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What is your experience of mental health?


AstonMartyn88

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54 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

After I posted that last night I went back and read the rest of the thread so at least when I came to @Straggler 's post on page 11 I at least had some context as to why you would jump on a post in a thread about mental illness to label it as 'shite'.

I wasn't really jumping on your post and, frankly, I had forgotten that I'd posted things on the subject 5 months ago.

I clicked on the OU link in it and was immediately confronted with the new orthodoxy about treating everyone's mental wellbeing, i.e. mindfulness and the related cognitive therapy. It annoys me. The pushing of mindfulness (and this isn't an accusation against an individual - it's against the professionals) as the solution annoys me. Though that page has it down as 'one of the preferred treatments for depression recommended by NICE' it would appear to be the first call and first suggestion of any health practitioner after pills.

As I said before (I've gone back and reread those couple of pages, too, after your pointer), I don't doubt that it helps some people (and I'm very glad that it does) but it is not the panacea that it is largely presented as. It has become an industry in itself and more than that, a creed and I get the impression that (though this may not be borne out by the numbers) other potential services within the mental health sphere have suffered as a result.

54 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

Anyway Snowy if you were trolling, well done, coz you got a reaction.

I wasn't trolling and I genuinely apologize if you felt that I was.

Edit:

Quote

I don't think I'm really doing myself justice...

I think your post was quite clear and I respect that you took the time to write it and give my post a more thoughtful response than it deserved or was looking for (as above it wasn't looking for any, really - it was just an expression of my thought at the time).

Edited by snowychap
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I think it's fair to suggest that if we are on this thread and feel a twitching, jerky motion in our patella-region from the content we read then we should just take a 5 minute break.

Anyway, I'm glad it unfolded this way because I enjoyed the more thorough explanation @VILLAMARVand I also went back a few pages and read Stragglers post and was very moved.

5 hours ago, coda said:

I don't know what work you do but is this loss of direction a factor in your illness? This loss of impetus coupled with SAD could be a factor.

Yes, this is definitely the case, and it's been a recurring pattern. Every time I think this year is going to be different, but it's not. That's why I've decided to seek help in order to get a job. A proper job that will get me in to a routine, has a good social environment, ideally also including physical activity. I have my own firm and I'm my own boss, and it's clearly not working out for me.

Edited by tarjei
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55 minutes ago, maqroll said:

Do you take any medication?

Not at the moment. But I've told the doctor I'm willing to try again. I think he will hold of a bit and trust the opinion of the psychiatrist. 

I had a period about 10 years ago where I tried one, Mirtazapine or Remeron as it's also called (Serotonin and Norepinephrine). It had a tremendous effect at first, but after like 6 to 9 months it felt like they just didn't do anything for me anymore. When I stopped using them I was back to were I first started but with a harder time falling asleep with regularity. It was like my day had 32-34 hours. Eventually I started taking melatonin to help me sleep, and that worked rather well without any noticeable side effects. Living in South Africa for little over 2 years I no longer need aid to sleep as I seemed to regain the 24hour internal clock, even though a mild depression hit me whilst there. That's where I tried Wellbutrin but I noticed no effect whatsoever. 2 years ago I went back on Remeron in the hopes that it would give me that quick temporary boost that I got the first time, but this time I didn't feel anything except that it really messed up my sleep.

It will be interesting to see the psychiatrist again, because it's the same guy I saw 10 years ago and who gave me a diagnose, sort of. He thought I had schizoid personality disorder, which in fairness to him, at the time I exhibited all symptoms. But as time has gone by I've shed most of those symptoms. Looking back I think I was hurting so bad that to protect myself I shut down and detached myself completely.

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@snowychap. All is good chap. Genuinely sorry for any aggressiveness in that rant. And any accusations. Poor form. Anything I had to add could have been presented more constructively. However I suppose it's the nature of the beast and we see/read things and we respond. Be a pretty boring place if we didn't.

Further to that I wasn't suggesting (or at least I wasn't trying to!) that you had personally shot Straggler down at any point. Just that he seemed to garner the same response generally when he stuck his head above the parapit.

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6 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

@snowychap. All is good chap. Genuinely sorry for any aggressiveness in that rant. And any accusations. Poor form. Anything I had to add could have been presented more constructively. However I suppose it's the nature of the beast and we see/read things and we respond. Be a pretty boring place if we didn't.

Further to that I wasn't suggesting (or at least I wasn't trying to!) that you had personally shot Straggler down at any point. Just that he seemed to garner the same response generally when he stuck his head above the parapit.

