Health Depression

[MP_]

I never understood how you felt. Until now.

I find if I can keep my mind busy I’m nowhere near as bad. It’s the days where I’m not mentally involved in anything that my own thoughts take control. I always try to remember that we are not our mind. Hope you’re doing better, I had a much better day today.

 

[Macca19]

I would always recommend a half-hour per day of walking/gardening/gentle exercise over worship. In any case, while doing the exercise things most people could probably say their prayers while doing the more important stuff.

Yeah dunno about the worship part, but meditating basically changed my life. Being taught the ability to just shut off thoughts for 10-15 minutes a day and truly relax the mind whilst listening to rain sounds or a guided meditation pretty well solved 99% of my anxiety and depression issues. Its a powerful tool.

 

[MP_]

Yeah dunno about the worship part, but meditating basically changed my life. Being taught the ability to just shut off thoughts for 10-15 minutes a day and truly relax the mind whilst listening to rain sounds or a guided meditation pretty well solved 99% of my anxiety and depression issues. Its a powerful tool.

Do you use an app or something on Spotify, maybe I need to try this.

 

[Run n Spread]

I’ve been struggling a bit since RUOk day, I’ve mentioned elsewhere my dislike of this day. Still waiting for a real life friend to reach out to me, people are all talk, ruok has made me feel more alone than ever when you realise you don’t have anyone in your life that gives a s*t about you. The battle is ****** real .

I hate r u ok day crock of shit.
I'm sick of it all.
Saturday should be good than b I rest and back to work Monday. Just find purpose and get on with things

 

[Teagueeee15]

Do you use an app or something on Spotify, maybe I need to try this.

Smiling mind is a free app that my Psychologist recommended for this.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Anti-anxiety medicine getting a absolute ass-whooping in medical journals around the world in the last 12 months. Ill try to find all the links properly and post them for each drug but its hard to decipher sometimes, even as someone like me whose got a background in it.

Its very important to understand that any anti-anxiety drug cannot be on its lonesome and that the time has come to treat the side effects rather then simply accept them for what they are . The push really is going for it to be a secondary drug in the sense that anti-anxiety medicine simply has too big a impact on dopamine and how it interacts for it to exist on its lonesome.

The push or desire at this stage is to pair anti-anxiety meds with similar treatments for epilepsy and thats where alot of the newer studies are heading. If you are on anti-anxiety medicines and feeling your dopamine levels becoming a bit all over the shop (good example of this is if you feel like your personality is more addictive to things) then id recommend seeing the doctor about it as the science says now that you gotta treat that and no longer ignore it as a accepted side-effect

 

[Feraligatr]

I’ve been struggling a bit since RUOk day, I’ve mentioned elsewhere my dislike of this day. Still waiting for a real life friend to reach out to me, people are all talk, ruok has made me feel more alone than ever when you realise you don’t have anyone in your life that gives a s*t about you. The battle is ****** real .

I really feel for you. I know exactly how you feel.

My inbox is always open.

I know about that feeling that people don't give a shit about you. Yesterday I rang a friend that I have helped out so much to see if he could give me a lift to tullamarine to get some stuff out of my car that's probably going to be written off. He didn't even want a bar of it, even though he always says if I need anything to ask and the house he lives in is because of me. It made me realise that I'm not a friend but just a convenience.

 

[Macca19]

Do you use an app or something on Spotify, maybe I need to try this.

I bought a lifetime subscription of the Calm app when it was half price after using it for a couple months. Very easy to use, has tons of great material. 2-3 new meditations every day as well as 100 or so other ones in the system, has famous actors/sports people do either guided meditations, talks or sleep stories (which are also cool). Tons of relaxation music on there. Also has things like daily reflections, mood check-ins etc so you can record your thoughts for the day in whatever detail you like.

My psych at the time recommended using a meditation app, this was on the list and it looked like the best one. Within a week I was using it multiple times a day and became part of my morning and evening routine. Have used it when exercising etc. Highly recommend it. Think at the time it was $60 for a year and I got the lifetime for $250 or so.

 

[Cactus_]

I’ve been struggling a bit since RUOk day, I’ve mentioned elsewhere my dislike of this day. Still waiting for a real life friend to reach out to me, people are all talk, ruok has made me feel more alone than ever when you realise you don’t have anyone in your life that gives a s*t about you. The battle is ****** real .

I reckon the very online life that a lot of people (me included) has come at the expense of face to face connections.

I live in the same suburb I gre up in. Back in the 80s it would take me 45mins to walk down to the shops because I’d know almost everyone and most of them would want to have a chat. Now I hardly know hardly anyone when I walk down the same street.

Social media soaks up a lot of that chat time, and people get out of the habit of connecting with friends in real life.

That’s at least part of why I think it’s happening. Damned if I know what to do about it though.

