Mental Health Awareness

CjH

CjH

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804
Location
Bedford
It's not a suprise to me that it's happening again.
Call it SAD or call it that time if the year or whatever it is, but it's hit me again, it's not a depression as such, I still get up in the morning glad I'm alive, but I do get that nagging feeling within. Almost a frustration. Kinda like I wanna smash a load of past due water melons with a baseball bat. I can't concentrate on the important things I should properly. My brain fogs up and thinking about making decisions for 'tomorrow is hard. But ask me to invent or make something and I can concentrate on it for hours. It could have been triggered by any number of things. Like a good friend of mine being diagnosed with a grade 4 Glioblastomas and now he's been sent home to live out his days.... Or as I said at the beginning it could be seasonal. It happens at least once a year. And doesn't last all that long. It could also be linked to when I have a particularly bad time with acid reflux too... I've not ruled that out.

I know many of you on here have or do suffer at times. Just wanted to reach out to say why not share what you went through or are currently going through and what helps you day to day?

(If this is a no-no thread I understand if it gets pulled)
 
Gosh I'm really sorry to hear about your friend. I don't think the thread will get pulled although if people think it's a bad idea I'm sure we can drop it. I think it's brave to say what's bothering you and might help to let it out amongst the guys, as you say, most people have stuff that gets on top of them and a problem shared it's a problem halved. I think especially after the last 18 months even the most alpha types might have had to acknowledge one or two cracks here and there. (Worth being mindful that any Tom Dick and Harry can access the forum and some pathetic trolls get a kick out of causing further hurt to complete strangers). I would think they'd get moderated though.

My trouble at the minute (for the last couple of years anyway) is insomnia caused by a mix of excessive work pressure and pretty much permanent back pain that means I get uncomfortable lying down for more than 6h. The cumulative sleep deprivation makes dealing with the work stress even harder. Hot baths help the aches, reading a good book is also helpful, along with some exercise if I get a chance, as well as enjoying my shaves. Winter does suck though, with the worsening weather and less sunlight even if you don't have SAD so I can imagine it's worse if you do. I have days when I think the light at the end of the tunnel is probably a train, but fortunately I have a couple of proper good buddies I've known most of my life with whom we chat though our stuff, which gets some perspective back or at least stops that feeling of isolation that can take hold when you're not feeling chipper enough to mingle.

Watermelons hahaha! My karate instructor smashes them with his bare hands as a sort of party piece to inspire and entertain the younger students. He gets them to sit at the front "so they can see" and when the melon gets punched they all get covered in it, bringing much hilarity to the rest of us. Never gets old!
 
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Mental health awareness, a subject that people should feel free to talk about especially in this day and age, well done for starting the thread @CjH .
I, amongst other things have bipolar disorder and always find the winter months the hardest to deal with because this is usually when my depression kicks in and it can last until the spring but fortunately I have ups and downs so it's not as bad as it sounds. I thought I had SAD (seasonal affective disorder) before I was diagnosed with bipolar along with anxiety disorder and with medication I've been able to live with it although there are times where I feel quite suicidal but so far I have managed to stop myself from administering self deliverance!
I also have to deal with a fair bit of physical pain on a daily basis which doesn't help my mental state of mind and the pain tends to keep me awake so again I'm dealing with lack of sleep and as most of us realise that doesn't help matters.
I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm looking for understanding which is very much important.....to know me is to know my illness.
I'm being made homeless in January, nothing I've done, the landlord wants to sell up, this is currently putting a great strain on me, my anxiety has shot through the roof and because of the housing situation here I may be forced to live under canvas until I can find a solution, no doubt this will have a negative impact on my mental well-being but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
It's good that we can speak about mental health in this way, it is not something that anyone should be ashamed of and if you think it is then shame on you!
Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, please don't suffer in silence, it's more common than you think.

Paul.
 
I have a brother with extreme bipolar combined with schizophrenia. He can get by at some points just about but other times its impossible to even communicate with him, overnight he can wake up genuinely speaking a different language (Chinese) convinced he is another person. He will never be right again and it’s sad to see mental health is very important and should be spoken about more than it is. Great post
 
@hotmetal it's true lack of sleep is a big factor, Plus pain. I have some good friends too, that help me sort things out. Actually one of them dropped off a 4 pack of Guinness 0.0% last night to lighten my mood. Good friends are important. May you have some brighter days. Thanks for sharing

@Blademonkey sheeesh..... You have a fair bit to deal with buddy. I do hope you find somewhere soon. Is there 'any' hopeful options for finding a roof over your head before you go for canvas? Glad you have up days too. Make sure you make the most of them. I know you are a well respected member of TSR and people appreciate your input.

