The Mental Health Thread

[Jude - The Mad Widow]

That is a very good question.  You could ask to be referred to a mental health team, you could consider giving up your job or you could come and chat to me...

[B.RAD]

13 minutes ago, neptune said:

How does one go about finding the right help when the best advise the gp can give is give up your job and find something else ? 

 

Look on the BPS website, find a registered Clinical Psychologist in your local area and reach out to them. Be prepared as they are expensive - but like all things, you get what you pay for. Counsellors/therapists are someone to talk to, Clinical Psychologists will help you understand why you are where you are and how to break the cycle. Invest more in your mind and I promise you, it will be the best money you've ever spent.

 

For reference, to qualify as a Clinical Psychologist takes 7 years of academia and at least 3 years of professional experience. A counsellor or therapist can set up tomorrow. So you really do get what you pay for, but in the best possible way, and from personal experience, if you commit to it, it can change your life.

[Kingster]

On 22/05/2019 at 07:52, jeff oakley said:

Those who survive cancer wear a badge of pride as a survivor and turn what has happened to positive things, mental issues are still by many seen as something to hide.

To all those who are touched by this thread you are part of a very big but quiet group, but not alone

 

This is so true - and it was not that long ago that cancer was referred to as "the C word" that nobody dared mention. We can all change the attitude to mental health in the same way.

[AdamR]

Edit: crossed posts with Chris above, how strange!

 

Its been a while so though it was time for a bump... thank you to those who have contributed so bravely, I hope sharing your stories has helped. 

 

I had a really tough couple of weeks, then a bit of time being insanely up and down, but have been in a good place for a couple of days now - head feels clear, I'm not rushing around as much, I've been able to make decisions (including one rather big one!), I'm being pragmatic when things have gone 'wrong'. Perhaps the weather helps!

 

Anyway, main reason for my post... my partner recommended a book to me called Quiet, by Susan Cain, which I've been working through. It deals with the differences between introverts and extroverts, and how - despite some cultures and societies being set up to try and persuade introverts to act more like extroverts - there is a lot if power in being a quiet person. 

 

I feel like there may be a strong link between introversion and depression / anxiety. We (I say we because I am definitely down the introverted end of the scale!) tend to focus a larger portion of our energy internally for consideration and thought, which isn't too much of a stretch to get to overthinking, and thus anxiety, and then depression not a great distance from that.

 

There's a little test here which can reveal where you sit, if interested: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/tests/personality/extroversion-introversion-test

 

Armed with some of the knowledge and viewpoints in the book, I have started to look at a few situations differently. I find there's something strangely calming and comforting that comes from knowing yourself better - I think it's worth looking at 👍

[Jude - The Mad Widow]

Hello Adam. I think people who have met me would say I'm extrovert... So I might cast shadow on your post. I know many lively extroverts who have chronic anxiety, depression and a selection of other challenges mentally. I wish I wS a quiet person.. The only time is when my mood drops but no one sees as I hide away. 

So sorry you have had some low times... I've had a few recently but the sun really helps. I plan on spending winter in Spain in the sun but I have a new grandchild arriving in Feb so might have to rethink... 

I miss my car which doest help. She is still in recovery at the local garage since being retrieved from France. Driving is therapy for me... 

[Arm]

Hi. I have followed this with much interest and I'm grateful for many of the honest posts. I'd like to suggest many if not all will some time in our lives have some challenges. And we are now accepting and discussing these issues more openly which must be a good thing. So let's keep it up and make these discussions acceptable.

Not many know I was affected by meningitis a few years back and was very lucky considering what it can do. However I didn't fully escape and have severe hearing loss and tinnitus in one ear. Hearing loss is one thing, the tinnitus which people can't see never leaves me due to the nerve damage and is like being in the car with the window down at over 100 mph. 24 hrs per day. It's seriously loud . Makes being social within a group almost impossible. But what I'm saying is with time the brain can get the upper hand on these things and you can be in control. Keep up the good work and positive thoughts.

[Alan France]

On 28/06/2019 at 15:31, Jude - The Mad Widow said:

I think people who have met me would say I'm extrovert...

 

Yes Jude, and I understand the pope is also a Catholic.

 

😁😁😁

[Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator]

@AdamR top marks for this thread it’s closer to a lot more of us than we think 😎

[AdamR]

Always happy to be corrected and / or learn from those more experienced, Jude! Was just a bit of a theory that popped into my head, interesting to hear your experiences too.

 

Just giving this thread a bump as it popped into my head today. Things are tough at the moment and it's really affecting my sleep, which makes things even more tough - the vicious cycle... I think my body has finally cottoned on to this and told me 'enough!', with symptoms now manifesting themselves physically too. Now into my second day of being housebound, thankful for Johnny Herbert's autobiography and a cheeky online stream of the cricket to fill the time.

 

It still amazes and frustrates me how quickly things can go from good to not so good, having had a pretty decent weekend and then being in a mess this week, but I guess that's the nature of the beast.

 

My partner is being amazingly supportive and pulling out all the stops to try and make me think positively, but it seems to be having the opposite effect and I can feel myself shutting down. Tomorrow is another day I guess.

 

I'll sign off with a quote from a letter her dad sent to us recently, which I am doing my best to bear in mind regularly: "I've no advice to offer other than to recognise that stress can make us strangers to ourselves".

[Mighty Mart]

Hello mate,

I cannot offer any help other than to say that being able to talk about a problem (any problem btw) is a massive positive.....'A' to actually accept the person has one and 'B' in sharing it I find it somehow eases the burden...

IMHO posting about it is probably helping you more than you possibly realise.

Good luck mate and I'm sure everyone is pulling for you in the club...

Mart.

[Andy Banks]

7 minutes ago, Mighty Mart said:

Good luck mate and I'm sure everyone is pulling for you in the club...

 

We certainly are.

 

We all feel a bit down at times, I know I do - this is not belittling the issues presented here in any way, I do have some sympathy and hope, as I said earlier, we are all here to listen and offer some solace if needed.

[Jude - The Mad Widow]

Hey @AdamR

 

Gutted to see your having a low. Hang in there because it will improve. Weird how one minute everything is 'normal: and the next it's all grey and negative... 

Re sleep. I always have a radio or audio book on very low as listening to that stops my thoughts spiralling down. You can set a timer to turn it off so it doesn't wake you up again. 

Write down your thoughts as and when you feel the urge. No need to read them or share them.just put it down... Pm me if I can help... X

[AdamR]

Thanks for your support everyone, it is hugely appreciated. As you said Mart, I think just letting this sort of thing out helps a ton (hint to anyone else who wants to do the same ).

 

Feeling tons better today after 4 out of 5 days of doing close to naff all. That's probably the longest spell in my entire adult life I've not been running about doing and thinking about stuff. Back to it today and hoping I can hold out...

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

6 minutes ago, AdamR said:

I think just letting this sort of thing out helps a ton (hint to anyone else who wants to do the same ).

 

So true, but still so hard to do sometimes. Especially when stuff is current, or relatively so!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Always amazes me too, how relatively minor or insignificant a trigger can be. Happened to me recently, something really, really trivial, but the sense of drowning under the almost panic attack like level of response was just unreal, and still has me slightly out of balance a few weeks later.