bah, that won't foil my day either.

The sun is shining, the family is smiling this year, and I am not 6 feet under - something I thought I would be, by now, this time last year! And that is thanks to my super husband (aka peter) and this site, I have managed to tell people about what is happening (aka deep depression), and managed to get the help I needed which stopped me from doing other things to make sure mylife was no more.

Besides, it would be to damp, cold and dirty 6 feet under brrr...

So whilst I was angry with the world this time last year, and everything was dire, this year - whilst the same pressures are there, things are better - well they feel better.

If you are having a crap day, please hold onto that thing called hope like I did, and it might all become clear, one day....maybe.... and know that you do make a difference to the world, even a smile to a stranger makes a difference,

(for all the people not having a good day)

Well I thought Christmas would be good this year, boy was I wrong. I had an awful day so hope next year is better. I hope the rest of you had a better day than I did. Take care.

Merry Xmas one and all

I hope you all survived the day with a smile despite the stress!

Well I had a good xmas luch. Then went round to a mates for drinks and they had a major domestic which I ended up mediateing.

Sometimes I wonder why we bother with xmas, I guess it a good excuse to catch up with people.

my heartfelt thanks to paddy and the members for being "at the touch of a button away" during the last 48 hours.

It wasn't so bad, I read your stories and realised thank God its not just me, there are so many of us stricken, fragile people that I think we should all move to some tropical island and be ourselves because we'd understand.

It wasn't so bad, just a few tears that we had no friends and were lonely and hated the job. Mental Health Nursing aaarggghh!!!

Thanks for having me on here my husband is grateful to you too because he was dreading dreary Christmas day itself, but we got through it.

Its a terrible thing having a family and its a terrible thing not having one.

Love to you all and May God shine his light on us in the New Year

Hi Martine that line that you wrote "It's a terrible thing having a family and (sic) its a terrible thing not having one" is true for many of us. I hope that your next Christmas is a better one.

That's one thing I love about this forum - I can come in here and admit I hate the whole Christmas hype, the one-upmanship, the false religiosity, the pretending Happy Families, and the rampant commercialsim of the whole thing.

This year was better than some - we are so broke we refused to travel to the rellies, and bypassed almost all of the stupid presents crap. I spent the day at home, not doing much, except going next door for drinkies and too much food!

Very relaxing, until I did the compulsory phone call to Mother, who tried (unsuccessfully) to dump all her misery on me. And apparently my older sister picked Christmas to announce she has cancer again. I've never got on with that sister, and how very typical to wait until Xmas to make such an announcement!

Bah humbug!

I am however looking forward to New Year - this year has been really awful, with money dramas, family issues, and of course my unmentionable breakdown, I'm just looking forward to this year being over - next year can't be worse, can it?

Happy New Year to everyone, and may next year be better than this one!

Hi Everyone..
Heartfelt thoughts for all.. taking things day by day isn't easy, and it's sometimes the best we can do..
Thank heavens for your site here Paddy - TBBD helps so many of us get through hard times..
Hugs from me to all.. take gentle care of You.. and may 2010 bring us all some smiles..