 

[MP_]

I reckon the very online life that a lot of people (me included) has come at the expense of face to face connections.

I live in the same suburb I gre up in. Back in the 80s it would take me 45mins to walk down to the shops because I’d know almost everyone and most of them would want to have a chat. Now I hardly know hardly anyone when I walk down the same street.

Social media soaks up a lot of that chat time, and people get out of the habit of connecting with friends in real life.

That’s at least part of why I think it’s happening. Damned if I know what to do about it though.

I moved from the city to a town an hour away, amazing how many people found it too far to travel to see us, my parents included, yet we have no issue driving to Adelaide. I guess that frustration left me less likely to respond to friends when they invited us to stuff because they would never return the favour. Also moving to a country town as city folk was difficult to make friends, thankfully we did through our kids but I’ve never felt like a local always an outsider.

 

[Madas]

I reckon the very online life that a lot of people (me included) has come at the expense of face to face connections.

I live in the same suburb I gre up in. Back in the 80s it would take me 45mins to walk down to the shops because I’d know almost everyone and most of them would want to have a chat. Now I hardly know hardly anyone when I walk down the same street.

Social media soaks up a lot of that chat time, and people get out of the habit of connecting with friends in real life.

That’s at least part of why I think it’s happening. Damned if I know what to do about it though.

One thing I can recommend is joining a club of some sort , sporting or otherwise.

In winter I’m pretty involved in our local footy club helping with umpiring , coaching, game day and generally helping out .
Get to talk to a really good cross section of people from 14 year old juniors to 80 year old life members .
It’s social and it feels like I’m helping out .

In summer I play social bowls on a Wednesday night .
It’s a great laugh and surprisingly difficult game to play .
Breaks the week up and gets me away from work an hour or so earlier than normal.

Just a thought .

 

[Madas]

I moved from the city to a town an hour away, amazing how many people found it too far to travel to see us, my parents included, yet we have no issue driving to Adelaide. I guess that frustration left me less likely to respond to friends when they invited us to stuff because they would never return the favour. Also moving to a country town as city folk was difficult to make friends, thankfully we did through our kids but I’ve never felt like a local always an outsider.

You’ll feel like a local after about 20 years , it takes time

 

[Cactus_]

I moved from the city to a town an hour away, amazing how many people found it too far to travel to see us, my parents included, yet we have no issue driving to Adelaide. I guess that frustration left me less likely to respond to friends when they invited us to stuff because they would never return the favour. Also moving to a country town as city folk was difficult to make friends, thankfully we did through our kids but I’ve never felt like a local always an outsider.

It really is incredible how easy it can be to lose connections and friendships (and how hard it is to make new ones at least in middle age).

It takes a lot of time and effort, but if you’ve got kids and both parents working etc. (for instance) there isn’t much spare time and effort left when you’ve done the things you need to do.

 

[Cactus_]

One thing I can recommend is joining a club of some sort , sporting or otherwise.

I’m winter I’m pretty involved in our local footy club helping with umpiring , coaching, game day and generally helping out .
Get to talk to a really good cross section of people from 14 year old juniors to 80 year old life members .
It’s social and it feels like I’m helping out .

In summer I play social bowls on a Wednesday night .
It’s a great laugh and surprisingly difficult game to play .
Breaks the week up and gets me away from work and hour or so earlier than normal.

Just a thought .

This is a good suggestion.

I retired from playing cricket when my kids were born, but my young fella has decided he wants to play this year for the first time and I’m taking him to his first training this arvo.

 

[snozulu]

I bought a lifetime subscription of the Calm app when it was half price after using it for a couple months. Very easy to use, has tons of great material. 2-3 new meditations every day as well as 100 or so other ones in the system, has famous actors/sports people do either guided meditations, talks or sleep stories (which are also cool). Tons of relaxation music on there. Also has things like daily reflections, mood check-ins etc so you can record your thoughts for the day in whatever detail you like.

My psych at the time recommended using a meditation app, this was on the list and it looked like the best one. Within a week I was using it multiple times a day and became part of my morning and evening routine. Have used it when exercising etc. Highly recommend it. Think at the time it was $60 for a year and I got the lifetime for $250 or so.

Any particular topics you like to meditate about Macca? I like doing self compassion and sleep time meditations at the moment.

 

[raskolnikov]

Struggling big time right now. My mum, who lives with my sister, an 8-hour drive away, is in failing health and has been for quite some time. The last few months she has been really hard to understand on the phone because her health has affected her voice. So I really can't hold a decent conversation with her so don't call much. Every day it's like a waiting game, waiting for my sister to give me that call to let me know she has passed. I've been very close to my mum so it will be hard. At the same time my dog, who is 16 and I have had since a puppy is also in failing health. I live in a two-storey house so have to carry him up and down the stairs all the time. So I feel like I'm in a waiting game with him too for that time to come. Meanwhile my nephew who lives with me does **** all around the house and I really don't like asking him to because it just ends in an argument that I couldn't be bothered having. To add to this the other night I basically burnt bridges with a group I was part of and was one of my few social outlets. So yeah, my life basically sucks atm.

