The Mental Health thread

[AndyWolves]

Thanks all, grandsons responding to antibiotics, still waiting on blood results but I'm good, just felt I couldn't catch a break, and felt I had to be strong for daughter/sister/family.

Needed to use something to let it out.

Hey, What's the latest on this?

 

[pagey]

Hey, What's the latest on this?

Sorry, daughter and her son at home and doing well. Dad's done a runner, but that's another story

 

[sycophantia]

Sorry, daughter and her son at home and doing well. Dad's done a runner, but that's another story

Great that the important people are doing well.

 

[AndyWolves]

Sorry, daughter and her son at home and doing well. Dad's done a runner, but that's another story

Loved the first bit but not the second and glad to hear all are doing well.

I can't understand it myself, my children are the best thing I've ever done but scary as fuck to wrap my head around at the start.

 

[pagey]

Loved the first bit but not the second and glad to hear all are doing well.

I can't understand it myself, my children are the best thing I've ever done but scary as fuck to wrap my head around at the start.

Think they'll work things out, been together 4 years, no one else involved, just the pressure of being a new parent and all that come with it.

 

[AndyWolves]

It might be worth reaching out to him and seeing if he needs any help or just wants to talk about things.

It's a huge responsibility that suddenly gets very real very quickly, especially if little one needed a bit of help too. It's lots to process in a very short space of time

 

[AndyWolves]

I've been properly ill this last week or so after weeks / months of life stress building up and up. I had some proper dark thoughts in the middle of it (which I think was caused by the illness) and it's given me real perspective on hard and tough it can be when faced with those thoughts.

I'm getting better now but it's made me think about making sure I don't get back into the same place again

 

[lemonjelly]

Relieved to hear you're the other side mate.
Your post interested me, as I've been thinking quite a lot recently about the interplay between physical health and mental health.

 

[Alan]

They're definitely linked IMO, directly or indirectly depending on your perspective. My read and experience is:

1. Have your personal form of breakdown
2. Cope (the problematic bit)
   • I.e., "eat your feelings", oversleeping, self-harm, isolation, etc. etc.
3. Physical health declines

 

[AndyWolves]

Relieved to hear you're the other side mate.
Your post interested me, as I've been thinking quite a lot recently about the interplay between physical health and mental health.

Serotonin is a great example, it's the happiness hormone and is mostly made in the gut. Any issues with the gut can have a direct impact on how you feel, it's more of a biological thing than a thoughts / feelings thing in my view. But the effect is the same on the individual.

 

[Del Woppio]

Not sure if many know, but my old girl has Alzheimer's, was diagnosed at 57 nearly ten years ago. So, every time I walk into a room and forget why I'm there, or forget literally anything, I shit myself and think it's the beginning of the end. I've started the process of genetic testing to see if I can see what my chances are etc, and that's a process that's underway, if lengthy.

So I've been trying lots of things to try and help myself, improved diet and exercise, so many supplements I'm rattling, and obviously there's strong advice to "use it or lose it".

My job is highly pressured but not exactly taxing, so last year I decided to start doing a degree with the Open University. I'm not exactly awash with free time, but I'm enjoying the course and the purpose it gives me, and the deadlines have definitely helped me clamber from under the blanket and turn the lights on more than a few times.

I figured if Boris Fucking Johnson can get a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics then so can I.

Got my first year results today; 88% and a Distinction (not that it stopped me confusing Matt Hill and Scott Golbourne yesterday )

 

[lemonjelly]

Apparently there is scientific research that shows that traversing through a doorway causes us to forget. It's something to do with the change in perception/environment, so the whole walking into a room and forgetting the reason we walked in there is phenomenally common!

Fair fucking play for engaging with the OU! That requires a ton of self discipline!
As you may have picked up, I work in a university setting. It's rare as rocking horse shit I see anyone getting marks of that calibre, so give your head a wobble! And good luck!

My degree was in philosophy, I started it 30 years ago this week!

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

I don't have a degree but my daughters got a really good one. 88% and a distinction is rarefied territory!

 

[Alan]

Got my first year results today; 88% and a Distinction (not that it stopped me confusing Matt Hill and Scott Golbourne yesterday )

I won’t stand for this erasure of Golbourne’s weird blonde hair square!

 

[Derby Wolf]

Ditto.

Think I've got ADHD.

Anxiety and depression can heighten those behaviours and the more I reflect on it the more it fits most of my adolescent and adult life.

My anti-medicine, anti-vax mother was the lead culprit in labeling me as naughty and disruptive as a child so internalised that plus other stuff which fueled the mental health with the ADHD being a silent partner.

I'm back on the gear, Citalopram. ADHD diagnosis can take years here though.

Confirmed diagnosis of ADHD this morning.

It's strangely liberating and emotional all at once.

Liberating that after feeling like an outsider and always "different" there was something driving that.

Emotional that had someone identified things when I was a child rather than label me disruptive and naughty then certain barriers I've faced wouldn't have been there or not been as high.

Now moving onto titration for meds.

 

[Alan]

Emotional that had someone identified things when I was a child rather than label me disruptive and naughty then certain barriers I've faced wouldn't have been there or not been as high.

This has been so hard for me to reckon with regarding the hindsight of my recent OCD diagnosis. So many sliding doors in my life that were dictated by my ignorance of what was actually happening.

Wishing you the best in navigating the new, more accurate perspective, mate.

 

[Derby Wolf]

This has been so hard for me to reckon with regarding the hindsight of my recent OCD diagnosis. So many sliding doors in my life that were dictated by my ignorance of what was actually happening.

Wishing you the best in navigating the new, more accurate perspective, mate.

Likewise sir.

How do you move through your diagnosis? Are there meds for help or is it more holistic and figuring out triggers and managing it?

I've elected for meds because I feel it's in charge of me currently so if I can get in front of it whilst learning how to manage it I can then hopefully make it work for me.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It sounds ridiculous but being diagnosed with bipolar was a life changer (for the good) for me.

I now knew what the fuck was wrong with me and now let's deal with it.

And now I can just own it. Yeah, that's what I've got, take it or leave it.

 

[Alan]

Likewise sir.

How do you move through your diagnosis? Are there meds for help or is it more holistic and figuring out triggers and managing it?

I've elected for meds because I feel it's in charge of me currently so if I can get in front of it whilst learning how to manage it I can then hopefully make it work for me.

Medication has helped with a lot of the more mundane obsessions; things like spending a whole drive (and I mean the whole drive) thinking of every possible fatal accident I could be involved in aren't really an issue for me anymore. I'm on a Hell of a cocktail these days; an SSRI, a stimulant, and an anti-psychotic daily. Unfortunately for me, my case is pretty severe, so common things can still get me, even on good days.

Like Dan, though, the diagnosis was something of a miracle; it has a name now. Before, I thought it was all just... me. So to speak.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Don't be afraid of medication. You wouldn't refuse to take Lemsip if you had a heavy cold.

I'm on Mirtazapine and will be for the rest of my life. It doesn't fix everything but it dulls the edges.