Tuesday 23 December 2014

Not everyone is full of the joy of the season, Christmas can a lonely time


Its ok not to feel ok, even at Christmas!
 
Not everyone is full of the joy of the season, Christmas can a lonely time.

Lets look out for each other - It is OK not to feel OK!!! If you or anyone you know may be struggling at this time please reach out Listen to or talk to someone. It will really help!!

If you don't have anyone to reach out to 1 Life on 1800 247 100 and the Samaritans 1850 60 90 90 are there to listen 24/7. It is good to talk.

Wishing you all a safe Christmas.

Thursday 18 December 2014

Wellness Workshops online

Suicide or Survive have launched their Wellness Workshop online. It is a lovely resource and it might be a nice thing to do over Christmas, think of it as a gift to yourself. You can find the wellness workshop here.




Wednesday 17 December 2014

January Taking Control Workshops at Gateway

The ‘Taking Control’ Workshop is about practical ways to face life challenges, maintaining and taking control of your physical and mental wellbeing.  Workshops are free and will be facilitated by SHINE in Gateway on Monday 26th or Thursday 29th (let us know which date suits you).

The Aims of the Taking Control Workshop are:

  • To build resilience in the face of life challenges and setbacks.
  • To enhance coping skills, especially pre existing ones.
  • To build and support self esteem and confidence.

After participating, people will:

  • Be aware of positive factors in their lives.
  • List positive skills and knowledge they bring forward with them.
  • Recognise the physical, mental and emotional effect of stressors.
  • Have action plans to safeguard against these stressors.
  • Be aware of opportunities and avenues open to them.
  • Know professional supports available to them.
  • Have set goals and have created an action plan around these.


The workshop is divided into 4 modules:
Module 1.        Self Esteem and Positivity.
Module 2.        My Coping Skills.
Module 3.        Changing the Weather in my Head. Signposting my Supports and Paths to my New Life.
Module 4.        Being Resilient. Taking Control.

How to participate
Workshops take place over a couple of hours and are free.  Dates for the workshops at Gateway are Monday 26th or Thursday 29th January 2015 - let us know which date suits you best - times will be confirmed in January. If interested please contact a project worker in drop in or Fionn on 01-4965558 or email fionn@rpcp.ie. 
Thank you.

SHINE - Supporting People Affected By Mental Ill Health” has developed this programme. See their website for more information about recovery and wellbeing education courses.  They also have a new app for smartphones supporting this programme - find out more here:  http://shineonline.ie/index.php/news/346 


Gateway Meet Ups over Christmas and the New Year

Gateway's Christmas Party is on tomorrow from 1-5pm during our last drop in for 2014.  Join us if you can.  Gateway will close after the party and reopen on the 8th January 2015.

Gateway members will be meeting up socially around Rathmines over the holidays while the drop in is closed.  Below are the dates, times and locations so you can meet people for a chat before drop in reopens on Thursday 8th January.

For anyone interested in online peer support with live chats and online peer support groups check out www.turn2me.org and remember that the Samaritans offer a 24 hour free support phone service over the holidays, freephone: 116 123.  SOS will be running new wellness workshops in January, check them out here: SOS Wellness Workshops and remember the little things make a big difference.

Best wishes and solidarity over the holidays ~ Gateway Project

Thursday 11 December 2014

Alternative Christmas Carols

If you are around town this coming Sunday (the 14th of December), or the following Sunday (the 21st of December), you can catch Linda C (one of our long-standing members) singing carols at the Merchant's arch in Temple Bar, from 1:30 till 3:30.

Linda is a passionate defender of animal rights and has written her own words on this theme to go with well-known Christmas carols. It's well worth checking out her amazing talent!

Seán's Story

Seán is one of our members and we included a shortened version of this story in our recent (November 2014) Newsletter. 


My name is Seán. I was born into an Irish family in New Zealand. We lived on a farm where we worked long hours milking cows every morning and night. For this I got very little credit and no respect. In fact I was often told I was lazy. My people would make up rules and regulations and after I would follow them, they would change them to suit themselves. This made me angry sometimes and left me with very low self-esteem.

At the end of November 1999 my life got very dysfunctional. I had moved to New Orleans. I had a job but couldn’t find myself a place to stay. I seemed to be always getting into controversies with people. Also at work I would get involved in things that were none of my business. Even my girlfriend asked me if I was on drugs.

For a week I ended up sleeping in the back of a van on the street. Then I was in a homeless shelter which was much better. On the Saturday morning I moved into a place called the Abstract Café. It was run by a High Court Judge. He ran it for alcoholics and drug addicts. He asked me if I was an alcoholic. I said I didn’t think so. He then asked me ten questions about alcohol addiction and I said yes to every one of them.

For the first week I had to stay in the tank. I was only allowed to go out to work. It was alright during the day time, but around nine o’clock at night, I would get the shakes and the sweats. Then I would start seeing staff that were not there and then came the cravings for alcohol. It was so bad I thought that if I didn’t get any drink I would die. The door was locked at nine o’clock every night so people could not go out drinking. The sad part about this is I would have gone and drank if they had let me out. I believed it wasn’t really drinking if I didn’t drink on Friday or Saturday nights but went for one or two pints during the week. I thought “I only drink beer, how could I be an alcoholic?”. I didn’t drink spirits or methylated spirits like alcoholics do.