@Olie29 . Thanks for sharing that too. You know it can just be as hard for people on the outside as it is for the person going through it. Especially when you are limited in the amount you can actually help. I didn't mention in my original post that my wife is on meds for anxiety/depression plus she has Fibromyalgia. So some days can be pretty rough. But nothing I expect like what you and your bro go through. Take care mate.
 
CjH said:
@hotmetal it's true lack of sleep is a big factor, Plus pain. I have some good friends too, that help me sort things out. Actually one of them dropped off a 4 pack of Guinness 0.0% last night to lighten my mood. Good friends are important. May you have some brighter days. Thanks for sharing

@Blademonkey sheeesh..... You have a fair bit to deal with buddy. I do hope you find somewhere soon. Is there 'any' hopeful options for finding a roof over your head before you go for canvas? Glad you have up days too. Make sure you make the most of them. I know you are a well respected member of TSR and people appreciate your input.

@Olie29 . Thanks for sharing that too. You know it can just be as hard for people on the outside as it is for the person going through it. Especially when you are limited in the amount you can actually help. I didn't mention in my original post that my wife is on meds for anxiety/depression plus she has Fibromyalgia. So some days can be pretty rough. But nothing I expect like what you and your bro go through. Take care mate.
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The housing situation is looking grim to be honest, all the private rents have gone up because lots of landlords have now jumped onto the airb&b bandwaggon!
I have been priced out of the market. A tent isn't so bad, better than a night shelter or a park bench! :)
If I didn't have my up days I would have used plan B by now!
A great post you started, there needs to be more talk about these issues and in time people will not feel so isolated and realise that it is more common than most people think. Well done.

Paul.
 
CjH said:
It's not a suprise to me that it's happening again.
Call it SAD or call it that time if the year or whatever it is, but it's hit me again, it's not a depression as such, I still get up in the morning glad I'm alive, but I do get that nagging feeling within. Almost a frustration. Kinda like I wanna smash a load of past due water melons with a baseball bat. I can't concentrate on the important things I should properly. My brain fogs up and thinking about making decisions for 'tomorrow is hard. But ask me to invent or make something and I can concentrate on it for hours. It could have been triggered by any number of things. Like a good friend of mine being diagnosed with a grade 4 Glioblastomas and now he's been sent home to live out his days.... Or as I said at the beginning it could be seasonal. It happens at least once a year. And doesn't last all that long. It could also be linked to when I have a particularly bad time with acid reflux too... I've not ruled that out.

I know many of you on here have or do suffer at times. Just wanted to reach out to say why not share what you went through or are currently going through and what helps you day to day?

(If this is a no-no thread I understand if it gets pulled)
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You are not alone mate. As said above I am not comfortable about sharing a lot of personal information in the 'open' but my entire adult life, has in one way shape or form, been affected by depression. I do agree strongly that it is vital to voice these things - a situation that would have been unthinkable to our fathers' generation.
CjH said:
It could also be linked to when I have a particularly bad time with acid reflux too... I've not ruled that out.
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There is a lot of serious research being conducted about the - not seemingly obvious - relationship between the state of our gut flora and mental health. There appears to be a direct causal relationship between the two.

I don't drink - and have recently discovered that Guiness 0.0% is at least as good as - if not better than - any mainstream meds! Especially if gifted by good friends.

I wish you well - yours - I.
 
I'm a SAD sufferer as well,it normally hits at this time of the year when the grass cutting season ends and there is not much to do apart from the odd hedge or weeding. I normally pass the time by annoying friends and brother and sister with visits. They don't mind they tell me to come round anytime day or night, but I don't like to be a nuisance so I don't over do it. Was on anti depressants a few years back but I could not cope with the total lack of emotion when on them so I just stopped taking them. Made myself a sad lamp with daylight bulbs, not sure if it is helping but symptoms don't seem to be a severe the past few years.
I'm not sure where I was going with this, just wanted to blether.
 
Great job on @CjH for starting this thread.

Like others here, I've had a long standing ongoings with mental health issues.

I'm of the mindset the more discussion of these matters can be normalised, the more likely it will be to find means of treating some of these issues, be it things like SAD, which from my experience even something as simple as upping my Vitamin D uptake can have a positive impact.

I'm generally as open as I can be, but recently I've been finding it difficult to do much, be it communicate or speak.

@CjH
Really sorry to hear about your friend. I hope you are able to spend some time with him.
Sorry to pry but is there any chance you had Covid at all in the last year or so? The issues with brain fog and acid reflux were ones I had from having Covid.

@hotmetal
I hope you're able to get some sleep soon.