Thanks for that but there's no need for an apology as I understand why you may have read it in the way you did (especially after looking back and seeing my posts on the earlier couple of pages) and I didn't read your post as aggressive or too ranty. :)

I think it's a difficult thread in which to have a discussion about our opinions of particular courses of action without appearing to be commenting on other people's personal circumstances - especially as they're likely to have opened up quite considerably about their issues or the experiences of someone close to them. I ought to be a bit more tactful with what I say (or at least how I say it) as I wouldn't want to be putting other people off coming in to the thread to discuss their circumstances.

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On 1/27/2017 at 13:14, tarjei said:

Not at the moment. But I've told the doctor I'm willing to try again. I think he will hold of a bit and trust the opinion of the psychiatrist. 

I had a period about 10 years ago where I tried one, Mirtazapine or Remeron as it's also called (Serotonin and Norepinephrine). It had a tremendous effect at first, but after like 6 to 9 months it felt like they just didn't do anything for me anymore. When I stopped using them I was back to were I first started but with a harder time falling asleep with regularity. It was like my day had 32-34 hours. Eventually I started taking melatonin to help me sleep, and that worked rather well without any noticeable side effects. Living in South Africa for little over 2 years I no longer need aid to sleep as I seemed to regain the 24hour internal clock, even though a mild depression hit me whilst there. That's where I tried Wellbutrin but I noticed no effect whatsoever. 2 years ago I went back on Remeron in the hopes that it would give me that quick temporary boost that I got the first time, but this time I didn't feel anything except that it really messed up my sleep.

It will be interesting to see the psychiatrist again, because it's the same guy I saw 10 years ago and who gave me a diagnose, sort of. He thought I had schizoid personality disorder, which in fairness to him, at the time I exhibited all symptoms. But as time has gone by I've shed most of those symptoms. Looking back I think I was hurting so bad that to protect myself I shut down and detached myself completely.

Try a cannabis strain with high levels of CBD, it lifts your mood without the "stoned" feeling. I'm on it right now, and it works a charm.

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1 hour ago, maqroll said:

Try a cannabis strain with high levels of CBD, it lifts your mood without the "stoned" feeling. I'm on it right now, and it works a charm.

This is something that I've always wanted to try. All the pot I've smoked (which isn't much tbh) has been high THC and some of it has made me paranoid. I recently started browsing some web-stores looking for seeds, playing with the idea that I could grow some myself, but it's illegal to import and grow. As far as I know it's not used in treatment here, I could be wrong though...

How do you get it and how do you go about getting something low THC high CBD?

Edited by tarjei
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29 minutes ago, tarjei said:

This is something that I've always wanted to try. All the pot I've smoked (which isn't much tbh) has been high THC and some of it has made me paranoid. I recently started browsing some web-stores looking for seeds, playing with the idea that I could grow some myself, but it's illegal to import and grow. As far as I know it's not used in treatment here, I could be wrong though...

How do you get it and how do you go about getting something low THC high CBD?

I am lucky to live in a state that has legalized it, but because I need CBD cannabis, I have to go to a medical dispensary, because nobody sells CBD weed on the street (doesn't get you stoned). What are the cannabis laws in Norway? 

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Just now, maqroll said:

I am lucky to live in a state that has legalized it, but because I need CBD cannabis, I have to go to a medical dispensary, because nobody sells CBD weed on the street (doesn't get you stoned). What are the cannabis laws in Norway? 

Ah.. it's illegal, but I think we will eventually get there. I might be going to Amsterdam later this year so maybe I get the chance to try it there.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Hello all just wondered if anyone has had any experience of PTSD?

basically I had a lot of stress a couple of years ago- my wife got diagnosed with cancer, 6 year old had to have heart surgery and I got made redundant from a job I loved in the same year. This was 2 years ago. I didn't have any support and we all got through it.

I thought I got through it but now have started realising I have been very low, moody, withdrawn, uninterested,demotivated and more worryingly emotionally numb for quite a while. When I'm with certain people (work for Example) I can appear ok but inside I'm beating myself up. 

This has now culminated with me behaving irrationally which has brought this all to the fore. 

I'm booked in for counselling next week but am trying to get my head around it at the moment so just thought I'd share and hope someone may have experience or advice. Thanks. 

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51 minutes ago, chrisvilla4 said:

Hello all just wondered if anyone has had any experience of PTSD?

basically I had a lot of stress a couple of years ago- my wife got diagnosed with cancer, 6 year old had to have heart surgery and I got made redundant from a job I loved in the same year. This was 2 years ago. I didn't have any support and we all got through it.

