THANK YOU

I just wanted to say a HUGE BIG thank you to the help and advice I have been getting on here. It is such a friendly Forum. I did use the GW one and honestly was made to feel a bit silly. I have been unwell for several years and am almost a recluse having shut myself off from society for many reasons. I starting reading about gardening for mental health and I really can testify to its benefits. Many times I have nearly thrown in the towel on life and given up. Now watching things I have planted grow gives me such a thrill and sense of accomplishment. Picking tomatoes for my salad that I have grown is life affirming. Smelling beautiful flowers that over winter I thought were dead is so exciting to me. Little things to many people but huge to me. Thank you again everybody. x

 

@cindy Gardening really is one of the best things for one's mental health. I suffered with severe agoraphobia for over a decade and still have the occasional episode where I can't go further than my own garden. Couldn't even get past the front door when it was at its worst. Also suffer from high anxiety and severe depression. Being restricted to my garden I thought I would at least improve my immediate surroundings, I just had to do something constructive with my life. With some medication and a bit of determination, life gradually started becoming enjoyable again. I'm really pleased to hear you've had similar improvements in your own life, it's often the little things that give us hope. Sorry to hear about your bad experience on the GW forum. I've only been a member of this one for a few days but everyone seems very helpful, friendly and not at all condescending. We all have to start somewhere!

Nick

 

@cindy I find gardening to be relaxing and a great way to spend time with myself. Even weeding is relaxing and best of all gratifying. Gardening has brought me through terrible bouts of deep grieving. My lite back garden is full of friends who listen to me and best of all, never talk back or sass me! And then I can visit here and share friendly banter with other gentle folks. I'm very happy for you too!

 

Cindy, what a lovely post
It is indeed a friendly forum so enjoy the friendship

 

I'm honoured to be considered part of the GC gang and you are always welcome here @cindy - any time of the day or night,
Namaste,
Jenny

 

@cindy - well said! This is a lovely friendly place and you are right, gardening is good for you. I have found that concentrating on doing simple tasks (potting on seedlings for example) is really good when there are too many bad things crowding into your head.

 

What a lovely post @cindy ... and a big thank you to you too...if your post doesn't make everyone on GC feel on top of the world then there's something wrong...Gardening I believe is really a magic tonic..it helps us all through good times and bad.GC has helped me enormously a cracking bunch of folk.

 

For me, it all started at Primary School as I liked to change the water in the vase of a stinky bunch of flowers. Also, the gardener taught me how to prick out seedlings and I loved going to the school green house each morning before lessons started to see how much they had grown. My Mum and Dad weren't gardeners but Granddad had an allotment . He was nearly blind but asked me to show him where the caterpillars were on his greens so he "could attend to matters"...
I would go home with freshly picked beans and toms from his greenhouse.
Sorry, I've just gone on a waffle ...
Jenny

 

I reiterate what all our friends here have said in their posts. You're most welcome Cindy and I hope you continue to enjoy being amongst the good people here on GC.

 

Totally with you, Cindy. I had a bit of a bad time too, a few years ago. I'm not sure if gardening was a way out, or a sign things were improving, but it certainly felt good. I'd gardened for a while before that anyway, but it became different.

What some other people don't get about gardening that way is that it's unambiguously good. Whatever it is you do, the garden is better for it. And one job leads you to the next job, and the biggest thing for mental health is having a reason to still be here. It's not a hobby, it's a promise.

 

Cindy. Thank you for opening up. Sad to say. GW albeit a great site, it has its demons. I've experienced. One minute I was the sherry on the cake, the next, I was the biggest blaggard.

Despite being a professional, I still have a copy of a PM sent by a member that could well land HER in court. Thankfully GC is the friendly forum.

 

Thank you all so very much for your kind words. It means a lot to me and gives me a gee up to carry on trying to get to grips with everything. x