 

[raskolnikov]

I moved from the city to a town an hour away, amazing how many people found it too far to travel to see us, my parents included, yet we have no issue driving to Adelaide. I guess that frustration left me less likely to respond to friends when they invited us to stuff because they would never return the favour. Also moving to a country town as city folk was difficult to make friends, thankfully we did through our kids but I’ve never felt like a local always an outsider.

That was like when I lived in South Gippsland, a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. I was always driving into Melbourne to attend functions and friends were constantly asking me to come in. Yet in my whole 4 years there only one time did a friend drive out to see me.

 

[Kram]

Also moving to a country town as city folk was difficult to make friends, thankfully we did through our kids but I’ve never felt like a local always an outsider.

I'm looking at going back to the city after a long absence, I think it will be harder going that way.

Struggling big time right now. My mum, who lives with my sister, an 8-hour drive away, is in failing health and has been for quite some time. The last few months she has been really hard to understand on the phone because her health has affected her voice. So I really can't hold a decent conversation with her so don't call much. Every day it's like a waiting game, waiting for my sister to give me that call to let me know she has passed. I've been very close to my mum so it will be hard. At the same time my dog, who is 16 and I have had since a puppy is also in failing health. I live in a two-storey house so have to carry him up and down the stairs all the time. So I feel like I'm in a waiting game with him too for that time to come. Meanwhile my nephew who lives with me does * all around the house and I really don't like asking him to because it just ends in an argument that I couldn't be bothered having. To add to this the other night I basically burnt bridges with a group I was part of and was one of my few social outlets. So yeah, my life basically sucks atm.

Sounds like my year but the parent and old pet have now gone.

 

[MP_]

I don’t think I’ll ever be free from this darkness. Even on what are good days for me it’s there. The cure is me but I’m also the cause of the disease.

 

[brutus76]

It's tough - I moved to QLD 10 years ago after losing access to my son (who is now 18 and still wants nothing to do with me)

Taking advantage of the three free psych sessions is a godsend as i'm homesick

Actually moving closer to home next year but not where my family and ex-missus and son live

Finding your "happy place/places" is important. Mine is swimming. I do 2.5km once a week and often think about stuff or relax whilst churning out laps.

Having people you can go to is vital. I got a lot of folks here that have made me part of the family which i really appreciate seeing i've been away for so long.

 

[Shell]

It's tough - I moved to QLD 10 years ago after losing access to my son (who is now 18 and still wants nothing to do with me)

Taking advantage of the three free psych sessions is a godsend as i'm homesick

Actually moving closer to home next year but not where my family and ex-missus and son live

Finding your "happy place/places" is important. Mine is swimming. I do 2.5km once a week and often think about stuff or relax whilst churning out laps.

Having people you can go to is vital. I got a lot of folks here that have made me part of the family which i really appreciate seeing i've been away for so long.

Love swimming. When it warms up will get back into it soon.


Lately I've been up early and walking laps around the track at my school. You'd think walking around in circles on a track would be ****ing mind numbing but I am loving it. Way more than a treadmill at a gym anyway. I do 20 x 250M laps for 5km at 7am before school starts, then relax with a coffee before p1. Love it.

 

[Kram]

Swam 5kms over the weekend, it really helps with sleep.

 

[AdelaideGT]

Exercise - of any sort - is a real help with depression.

Sadly with mobility issues happening for me since health/surgery problems over the past few years, I can get exhausted/out of breath doing something as simple as putting the bins out.

Even having a shower the other day, I needed to lie down to recover from the physical effort. Pathetically sad.

Those of you who aren't so restricted, do as much exercise as you can - use it or lose it!

Your mental health will thank you.

 

[raskolnikov]

It's tough - I moved to QLD 10 years ago after losing access to my son (who is now 18 and still wants nothing to do with me)

Taking advantage of the three free psych sessions is a godsend as i'm homesick

Actually moving closer to home next year but not where my family and ex-missus and son live

Finding your "happy place/places" is important. Mine is swimming. I do 2.5km once a week and often think about stuff or relax whilst churning out laps.

Having people you can go to is vital. I got a lot of folks here that have made me part of the family which i really appreciate seeing i've been away for so long.

Mine is CrossFit. People joke about it and I string them along but it's been a lifesaver.

 

[MP_]

Mine is CrossFit. People joke about it and I string them along but it's been a lifesaver.

i just bought a cheapo exercise bike, hopped on and did 10km's before my bum was too sore from the seat. felt good just to do that little bit, now to make doing a habit