I thought I got through it but now have started realising I have been very low, moody, withdrawn, uninterested,demotivated and more worryingly emotionally numb for quite a while. When I'm with certain people (work for Example) I can appear ok but inside I'm beating myself up. 

This has now culminated with me behaving irrationally which has brought this all to the fore. 

I'm booked in for counselling next week but am trying to get my head around it at the moment so just thought I'd share and hope someone may have experience or advice. Thanks. 

Sounds like you are on top of things despite those incredible challenges.

Counseling seems to be universally accepted as really helpful. I've been tempted to try it. I think men tend to be extremely unforgiving of themselves. People don't have to lift the entire lid on their existence when they seek help from a shrink. Talk about the few things that you grapple with. Anyone would be reeling a bit after those events. Good luck with the counseling, I think you are on the right path.

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6 hours ago, chrisvilla4 said:

Hello all just wondered if anyone has had any experience of PTSD?

basically I had a lot of stress a couple of years ago- my wife got diagnosed with cancer, 6 year old had to have heart surgery and I got made redundant from a job I loved in the same year. This was 2 years ago. I didn't have any support and we all got through it.

I thought I got through it but now have started realising I have been very low, moody, withdrawn, uninterested,demotivated and more worryingly emotionally numb for quite a while. When I'm with certain people (work for Example) I can appear ok but inside I'm beating myself up. 

This has now culminated with me behaving irrationally which has brought this all to the fore. 

I'm booked in for counselling next week but am trying to get my head around it at the moment so just thought I'd share and hope someone may have experience or advice. Thanks. 

It sounds like you had a terrible time of it and you are still working through the process of recovery.

It is possible that you repressed your feelings at the time, just so you could cope with your situation, and they have now re-emerged.

Such delay is not uncommon and I am sure your counselling will help you a lot.

Most of the time we don't know what we feel until we hear ourselves say it and the counselling process usually helps to achieve such understanding.

All the best.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I wanna bring up a bit of a delicate subject now that I am going through. I suspect my gf may be suffering from depression or not handling things very well. Her behavioural patterns have been bizarre since I returned from holiday. I was away from her for 16 days and we met up the following day everything was great. She told me she missed me greatly and we even booked a holiday together for October. 

After that she has been distant and asked for a space which I have given her. But this is second time it's happened in 5 months.

She lost her dad 10 days ago in car accident and her mum once he died suffered depression for the next 5 years straight and took her life. She and her brother found her in the garage  (I don't know how I didn't ask not my business) she doesn't really talk much about it but just says that you have to just get on with life for your own sake.

But I suspect she isn't dealing with it well and it's affecting her rational and emotions where she makes really strange decisions. It's a delicate subject but has anyone had to deal with something like this that they suspect someone is depressed but don't know how to bring it up? How do you approach it? 

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Hi @Demitri_C I have solid experience of your situation. 

I would say choose your moments of you try and bring this up when they aren't ready to hear it then it won't go well at all and will probably make things worse. If you can find the right time just talk through what has happened and try and get her to see/agree that this isn't usual behaviour. 

If they can see/agree to that make the point that you are not qualified to help with that and try and get her to see a GP. If she is suffering from depression they will make the diagnosis and start the process. 

Learning to deal with it is another matter altogether but at least you'll have made a good start. 

Ps assume you mean her Dad died 10years ago, if it was 10 days ago I think she's allowed to be a bit all over the place.

Edited by villaglint
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15 minutes ago, villaglint said:

Hi @Demitri_C I have solid experience of your situation. 

I would say choose your moments of you try and bring this up when they aren't ready to hear it then it won't go well at all and will probably make things worse. If you can find the right time just talk through what has happened and try and get her to see/agree that this isn't usual behaviour. 

If they can see/agree to that make the point that you are not qualified to help with that and try and get her to see a GP. If she is suffering from depression they will make the diagnosis and start the process. 

Learning to deal with it is another matter altogether but at least you'll have made a good start. 

Ps assume you mean her Dad died 10years ago, if it was 10 days ago I think she's allowed to be a bit all over the place.

Thanks mate. Yeah her dad was 10 years ago my mistake.

I think she needs to see a cognitive behavioural therapist th. I don't want her to take tablets or anything like that. But i think talking to someone might help her.

 What happened in your situation  if you don't mind me asking?

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Went to GP got help from the right people. It's an ongoing process! 

You don't really get better from depression but you can learn to manage it better. 

Also I wouldn't rule out pills if that is what's required. Remember this is way above your pay grade so trust in advice of experts. 

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