World pain and personal pain. Mudcat and Mudcatters have been here for both.

I started a thread in early 2000 when I was smack bang in the middle of the worst workplace bullying situation I have ever been in. I knew I was in deep doo-doo because I couldn't laugh at anything any more, which is pretty dire if you know and understand the Oz way of life. The old Oz wounded soldiers' saying, "It only hurts when I laugh" sums it up. Even in the worst physical pain, they were still laughing and cracking jokes so when asked if they were in pain they would reply, only when I laugh.

I posted a thread called "Help: Lost my sense of humour" and when Mudcat people realised that I was seriously in need of help they jumped right in and before long I was laughing again at all their silly jokes. What a relief!

The situation at work got worse before it got better (I left the job a few months later and went into a financial downward spiral for a while, but then things picked up) but I will never forget how much that thread helped me to survive mentally and emotionally. Thanks everyone. You'll never know how much Mudcat helped me at that stage in my life.