Mental Illness - lets help smash the stigma

In the wake of Mitch Clark’s retirement from the game due to clinical depression, and the amount of support he got from the wider footballing community, I had been thinking about starting a thread on our very own board about mental illness. This was only confirmed further in the days after Clark’s retirement from the game on some of the comments in the general discussion thread about our very own posters having battled (or are still battling) mental illness.

For far too long there has been a stigma attached to mental illness, and you often hear people (particularly men) speak about this. You hear words like embarrassed and ashamed, and you hear statements like didn’t know what is/was wrong with me and didn’t know who to turn to.

Just doing some brief research on this, and the facts are quite alarming

· Nearly half (45%) of the population will experience a mental disorder at some stage in their lives.

· Almost one in five Australians (20%) will experience a mental illness in a 12-month period.

· At least one third of young people have had an episode of mental illness by the time they are 25 years old.

I, like so many others in the community have been diagnosed with a mental disorder in that I suffer from anxiety. There have been times when I have suffered panic attacks to the point where everything around you seems to move in slow motion and your thoughts are so rapid and dis-jointed you can’t think straight. There have also been times where I didn’t get out of bed for the fear of having to face another dreaded day when it felt like another panic attack was around every corner.

What I can say to people is there is help out there, and the best thing you can do is speak to someone about your condition. I spoke to my GP that I have known for the best part of 30 years. Sure it was hard to open up and admit you have a problem, but after the initial consultations it does get easier.

I can now say through talking to someone I trust and really opining up about what has been going on in my mind has helped no end. I have resigned myself to the fact that I am very likely to have an anxiety dis-order for the rest of my life, but through talking to people it certainly does become much more manageable. I no longer have panic attacks and whilst getting out of bed in the middle of winter can be a struggle, I certainly don’t hide away under the doona anymore.
 
People are largely a lot more understanding today than they were years ago.
The only problem is that unless you've suffered some of the aforementioned issues, you really have little idea.

How do you explain to someone what a full blown panic attack feels like?
Guess that as many more are open about discussion they're finding themselves far from alone.

I remember trying to explain to my GP how my panic attack felt.
In my case, I froze at my desk at work, yet my mind was going at a million miles an hour.
A truly terrifying experience and one I really hope I don't have to go through again.
 
Feb 6, 2013
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I think they're different for everyone. My breathing gets heavy and my heart beats so hard you can see it. Feels like my chest is being crushed.

The first time I had one I wad at an 18th. I had no idea what was happening and ended up in a ball on the laundry floor. It was petrifying.
 
Good on you HBF and anyone else who comes forward to share their issues.

I'm lucky enough to say I don't have any such mental struggles but do have my own physical issues which need to be addressed.

It's not always easy to share the issues one has so I commend anyone who does so. It may not cure things but sharing with people who care to listen goes a long way to soothing the soul.
 
People are largely a lot more understanding today than they were years ago.
The only problem is that unless you've suffered some of the aforementioned issues, you really have little idea.

How do you explain to someone what a full blown panic attack feels like?
Guess that as many more are open about discussion they're finding themselves far from alone.
my last panic attack was 2km out to see whilst swimming. Got hit by a big wave and lost my breathe. Got hit again. For the next 10mins brain could not convince itself to calm down. Hyperventilated. A kind fellow swimmer asked if I was OK and I replied sure. Took a deep breath put my head down and swam another 1 km out then back in no troubles at all. But for those few moments I thought I was going to die.
 
Scary isn't it blue gunslinger

Not sure I could have done anything but swallow water and drowned through a full blown panic attack but each to their own.

Glad it worked out for you. :thumbsu:
wetsuit kept me afloat otherwise the result may have been drowining
 
I think they're different for everyone. My breathing gets heavy and my heart beats so hard you can see it. Feels like my chest is being crushed.

The first time I had one I wad at an 18th. I had no idea what was happening and ended up in a ball on the laundry floor. It was petrifying.

Weird isn't it. My breathing almost stops.
The first one was my worse one. Thankfully that was my one one and only fully blown panic attack.
Since then I have (by my own internal measuring system) suffer from more different levels of anxiety.
I can actually still function relatively normal and my anxiousness tends to reduce over a period of time.
 
Great thread HBF.

