Discussion & help on depression & mental health related issues

[Groucho]

The best advice I got when I first started getting help about 14 months ago was "don't ask yourself why".

We don't know why we feel like we do, there is no answer, and digging for it will make you feel worse, not better.

I'm learning to accept when I'm down, when I'm anxious, when I'm moody, and put techniques in place to deal with it. I accept I'm a bit nutty and run with it! lol

Could you let other folk know how you got to that point mate?

I feel it'd really help others.

 

[Elong]

Could you let other folk know how you got to that point mate?

I feel it'd really help others.

Sure thing.

Firstly it started on GOT funnily enough thanks to some dead friendly folk who know who they are and to who I will be forever grateful, through their advice I actually got my arse into gear and went and saw my GP. YOU MUST DO THIS GUYS.

He got me on some anti depressants, the first ones were bloody awful and sent me spirally downhill, but we quickly sussed out the correct drugs and within a couple of weeks I was starting to get on the up. He put me onto a shrink as well, a bloody good one who I connected with straight away. This is vital, if you don't feel like you understand eachother you need to find a new one straight away, you need help, the more frustrated you get the worse you are going to feel.

He taught me a few techniques to help with my anxiety, they might sound strange written down but they work for me. I stop what I'm doing as soon as I feel "nuts". Focus on slowing my breathing down, and concentrate on trying to get rid of my negative thoughts, I imagine them being let out the top of my head, like a chimney, floating away. Sounds mental when you write it down, but it is great for me, meditation if you will. Can sit there for a few minutes, even longer sometimes.

I try to focus on what IS working out well for me at the moment. About what positive things I have coming up in the day, what I'm looking forward to, whether it be cricket training, walking the dog, dinner with my partner. You can push those negative thoughts out and replace them with positive ones.

This anxiety will hit me in public places surrounded by hundreds or if I'm by myself in the office, so I don't question it anymore, I try to move on. If I have to leave where I am, then I just leave, I don't fight it if it's not working.

In the last 12 months I've gone out a lot more in social circles, I've started playing cricket again after a year off through self doubt, anxiety and depression due to failure, had less than a handfull of days off work due to mental illness and had a million less arguments with the missus! But I still have moments where I'm not happy or comfortable. My partner picks up on it, and if I say we have to leave somewhere, we leave, if I need to be alone for half an hour, I'm left, she's fantastic to me.

Once you get the ball rolling, you can find yourself taking on more and more each day, but you have to start somewhere.

 

[Groucho]

As you can see, @Elong went to his GP and things improved from there.

It's always advisable to see your GP. It's not a weakness.

 

[kithnou]

Sure thing.

Firstly it started on GOT funnily enough thanks to some dead friendly folk who know who they are and to who I will be forever grateful, through their advice I actually got my arse into gear and went and saw my GP. YOU MUST DO THIS GUYS.

He got me on some anti depressants, the first ones were bloody awful and sent me spirally downhill, but we quickly sussed out the correct drugs and within a couple of weeks I was starting to get on the up. He put me onto a shrink as well, a bloody good one who I connected with straight away. This is vital, if you don't feel like you understand eachother you need to find a new one straight away, you need help, the more frustrated you get the worse you are going to feel.

He taught me a few techniques to help with my anxiety, they might sound strange written down but they work for me. I stop what I'm doing as soon as I feel "nuts". Focus on slowing my breathing down, and concentrate on trying to get rid of my negative thoughts, I imagine them being let out the top of my head, like a chimney, floating away. Sounds mental when you write it down, but it is great for me, meditation if you will. Can sit there for a few minutes, even longer sometimes.

I try to focus on what IS working out well for me at the moment. About what positive things I have coming up in the day, what I'm looking forward to, whether it be cricket training, walking the dog, dinner with my partner. You can push those negative thoughts out and replace them with positive ones.

This anxiety will hit me in public places surrounded by hundreds or if I'm by myself in the office, so I don't question it anymore, I try to move on. If I have to leave where I am, then I just leave, I don't fight it if it's not working.

In the last 12 months I've gone out a lot more in social circles, I've started playing cricket again after a year off through self doubt, anxiety and depression due to failure, had less than a handfull of days off work due to mental illness and had a million less arguments with the missus! But I still have moments where I'm not happy or comfortable. My partner picks up on it, and if I say we have to leave somewhere, we leave, if I need to be alone for half an hour, I'm left, she's fantastic to me.

Once you get the ball rolling, you can find yourself taking on more and more each day, but you have to start somewhere.

Brilliant post with great advice.

 

[Groucho]

Sure thing.

Firstly it started on GOT funnily enough thanks to some dead friendly folk who know who they are and to who I will be forever grateful, through their advice I actually got my arse into gear and went and saw my GP. YOU MUST DO THIS GUYS.

He got me on some anti depressants, the first ones were bloody awful and sent me spirally downhill, but we quickly sussed out the correct drugs and within a couple of weeks I was starting to get on the up. He put me onto a shrink as well, a bloody good one who I connected with straight away. This is vital, if you don't feel like you understand eachother you need to find a new one straight away, you need help, the more frustrated you get the worse you are going to feel.

He taught me a few techniques to help with my anxiety, they might sound strange written down but they work for me. I stop what I'm doing as soon as I feel "nuts". Focus on slowing my breathing down, and concentrate on trying to get rid of my negative thoughts, I imagine them being let out the top of my head, like a chimney, floating away. Sounds mental when you write it down, but it is great for me, meditation if you will. Can sit there for a few minutes, even longer sometimes.

I try to focus on what IS working out well for me at the moment. About what positive things I have coming up in the day, what I'm looking forward to, whether it be cricket training, walking the dog, dinner with my partner. You can push those negative thoughts out and replace them with positive ones.

