Discussion & help on depression & mental health related issues

[trebilcock66]

Haven't come to this thread for a while. Good to see that it's still there...lots of people giving their time and support to others. Great example of the internet as a force for good.

Just wanted to post that I'm completing my training course in Mental Health First Aid next Saturday. Two day course provided by a local charity in Oxford near where I live. Great mix of people on the course. Some are volunteer search and rescue, others wanting to support relatives with mental health problems. Interestingly nearly everyone in the room had some kind of mental health issues in their past.

I can recommend it. Not too expensive at £200 per course but if you can persuade your employer to stump up, it'll cost you nothing. Just like employers should have trained physical first aiders in their workplace, more and more are training mental health first aiders now.

 

[sladen90]

Hi people. I have had a horrible few weeks. Keeping myself to myself. Yesterday I had an idea. I wanted to turn my negative feelings into a positive. So I created a Facebook group called the hidden illness. My aim is to help people In need and to make people who may be don't know much about mental health understand more. I would be grateful if you could all join my group. I want to make the group something massive and inspiring. And I hope it may also help me in my battle

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Been having some really dark thoughts since about lunchtime, and they seem to be getting worse rather than better. Very uncharacteristic and it's actually shocked and upset me as I've never really experienced this before. Bed might be the answer.

 

[Prevenger17]

Been having some really dark thoughts since about lunchtime, and they seem to be getting worse rather than better. Very uncharacteristic and it's actually shocked and upset me as I've never really experienced this before. Bed might be the answer.

Doesn't sound good mate, though having dark thoughts occasionally wouldn't be too unusual for a lot of people. If you think it's part of a wider problem, would start looking at your options. Bed is a good idea if you're tired, but if you're going to be lying there with your thoughts, I'd suggest TV or some other distraction

 

[COYBL25]

Hi people. I have had a horrible few weeks. Keeping myself to myself. Yesterday I had an idea. I wanted to turn my negative feelings into a positive. So I created a Facebook group called the hidden illness. My aim is to help people In need and to make people who may be don't know much about mental health understand more. I would be grateful if you could all join my group. I want to make the group something massive and inspiring. And I hope it may also help me in my battle

@EvertonRhys

Can you give any advice on this mate, as you had a similar thing going with your blog ?

It's a good idea mate, but I think you need to tread carefully.

 

[COYBL25]

Been having some really dark thoughts since about lunchtime, and they seem to be getting worse rather than better. Very uncharacteristic and it's actually shocked and upset me as I've never really experienced this before. Bed might be the answer.

Without sounding like a hippy, put some mellow tunes on or Talk radio on low and try to focus on that rather than what's going on in your head.

Has anything happened to kick this off ?

 

[Jokerdan]

Been having some really dark thoughts since about lunchtime, and they seem to be getting worse rather than better. Very uncharacteristic and it's actually shocked and upset me as I've never really experienced this before. Bed might be the answer.

Exercise, mate. Even a long stiff walk to exercise the body, mind and demons and a warm shower or good soak afterwards really can lift the spirits. Get the old endomorphenes kicking in.
A workout whilst not banishing the 'dark thoughts' helps to reconcentrate the mind and you can focus more on the stress on your body instead of the stress in your head. It does work.
Good luck.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Doesn't sound good mate, though having dark thoughts occasionally wouldn't be too unusual for a lot of people. If you think it's part of a wider problem, would start looking at your options. Bed is a good idea if you're tired, but if you're going to be lying there with your thoughts, I'd suggest TV or some other distraction

Without sounding like a hippy, put some mellow tunes on or Talk radio on low and try to focus on that rather than what's going on in your head.

Has anything happened to kick this off ?

Exercise, mate. Even a long stiff walk to exercise the body, mind and demons and a warm shower or good soak afterwards really can lift the spirits. Get the old endomorphenes kicking in.
A workout whilst not banishing the 'dark thoughts' helps to reconcentrate the mind and you can focus more on the stress on your body instead of the stress in your head. It does work.
Good luck.

Cheers all. Woken up feeling flat but that's an improvement on yesterday. It was a bizarre, all encompassing feeling of loneliness which just hit me yesterday, never quite felt anything like it. Today, I'll look at what I can do to change that. Exercise and podcasts definitely on the agenda today too.

 

[COYBL25]

Cheers all. Woken up feeling flat but that's an improvement on yesterday. It was a bizarre, all encompassing feeling of loneliness which just hit me yesterday, never quite felt anything like it. Today, I'll look at what I can do to change that. Exercise and podcasts definitely on the agenda today too.

I'm not an expert, but if nothing's happened to make you feel like this, I'd go for a chemical imbalance in your brain ( can be a cause of depression )

If it persists, go and see your GP x

 

[EvertonRhys]

@EvertonRhys

Can you give any advice on this mate, as you had a similar thing going with your blog ?

It's a good idea mate, but I think you need to tread carefully.

Sorry about the late reply- only saw this late last night!

I'd say go for it @sladen90! Can really help you through the tougher times when you're in touch with others. Message me some details if you fancy.

With the blog I used to do, I had a Facebook group going too. The only words of caution I'd give is make sure you're comfortable with your 'name being out there.' Also you may get lots and lots of people messaging you and looking for support- it could be that when you're not so great it's not so easy being there for others. Make sure you're not used as other people's crutch as you may end up letting them down and causing offence when you don't mean to etc.

Also I had someone I used to know as a kid getting in touch who had issues. Turned out he had been done for murder and was actually messaging me a bit too often and it got pretty full on. So just remember if you open yourself up in such a way you need to be aware that some people, who you know or don't, may get a bit full on.