After a couple of attempts to give up drinking, it was seven months later before I finally accepted I was an alcoholic. The first three weeks after I stopped drinking were the hardest, but the more I stayed off it, the easier it got. Also I gave myself a big pay rise -  I seemed to have plenty of money for everything. As the months passed, the bad days were better than the good days I’d had the month before. I started to go to AA meetings. At first I thought that I wasn’t as bad as these people but the more I went to the meetings, the more I realised that I had a disease. In the AA meetings I heard the truth about this disease, and that I’m not the only one who has it. A lot of people helped me, help that I needed but didn’t think I deserved. One thing is that none of us deserves this disease.

I am fourteen and a half years off the drink now. I don’t get hallucinations, the shakes or blackouts. I don’t feel isolated or feel sorry for myself.The AA meetings are a big help. I am better able to take on responsibility. The AA meetings have encouraged me to take on additional responsibilities which I wouldn’t have felt confident in doing before like taking notes at the meetings. I now have confidence in myself to do things. Instead of doing nothing except complaining and expecting someone else to solve my problems.

I am more the person I always wanted to be, i.e. a human being who is capable of taking things as they come. I now try to help others in a better way. I first ask people what they need and want and then I see what I can do. I don’t try to impose solutions as I would have done in the past.

I see more room for improvements but I now realise how far I have come. I feel good now and able to cope. I feel I am able to deal with life on life’s terms. I don’t feel I have to be the centre of attention or a hero. I can just be me.

-Seán

Wednesday 3 December 2014

December 2014 Newsletter ~ Last Newsletter Of 2014 - Enjoy :)

December's Christmas Events At Gateway

Hi everyone,

We have some more great events and activities lined up for you this festive season. Firstly, to help you recover from all the Xmas exertions we have 'Relaxation and Meditation' every Monday 4-5pm.

Then on Wednesday's at 1pm you can join us for the 'Members' informal meet up @ Cafe Moda Rathmines'. Our popular, friendly and open 'Drop-in' service is still available at the usual time Mondays & Thursdays 1-5pm. For everyone who wants to express their creative talents, there are the 'Arts & Crafts' classes on Thursday 4th & 11th.

Finally, it wouldn't be Christmas without a party so clear you schedule, get your Xmas jumpers on and join us for the best party of the year on Thursday 18th December.

Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The Gateway Team


December 2014 by Gateway Project

Tuesday 2 December 2014

Tis The Season To Be Jolly

Hello folks,

Here is a list of some great upcoming (public) seasonal events for you to enjoy!

Have fun :)


DATE
TIME
EVENT
LOCATION
Friday, 21st November
2.15pm

Come Singalong & Dance With Us - Featuring entertainment from The Riverside Singers and Live & Exclusive. Organised by the Iris Charles Centre
The Iris Charles Centre,
Newbridge Avenue,
Sandymount
Sunday, 23rd November
4pm
Walk Of Light 2014 - An inter church journey finishing at the Dublin Korean Church on Leeson park
Meet at St. Mary’s Church, Haddington Road
Sunday, 23rd November

11-4pm
Terenure Village Market
Craft & Food Fair
Forecourt of Caffrey Motors, Terenure Village
Wednesday, 26th November

9-9pm
The Rose Festival - Finale to the Community Development’s Friends of Green Spaces Project 2014 with 1,000 rose bushes (150 varieties!) on offer at only €3 each.  Limited to 2 plants per person.
The Carmelite Centre,
Aungier Street
Thursday, 27th November
9-5pm

The Rose Festival - Finale to the Community Development’s Friends of Green Spaces Project 2014 with 1,000 rose bushes (150 varieties!) on offer at only €3 each.  Note: Limited to 2 plants per person.  Event to last only while stocks last!
The Carmelite Centre,
Aungier Street
Friday, 28th November
5pm
Donnybrook Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony - Featuring a wide variety of family entertainment
Car park opposite Kielys Pub, Donnybrook
Saturday, 29th November
5pm
Harold’s Cross Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony - Featuring a wide variety of family entertainment
Harold’s Cross Park,
Harold’s Cross
Tuesday, 2nd December
7pm
Rathmines Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony - Featuring a wide variety of family entertainment
Rathmines Square (in front of Swan Leisure),
Rathmines
Wednesday, 3rd December
11am
Verschoyle Court Art Exhibition - Launch of an exhibition of community based art work produced by local senior citizen’s group
Verschoyle Court Community Room,  Verschoyle Court Senior Citizen’s Complex,
Off Lower Mount Street
Thursday, 4th December
7pm
Rathgar Village Christmas Event - Organised by Rathgar Traders featuring entertainment on the street
Rathgar Village,
Rathgar
Friday, 5th December
2pm
Terenure Tea Dance - Live music from the band, Past Times with light  refreshments available
The Evergreen Centre,
Terenure
Friday, 5th December
5pm
Sandymount Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony - Featuring a wide variety of entertainment
Sandymount Green,
Sandymount
Saturday, 6th December
5pm
Ranelagh Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony - Featuring a wide variety of entertainment
Ranelagh Triangle
Sunday, 7th December
4pm
Terenure Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony - Featuring a wide variety of entertainment for the family
Car Park,
Terenure Village
Sunday, 7th December
6pm
Terenure After Market Christmas Party – Featuring the Swing Kings 22 piece band
Evergreen Centre,
Terenure

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