This anxiety will hit me in public places surrounded by hundreds or if I'm by myself in the office, so I don't question it anymore, I try to move on. If I have to leave where I am, then I just leave, I don't fight it if it's not working.

In the last 12 months I've gone out a lot more in social circles, I've started playing cricket again after a year off through self doubt, anxiety and depression due to failure, had less than a handfull of days off work due to mental illness and had a million less arguments with the missus! But I still have moments where I'm not happy or comfortable. My partner picks up on it, and if I say we have to leave somewhere, we leave, if I need to be alone for half an hour, I'm left, she's fantastic to me.

Once you get the ball rolling, you can find yourself taking on more and more each day, but you have to start somewhere.

Top advice this

 

[Elong]

Top advice this

Thanks, apologies if it's a bit rambling.

GP is a must, they may not have the answers but he/she will set you on the right path, it's a starting point. You will probably cry, in fact you'd be a bit weird if you didn't imo lol

No idea if it's available in the UK, but some of you may remember John Kirwin, the legendary All Black winger of the 80s and early 90s? Well he suffers from depression and released a book that I think is probably the best thing ever written on the subject. It's written in a blokey, layman's terms way and there's so much you can relate to it's not funny. He's now the face of depression in New Zealand and does so much for the illness.

Try and get a copy on Amazon or something if you can, I'd defo recommend it.

 

[kithnou]

Thanks, apologies if it's a bit rambling.

GP is a must, they may not have the answers but he/she will set you on the right path, it's a starting point. You will probably cry, in fact you'd be a bit weird if you didn't imo lol

No idea if it's available in the UK, but some of you may remember John Kirwin, the legendary All Black winger of the 80s and early 90s? Well he suffers from depression and released a book that I think is probably the best thing ever written on the subject. It's written in a blokey, layman's terms way and there's so much you can relate to it's not funny. He's now the face of depression in New Zealand and does so much for the illness.

Try and get a copy on Amazon or something if you can, I'd defo recommend it.

GP of course is a must. I also liked that you stressed the importance of finding a GP and/or therapist you feel comfortable with. Great advice there. Pays to "shop around" for someone you connect with

 

[Elong]

GP of course is a must. I also liked that you stressed the importance of finding a GP and/or therapist you feel comfortable with. Great advice there. Pays to "shop around" for someone you connect with

I got lucky, first time, a nice Zimbabwean man in his 50s who was a farmer most of his life until he himself suffered from depression, "beat" it (I'm not sure you really do 100% beat it like) and wanted to help others.

 

[Groucho]

Thanks, apologies if it's a bit rambling.

GP is a must, they may not have the answers but he/she will set you on the right path, it's a starting point. You will probably cry, in fact you'd be a bit weird if you didn't imo lol

No idea if it's available in the UK, but some of you may remember John Kirwin, the legendary All Black winger of the 80s and early 90s? Well he suffers from depression and released a book that I think is probably the best thing ever written on the subject. It's written in a blokey, layman's terms way and there's so much you can relate to it's not funny. He's now the face of depression in New Zealand and does so much for the illness.

Try and get a copy on Amazon or something if you can, I'd defo recommend it.

As you can see all, GP is a must.

 

[toffeejack]

cheers @Elong, you going to watch any matches in the world cup?

 

[AaronTheBlue]

After reading the recent posts I do feel likeI should go and see my gp.

I have been before and they wanted to set me up to speak to a person but I never got any phone call.so lost my trust in it.

I think the worst type of thing is when I amreally down and the feeling of no self worth and literal no enjoyment out of life anymore does make me think why because I have a good family and friends and it makes me feel selfish but also the acceptance of my own death, it only makes me hate nyselfn more which doesn't help but I just don't know what to do.

 

[Elong]

cheers @Elong, you going to watch any matches in the world cup?

Not at this stage, closest game is 3 hours away from me and just been on holiday so probably won't get a chance, but will be watching every game I can, very exciting!

 

[chicoazul]

After reading the recent posts I do feel likeI should go and see my gp.

I have been before and they wanted to set me up to speak to a person but I never got any phone call.so lost my trust in it.

I think the worst type of thing is when I amreally down and the feeling of no self worth and literal no enjoyment out of life anymore does make me think why because I have a good family and friends and it makes me feel selfish but also the acceptance of my own death, it only makes me hate nyselfn more which doesn't help but I just don't know what to do.

Don't big up going to see your GP as being daunting mate. Far from it, its the most natural thing to do.

You want to feel better and you will feel better but your GP is going to accelerate that process so do yourself a favour and make an appointment for this week.

 

[AaronTheBlue]

Don't big up going to see your GP as being daunting mate. Far from it, its the most natural thing to do.

You want to feel better and you will feel better but your GP is going to accelerate that process so do yourself a favour and make an appointment for this week.

I have been toying with the idea of doing it for a few years but It's weird I am genuinely worried what they would think of me I know this is stupid .

Also when it comes to it I always end up thinking I will just try and deal with it myself.

Another big issue for me is what my family and friends would think of me if they found out I would be worried they would treat me differently or see me differently and walk on egg shells when I am around them I dunno.

Anyway sorry for going on but nice one I will look into GP

 

[LinekersLegs]

After reading the recent posts I do feel likeI should go and see my gp.

I have been before and they wanted to set me up to speak to a person but I never got any phone call.so lost my trust in it.

I think the worst type of thing is when I amreally down and the feeling of no self worth and literal no enjoyment out of life anymore does make me think why because I have a good family and friends and it makes me feel selfish but also the acceptance of my own death, it only makes me hate nyselfn more which doesn't help but I just don't know what to do.

Please set up that GP meeting Aaron, as many have posted those feelings are not unusual and proper treatment can help them.