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Whenever fall approaches and the days are short and dark, I find I have a bit of season affective disorder. I feel a bit down and because I am spending more time in doors as mum's live-in-caregiver I feel I have too much time to think about EVERYTHING. Even when my day is busy with caregiving duties my mind is always overthinking.. usually about my life. Does anyone have any suggestions about other online forums that might be interesting that are not related to caregiving that might get my mind off things?

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Macada,
There are numerous Massive Open Online Courses available through Coursera. Google it. They are just getting ready to start one on caring for elders with Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders. I always figure I can learn something new. But if you don't want to take that sort of class there are probably hundreds of others. All classes are free unless you decide to purchase a book. The Alzheimer's class is the third I have taken. I took one on mapping, creating online interactive maps, and one on environmental policy. Both were great! Taking these classes will keep me busy and entertained while learning something new. There are so many classes, I'm sure you will find something you will enjoy taking, and the two I have taken were low pressure, gave me the opportunity to connect with people all over the world and fun while stimulating my brain, hopefully helping me to ward off AD. I've told people in the AD class about this website and how helpful it has been. I encourage you to check it out.
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P.S. The mapping class had 44,000 people in it at the high point, finished with about 9,000 students.
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Thanks gladimhere- I really want an online forum like this to interact with other people but not about anything to do with caregiving responsibilities or elderly, I want to have a different focus. Maybe something to do with psychology or relationships, I'm not 100% sure-- I'm hoping for suggestions :-) I would like a list of online forums to choose from if anyone has some ideas? Thanks!
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If you knit or decorate cakes or read books or have almost any hobby at all you can find discussion forums around that topic. I swear that cake decorating discussions saved my sanity in the early days of caregiving!
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Macada, psychology and relationships sound like a great idea and I'm sure there are Coursera classes. There are discussions with each class where student talk about class materials. Another thought, do you have a linked in profile? There are many groups that you can join for discussion about a wide variety of topics.
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i, while lying in bed last night , was doing my usual routine of trying to worry about the future when an odd thought hit me. " you decrepit old sob, you may be worrying into a future that wont transpire " . the thought isnt as dark as it appears. none of us have the guarantee of another day yet im trying to worry a decade in advance.
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Hi macada - go online and look up the Bach Flower Essence called White Chestnut. It is for mindless brain chatter, mental churning, easing repetitive or worrysome thoughts and finding inner peace. See what you think. May help you, easy to obtain, easy to take (drops under tongue), not very expensive. Another great Bach Flower is the combination called Rescue Remedy. Read about it too while you're at it. It can also be taken orally or even rubbed on pulse points at the wrist. It's great for all kinds of things including anxiety and great to apply on a dementia person who can't always be given an oral dose.
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If you want some free online courses, go to kahnacademy. They have a ton of free classes in all kinds of areas. You'll be with students from all over the world. I'm determined to go back and take some free math classes when I have more time. Math always scared me when I was in school, so I want to relearn it at my own pace. They also have a few humanities courses in art history and some others.
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I really want a forum with interaction between people. A forum like this but not about caregiving, more for social interaction. I don't really feel I want to take a course, I feel I want to find a forum that has social banter between mature adults, whether it's about daily news, or personal problems, relationships.. any of those types of things.
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Yahoo has groups you can investigate for all kinds of topics. You can also find things you like on Facebook (TV shows, religious groups, animal rescue groups, your old high school, art groups like scrapbooking, political groups etc.). Like those groups and you'll find interactions. You might be able to make some friends through the group so that you can have conversations outside of the groups. I created a group in Facebook for women entrepreneurs who work from home in the Chicago area. It's a small group, but we've had a lot of interaction. It takes some effort, but you can do it. I've also gotten very active in meetup, a website where people create their own groups and set up a ton of different kinds of activities. They have groups all over the world. I've met a lot of nice women through that group.
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Thanks Blannie- I have heard of the meetup groups, are they online or do you have to go out and actually meetup with them? I don't have much free time away from the house but I have free time IN the house. I have been spending too much time on Facebook, I'm trying to spend less time on it, I find it can be a bit depressing for me because everyone talks about their vacations and all the social things they are doing and I am a live-in-caregiver not doing anything social except for the occasional lunch out. I will look into the meetup groups that you suggested.. thanks :-)
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I like to research too!Anything but caregiving.I need the time for me fun online too.I do pinterest its fun and lots of great projects.
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Macada, the MeetUp groups are usually for get-togethers with others. It was started after 9/11 as a way for people to meet each other. But you could think outside the box and see if there are any groups in your area that interest you. Join them and then you'll see what they're doing. Maybe just attend one or two and you can meet some folks and then do things outside of the actual group. That's what I've done. I've met another caregiver who is also has a home-based business like me. And I've met a fellow vegetarian who also has an aging mom to take care of. But we don't talk about caregiving most of the time. But it IS nice to have friends who understand because they're going through the same thing. You can join groups and never attend a single thing in the group. It doesn't cost you anything...so you're not out anything to check it out.
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Ive always wanted to learn Spanish Guitar maybe I will look for an instructor to come to the house. Maybe doing something where there is someone else coming to teach you might help I know I get very CABINFEVER this time of year and when I go out i talk to anyone that will listen!
At night i wonder if im going to be this mad old lady with cats who gave up her youth to care for mum! On a positive before this caring lark i thought 48 was old now i feel im young and there is a life out there.
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