@Blademonkey
Stay strong my friend.

@Olie29
Sad to hear about your brother.

@Digimonkey
I think you are right about one's gut and one's state of mind. I think diet is quite important for one's head, well from personal experience anyway.

@jimmyc
You're right about feeling nothing on anti depressants.

Thanks again to the OP for starting this dialogue.
 
Good on you for starting this off as indeed many folks suffer mental health issues through this time of the year. Haha! Yes, you have a good friend there who dropped off the Guinness - the zero makes for a really good drink (I am actually drinking one right now) and being without the alcohol can be enjoyed alongside medication and doesn't disrupt sleep patterns.

Talking about our (mental) health is a good thing - it should not be something that we suffer in silence.

I would not say that I suffer from SAD, but I do find autumn very difficult (less so, winter) ... and when the spring comes and our valley explodes with hawthorn blossom, I am a much, much happier person.
 
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CjH said:
It's not a suprise to me that it's happening again.
Call it SAD or call it that time if the year or whatever it is, but it's hit me again, it's not a depression as such, I still get up in the morning glad I'm alive, but I do get that nagging feeling within. Almost a frustration. Kinda like I wanna smash a load of past due water melons with a baseball bat. I can't concentrate on the important things I should properly. My brain fogs up and thinking about making decisions for 'tomorrow is hard. But ask me to invent or make something and I can concentrate on it for hours. It could have been triggered by any number of things. Like a good friend of mine being diagnosed with a grade 4 Glioblastomas and now he's been sent home to live out his days.... Or as I said at the beginning it could be seasonal. It happens at least once a year. And doesn't last all that long. It could also be linked to when I have a particularly bad time with acid reflux too... I've not ruled that out.

I know many of you on here have or do suffer at times. Just wanted to reach out to say why not share what you went through or are currently going through and what helps you day to day?

(If this is a no-no thread I understand if it gets pulled)
Click to expand...
Everything Your experiencing is depression
maybe not yet at a serious level however don’t dismiss it & the fact you’ve came in here to speak about it is promising.
it’s one bastard of an illness that can jump up and kick you when you least expect it
 
Sunshine massively lifts my mood, and by extension I dislike this time of year but I'll not go right out and say I've got Sad (although maybe I have?).

The comment about lack of feelings when on Aunty Dees is poignant. My experience of depression without meds is also often just 'blankness' and lack of feelings rather than 'sadness' where life becomes like a motorway, dull grey and long. (Yes I nicked that from a song, "Like a motorway" by St Etienne which puts a lump in my throat at the best of times). So theoretically the meds induce the very state of mind they're supposed to help. Hmm.

This forum just developed a depth I never knew it had. I love all the geeky shave stuff but the welcoming and supportive vibe was what made me become more active. This is raw and so helpful, as guys are always criticised for toughing it out in silence yet also expected to MTFU and quit the bitchin' at the same time. Not sure how that figures but the antidote is to share what can be shared.
 
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CjH said:
It's not a suprise to me that it's happening again.
Call it SAD or call it that time if the year or whatever it is, but it's hit me again, it's not a depression as such, I still get up in the morning glad I'm alive, but I do get that nagging feeling within. Almost a frustration. Kinda like I wanna smash a load of past due water melons with a baseball bat. I can't concentrate on the important things I should properly. My brain fogs up and thinking about making decisions for 'tomorrow is hard. But ask me to invent or make something and I can concentrate on it for hours. It could have been triggered by any number of things. Like a good friend of mine being diagnosed with a grade 4 Glioblastomas and now he's been sent home to live out his days.... Or as I said at the beginning it could be seasonal. It happens at least once a year. And doesn't last all that long. It could also be linked to when I have a particularly bad time with acid reflux too... I've not ruled that out.

I know many of you on here have or do suffer at times. Just wanted to reach out to say why not share what you went through or are currently going through and what helps you day to day?

(If this is a no-no thread I understand if it gets pulled)
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear that mate, I have a long history of mental health issues tbh

I was a frequent user of the mental health forums, they're quite helpful, I seen some other members on there mention about SAD, you heard of those SAD lights they sell? Seems to be a bit of a hit with some people who suffer with SAD issues
 
I've always found it strange that if you watch American TV shows since the 1960s, they often have reference to people making their week weekly or monthly trip to the psychiatrist for their scheduled mental health check-up - look at TV series like Frasier, for instance.

Yet over here, for such a long time, we regarded Psychiatrists as a last-stop resort for people having some sort of breakdown and maintained the "stiff upper lip" approach to people trying to cope with mental stress and difficulties as a result of their life experience.
 
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