I've never suffered from depression or anxiety previously but had my first panic attach in San Francisco. Nothing worse when you're so far away and feel like you'll never get home. Wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy and hope I never have to experience it again
 
Feb 6, 2013
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Can't begin to imagine that feeling, must be horrible. I'm someone who likes to be in control of situations as much as possible generally, and the thought to not be able to control myself is difficult to get my head around. Wouldn't wish that upon anyone.

That's what's so rough about it. I'm a control freak by nature so to feel like I have absolutely no bearing on anything is really hard.

My last panic attack was about 6 months ago, but I still suffer from anxiety a fair bit. I have to remember to meditate and calm myself down, just to breathe through it really. I'm very open about it and I don't hesitate to tell people when my anxiety is acting up. I'm not afraid to excuse myself from a situation if need be.
 
That's what's so rough about it. I'm a control freak by nature so to feel like I have absolutely no bearing on anything is really hard.

My last panic attack was about 6 months ago, but I still suffer from anxiety a fair bit. I have to remember to meditate and calm myself down, just to breathe through it really. I'm very open about it and I don't hesitate to tell people when my anxiety is acting up. I'm not afraid to excuse myself from a situation if need be.
I think that is my prob= control freak
So to let Mother Nature control life/death/fate and pray I survive.harder to give in then to accept ones fate
 
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Hope he's ok Mebby. Being so far from home and having a panic attack is bloody frightening!

Thank you lovely.

It's the second time this year he's been sent home due to anxiety. The first time was from Mali, in West Africa. He's panicked because he's never suffered anxiety before, but he's having almost black outs because of it. He can't move, he can't think, he can't breathe. It's petrifying. I really hope he gets it under control and get his life back, he hates not being able to work.
 
Thank you lovely.

It's the second time this year he's been sent home due to anxiety. The first time was from Mali, in West Africa. He's panicked because he's never suffered anxiety before, but he's having almost black outs because of it. He can't move, he can't think, he can't breathe. It's petrifying. I really hope he gets it under control and get his life back, he hates not being able to work.

As I posted previously, same thing happened to me. First and last time actually. It's really hard to explain tbh
 

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In the wake of Mitch Clark’s retirement from the game due to clinical depression, and the amount of support he got from the wider footballing community, I had been thinking about starting a thread on our very own board about mental illness. This was only confirmed further in the days after Clark’s retirement from the game on some of the comments in the general discussion thread about our very own posters having battled (or are still battling) mental illness.

For far too long there has been a stigma attached to mental illness, and you often hear people (particularly men) speak about this. You hear words like embarrassed and ashamed, and you hear statements like didn’t know what is/was wrong with me and didn’t know who to turn to.

Just doing some brief research on this, and the facts are quite alarming

· Nearly half (45%) of the population will experience a mental disorder at some stage in their lives.

· Almost one in five Australians (20%) will experience a mental illness in a 12-month period.

· At least one third of young people have had an episode of mental illness by the time they are 25 years old.

I, like so many others in the community have been diagnosed with a mental disorder in that I suffer from anxiety. There have been times when I have suffered panic attacks to the point where everything around you seems to move in slow motion and your thoughts are so rapid and dis-jointed you can’t think straight. There have also been times where I didn’t get out of bed for the fear of having to face another dreaded day when it felt like another panic attack was around every corner.

What I can say to people is there is help out there, and the best thing you can do is speak to someone about your condition. I spoke to my GP that I have known for the best part of 30 years. Sure it was hard to open up and admit you have a problem, but after the initial consultations it does get easier.

I can now say through talking to someone I trust and really opining up about what has been going on in my mind has helped no end. I have resigned myself to the fact that I am very likely to have an anxiety dis-order for the rest of my life, but through talking to people it certainly does become much more manageable. I no longer have panic attacks and whilst getting out of bed in the middle of winter can be a struggle, I certainly don’t hide away under the doona anymore.

Just saw this for the first time today. Well done for sharing. People like yourself opening up can really break down the stigma many feel about confronting these things. I'd suggest you've probably helped someone already without knowing.
 
Just saw this for the first time today. Well done for sharing. People like yourself opening up can really break down the stigma many feel about confronting these things. I'd suggest you've probably helped someone already without knowing.

Each person is different, but I almost felt compelled to speak about my anxiety in the wake of alot of other people in the community doing the same thing. It's not a disorder people should feel embarrassed or ashamed to speak about anymore.
 
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