Back when I first started this blog eight years ago, there weren’t many of us. Just a relatively small group of bloggers sharing our experiences. We all supported each other through difficult times. Circumstances changed in my life and I was forced to shut down this blog for awhile.
When I returned to blogging about a year later, it was like WOW! There were mental health blogs everywhere. The once small close-knit group exploded into a major network. The community grew tremendously, yet I was happy to see bloggers were still supporting each other. I will admit that when I quit blogging, I felt like a major link – when I returned, however, I felt like a small fish in a big sea waving to get attention. Being the moody person with bipolar that I am, my feelings were hurt. I got over it.
Six month ago, circumstances changed in my life and I stopped blogging again. Fortunately, my life became more balanced and I became able to multi-task, and here I am back again. Lo and behold, I found many of the blogs I use to read are gone. Most of the others I follow have gone to writing only occasionally. Some posting only once a month or so.
So, I’m back and I’m looking for suggestions. They don’t have to be just about bipolar, blogs about mental health in general are great too. I did look through Raeyn’s excellent Bipolar Bloggers Network, but I’m still looking for more. I’m open to any and all blogs that you recommend, but any that are a little on the lighter side would be especially helpful.
Lay it on me. What are some great blogs that I may be missing out on? I’m positive there are many out there that I’m missing out on. Help me out and let me know what you suggest.
Hi Bradley, I’m one of those who went from blogging a lot to very little. For me, at the time I needed the blogosphere the most it was there in a way I had never imagined. Here I was able to pour my heart out and fill endless posts with the angst and pain of my illness and for the first time actually be truly, utterly and completely understood. That is quite powerful. The draw of that shared experiences and my now not having to endlessly explain “why” I felt a certain way is very enticing. I went through a very dark place in 2014 and 2015 and to be quite honest, i didn’t think I’d make it. The support and understanding I found was, to a degree, what got me through. But nothing takes the place of actual human contact and when I started to feel better I made a choice that I had to physically leave the four walls of my house so that I could re-engage with life again. For me, that was when my blog posts started to decrease. I pop by from time to time, and occasionally post. I didn’t do this for followers, or readers, I did it to survive, to feel completely understood, and yes to be part of something, perhaps help one person less stable or more in crisis than I was. Yours was one of the first blog posts I came across.
What I am trying to tell you is that for me, you were important. You may have felt like a small fish waving to get attention, but when you put enough small fish together, the shoal you get can be enormous. That doesn’t help by way of offering you something to read, but I thought I’d say it anyway. Glad you’re back.
Thank you, Placid. It’s funny that I said I felt like a small fish in a big sea, but it was clearly my insecurity talking. I’ve gotten a lot of attention from national sources and more importantly I got emails. Just this week I had two unknown people reach me through my contact page and both were calling out for help. It’s people like them that brought me back and keeps me going.
Thank you for the validation. I think I needed it today. 🙂
You are very welcome..
Rubber Shoes in Hell.
P.S. Can fish really wave? To wave with their fins, they’d have to have their heads above water, where they would not-drown.
You smartass. Thanks for giving me an early morning laugh
Hey Bradley! Lovely to hear from you.
I’m one of those blogs that isn’t really active anymore. My problem is time and time management. Just can’t seem to do everything I one did. I think changing my job and working for myself has contributed to it. One day I think of shutting the blog, next I’m thinking about posting!! I have Bipolar disorder….my shits not in order!! Hahaha
Good luck with finding new blogs. Huge hug. Paula xxxx
How wonderful to hear from you! It is tough to get everything done. I keep a chart on the fridge that lists all the things I have to do during the week and when to do them. It really works well for a day or two, then I forget the whole thing.
You don’t need to shut your blog down. Just do a post that says you’re going away for awhile and leave it at that. If you shut it down you would lose everything including your web address. You never know when you might want to return,
I know your right. It just seems strange to have it and not be active! I’ve lost heaps of my readers from being non active. Maybe I’ll do what you said and see how I go, thank you! xxxxx