Invisible, you're not whiny and stubborn, I think you're just feeling bad and you think you're being whiny. But really, I think the feelings are real and just because they're not happy feelings doesn't make you whiny, it just is what it is. I always think I'm being whiny but I write things anyway cause sometimes it helps. Glad to see you feeling better, well I assume you feel a little better, I hope so anyway.

Hi, I wish you happiness in the future as well! As always, whenever you want, feel free to share your thoughts. I hope you will have a great start to your university career.

Cheers, Invisible! We'll get you through this summer:)

Ha! If we had to remove everything on here whose author felt whiny when they posted it (in other words, whose author needed some kind of support), this would be a very quiet, not to mention pointless, place.

It's likely none of my own posts would make it past that criterion.

I'm glad you're feeling better. :-)

I dunno why I feel so much better but I'm glad I do too! Seriously, thanks everyone - I don't know what I'd do without ye!

Today I got asked to exhibit my work in another exhibition this weekend so I think I'm on a high from that..and then yesterday was my birthday and all of my friends put money together and bought me a ticket to the festival I wanted to go to and now i'm so excited that I'm nearly out of breath!!!

Well, we all know these things come in waves. Is there anything you can do while you're up, to cushion yourself for the next time?

Hmmmm I dunno, how do you mean?

Well, my thought was that while you're feeling good, can you try to do something that will help you when you feel bad again? For instance, if you wish you had people you could talk to when you're down, now's the time to go out and make those friendships. Or, if you wanted to start therapy, now would be the time, while you still have the motivation. And so on, whatever can do now, to make the bad times better when they happen. Like a squirrel burying nuts, so you won't feel so nuts later. ;-)

I love squirrels!! I'd like to be able to find people to talk to about stuff but I'm definately not brave enough for that yet! It takes a lot of alcohol for me to actually open up to someone...not a good thing, I know.. When I drink I talk and I talk and I talk and then I usually regret it. Happened a few weeks ago when I was on a foreign exchange with my art tutor.

Malign made a great point, invisible. This is a great opportunity for you to learn how to open up to others slowly without the use of alcohol. David Allen briefly discusses alcohol when he notes that people who drink should be getting progressively more mellow as alcohol is a depressant. But, instead, for a brief time, some people become more energetic when they drink. They have loads of ideas, and they talk a great deal more than they usually do. For these people, they are constantly playing negative messages, inhibiting themselves for much of the time. So, when the alcohol depresses the brain a little, the negative messages stop playing for a while, opening up the energy held back.

But, this is only a short-term solution as the alcohol is not selective with its depressive effects. The whole brain will be depressed by the effects of the alcohol, leading to a similar drop in creativity. Therefore, the better solution is to learn of different ways to cope with the stresses and tribulations of daily life in sobriety. Talking with others about what is on your mind is one way to cope, and it is probably a strong foundation upon which most of the other ways to cope begin from.

I agree - it's a really good idea and I'd like to be able to but I can't because I don't talk much. I think I said above that I did talk to one of my tutors about stuff one time when I was drinking but she reminded me of everything I told her the next morning and we kind of talked about it while I was sober and she said I can ring her if I ever need to talk to anyone again but I don't want to burden anyone with my problems. I'm trying not to drink alcohol so much because I know it's bad but sometimes it's just easier to socialise with it!

How different was it talking to your tutor sober than after drinking? You did still manage to talk to her sober. Is it impossible to imagine opening up to a new person without drinking? And as familiar as that feeling of not wanting to be a burden is, she did offer. :-)

It was very different..I felt uncomfortable but only because I had never spoken to anyone face to face about how I felt. It's probably not impossible, I'm just being stubborn again:D

Eh. I'm pretty stubborn, too. ;-)

Just keeping it in your mind, for you to consider while you're feeling a bit better. No pressure, because if you're anything like me, feeling pressured is what makes you stubborn.

Hmmm, I'm stubborn all the time but pressure does make it worse! Pressure pressure pressure!!! Now, I have to magic up some artwork to put in this exhibition at the weekend.....:eek: Coming up with ideas is the worst part!!

Here's an idea for art: What does pressure look like?

Oh that's a good one!! But what does pressure look like?

I dunno, you're the artist! :-)

Squished, maybe? Bug-eyes, head sunk into the shoulders ... well, maybe Munch already captured it. When you feel pressure, how does it feel? Just draw that.

(I know, this is like you telling me to just program chocolate milk, but it's all I got.)

Ok, I'm gonna give it a try, thanks for the inspiration Malign!

No problem. You don't even owe me half the royalties! :-P

OH! I could do my inner child if pressure doesn't work out.

The act of sharing your thoughts and feelings to another person is not so much a burdening of another as it is one of opening up. When you do so, someone may be able to listen and say 'I've been there, this is what you may have in store', or 'this is how you can look at the problem', and then you may benefit from some insight gained from knowledge and experience; but, even if others are able to give you advice, your problems still require your own efforts. Additionally, aside from knowledge and experience, friends can cheer you on.

If you feel that you do not want to have a relationship where you simply 'off-load' your problems on to your tutor, cheer for her sake in return.

Thanks Kaudio, she was definitely able to relate to me about how I was feeling and that made me talk more I think. I don't see her much anymore anyway. Today was a messy day. My friend's dad died and she so doesn't deserve to go through this. Not yet anyway..

My condolences, Invisible.

Even if you do not see each other for a spell, getting back in touch usually proves easy.