If you're happy to deal with that (extreme) side of it though, and I'm not saying that would happen anyway, then go for it, because as I say it can really help give you something to focus on. I didn't keep mine going in the end though, and I had jumped into it head on, so felt a bit guilty when I shut it down. Maybe if it were just a page, and kept more anonymous and autonomous then there's less responsibility on you to create content etc.

Anyway, give me a message- happy to help out with anything

 

[COYBL25]

Sorry about the late reply- only saw this late last night!

I'd say go for it @sladen90! Can really help you through the tougher times when you're in touch with others. Message me some details if you fancy.

With the blog I used to do, I had a Facebook group going too. The only words of caution I'd give is make sure you're comfortable with your 'name being out there.' Also you may get lots and lots of people messaging you and looking for support- it could be that when you're not so great it's not so easy being there for others. Make sure you're not used as other people's crutch as you may end up letting them down and causing offence when you don't mean to etc.

Also I had someone I used to know as a kid getting in touch who had issues. Turned out he had been done for murder and was actually messaging me a bit too often and it got pretty full on. So just remember if you open yourself up in such a way you need to be aware that some people, who you know or don't, may get a bit full on.

If you're happy to deal with that (extreme) side of it though, and I'm not saying that would happen anyway, then go for it, because as I say it can really help give you something to focus on. I didn't keep mine going in the end though, and I had jumped into it head on, so felt a bit guilty when I shut it down. Maybe if it were just a page, and kept more anonymous and autonomous then there's less responsibility on you to create content etc.

Anyway, give me a message- happy to help out with anything

Excellent as always Rhys.

I did think about the fact that some people with serious problems may want helping and it would be very difficult for an unqualified person to actually help or point them in the right dietction.

You worded it much better than an could've done

 

[EvertonRhys]

Excellent as always Rhys.

I did think about the fact that some people with serious problems may want helping and it would be very difficult for an unqualified person to actually help or point them in the right dietction.

You worded it much better than an could've done

Cheers matey Good to see you still in here as always- you're a true legend! Things have turned around for me crazily the past month or so. Life turned around for the better- full time job in marketing away from the nursing and it's drilling me in to the 9-5 pattern. Hopefully this turn around lasts. My 30th birthday in a couple of weeks so I'm just so driven to make sure I make the most out of this opportunity.

For anyone not believing things will get any better, TRUST ME, opportunities to get better and change things can come out of absolutely nowhere.

 

[andy4efc]

This isn't on the level that some of the discussion has been and how I've been in the past, but it's a feeling I can't really explain or move from.
Gonna mix football and depression together really as they relate. I've been diagnosed with depression twice in the past.

This isn't depression but it's that 'low' feeling you can get.

Obviously doesn't help with how horrendous we are as a football team, but literally all things Everton absolutely ruin my day / week / weekend constantly. What I am starting to strugggle with is after 20 years of supporting Everton and being completely embarrassed, let down, destroyed and ashamed at times of doing so, that 'Everton that' feeling is dragging itself into other areas.

After Atalanta two week, almost threw all my Everton tops in the bin, dropped them at a charity shop instead, we are talking some nice older tops, including a Kevin Campbell one which was my first one. I work for Blackburn Rovers ladies as on of my jobs, they are successful, even that has become a drag.

Yeah, Everton being crap ruins a mood for a couple of hours, but it literally drags down my whole mood down for a longer period, affecting socialising, working, even just chilling on the Xbox. Usually that type of thing is a distraction. That 'fed up' feeling just spreads, even my new job which I have been loving gets affected by it, and while at work it's harder to distract myself.

I know some will see this as pap, but no idea how to stop letting it affect everything.

 

[FC sexy xxx]

This isn't on the level that some of the discussion has been and how I've been in the past, but it's a feeling I can't really explain or move from.
Gonna mix football and depression together really as they relate. I've been diagnosed with depression twice in the past.

This isn't depression but it's that 'low' feeling you can get.

Obviously doesn't help with how horrendous we are as a football team, but literally all things Everton absolutely ruin my day / week / weekend constantly. What I am starting to strugggle with is after 20 years of supporting Everton and being completely embarrassed, let down, destroyed and ashamed at times of doing so, that 'Everton that' feeling is dragging itself into other areas.

After Atalanta two week, almost threw all my Everton tops in the bin, dropped them at a charity shop instead, we are talking some nice older tops, including a Kevin Campbell one which was my first one. I work for Blackburn Rovers ladies as on of my jobs, they are successful, even that has become a drag.

Yeah, Everton being crap ruins a mood for a couple of hours, but it literally drags down my whole mood down for a longer period, affecting socialising, working, even just chilling on the Xbox. Usually that type of thing is a distraction. That 'fed up' feeling just spreads, even my new job which I have been loving gets affected by it, and while at work it's harder to distract myself.

I know some will see this as pap, but no idea how to stop letting it affect everything.

im the opposite. Everton wins or defeats just don't bother me either way anymore . I still go the game even most aways but I wish I had a bit of the buzz I used to feel about the club back. But I'm genuinely not arsed . I think that's do to with years of false hope , me getting older and my own battle with depression which has killed my enthusiasm for most things I used to enjoy . Any enthusiasm I get for most things is short lived I get deflated so easily .

 

[COYBL25]

Cheers all. Woken up feeling flat but that's an improvement on yesterday. It was a bizarre, all encompassing feeling of loneliness which just hit me yesterday, never quite felt anything like it. Today, I'll look at what I can do to change that. Exercise and podcasts definitely on the agenda today too.

How you getting on mate, any better ?