Depression, Anxiety

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by blueoval

I found cutting out as much processed sugar as I can from my day to day life is helping me a lot. Not necessarily from a weight point of view, but also, less inflammation and for some reason, I don't feel anywhere near as mentally unstable as I used to be. It's a strange feeling but one I welcome.

Going cold turkey from sugar is not a good idea unless you also know of the side effects of doing that for the first few weeks. I recommend just removing sugar from hot beverages for a start will help. Then reducing alcoholic drinks or ones with a high sugar content is then next step. Again, not going cold turkey, but monitoring your consumption to perhaps a couple of low carb beers on a weekend or limiting myself to 1 or 2 shots of quality whiskey per weekend for me has helped no end. I used to drink nightly to cope, just so you know the changes I have made.

I have also changed my snacks from a large packet of Smiths chips in 1 hit to a bowl of grapes and a big glass of water to fill the stomach.

Just little changes like that I have noticed a positive reaction.

Occasionally I will splurge on something decedent but not anywhere near as much as before when I was eating my feelings.

Anyway, take as much or none of that as you will. But I think small incremental changes in diet do play a part in your mental stability.

Awesome, that's really good to hear its had a positive impact. I went off sugar about 8 years ago when I had a health scare. Nothing related to mental health though. I had a dizzy spell whilst walking home from work, doc ran a few tests, and was found to be on border line of diabetic. I then cut sugar out, pretty much cold turkey, got re-tested a couple of months later and levels were back to normal. I also drank a shed loads of green tea at the time to reverse the effect. That was also around the time when I had severe work anxiety, so I can't say it really did much for me mentally. Watch out for fruits though, I think people underestimate how much sugar they contain.

By junk I don't mean just the sugary stuff too. I put fast food into that category e.g. maccas, kfc, fish and chips etc. There are suggestions that some people turn to these "comfort food" when they start to feel down.

Same question with pot, other substances, alcohol, gambling etc...do these things cause mental health or do people use / abuse these things because they had mental health issues to begin with? The million dollar question.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Diet is an interesting topic. Do people eat junk because they feel down, or do people feel down because they eat junk. Mental health issues are on the rise in younger people in this country, even pre covid. We need more studies to find the cause, is it the food? environment? what is it?

I never feel like eating in the morning, lunch, dinner and a late supper are my meal times, and has been like that for the last 20 years. I do find that when I go through my gym phase, on and off every 6 months, my brain automatically prefers healthier food.

This is only my opinion, its not set in stone!
Its my observations of others, my communications with them, there is a common denominator too, that common denominator is that they put the blame on their current situation everywhere but on themselves!

Its always someone or something else that caused their problems!
They, the folk I know and talk to daily have all got an issue with owning up to their own faults as people, they think they are failures, think they failed their family or parents!

Was their upbringing really that bad, some maybe be not all, what is it that makes a man want to give up and stop fighting?..and I mean stop fighting daily problems that all of us face at one time or another!
I was like every depressed person here, and it took a long time, years, decades to realise that I am the master of this ship, that I am responsible for everything that happens to that ship, me Billy, not anyone else.

Right now I am the happiest I have ever been, and I'm dying, and am happy about that, my only concern that does depress me is where my beloved 10 yr old cat ends up when I'm gone!...now that really does depress me!


Cheers Billy.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

This is only my opinion, its not set in stone!
Its my observations of others, my communications with them, there is a common denominator too, that common denominator is that they put the blame on their current situation everywhere but on themselves!

Its always someone or something else that caused their problems!
They, the folk I know and talk to daily have all got an issue with owning up to their own faults as people, they think they are failures, think they failed their family or parents!

Was their upbringing really that bad, some maybe be not all, what is it that makes a man want to give up and stop fighting?..and I mean stop fighting daily problems that all of us face at one time or another!
I was like every depressed person here, and it took a long time, years, decades to realise that I am the master of this ship, that I am responsible for everything that happens to that ship, me Billy, not anyone else.

Right now I am the happiest I have ever been, and I'm dying, and am happy about that, my only concern that does depress me is where my beloved 10 yr old cat ends up when I'm gone!...now that really does depress me!


Cheers Billy.

G'day Billy. Appreciate your views. Here is my experience, not sure whether "blame" is the right way to put it, some people I know who have opened up about their troubles seem to all blame themselves. I did volunteering work for CRISIS when I lived in the UK, worked with some really troubled people (homeless and addicted) and conversations always turns to what they should or shouldn't have done. I remember we had a Christmas tree set up one time, and they were free to write their thoughts and put it on the tree, and when you read it, 90% was all about how they wish they could change something about themselves.

I think its important to understand cause and consequence. One's action, and how it impact's others, can have a lasting effect on people's long term mental health. (i'm sounding like a leftie tree hugger here). First thing therapists try to uncover is your experiences during childhood. How did one interact with your grand parents and parents? etc. This is not to attribute blame, but to understand "why" so one can take steps to fix it.

What I don't get is, why we are seeing kids as young as 8 and 9 severely impacted, to the point where they see that there is no point going on. Low hanging fruit is to just "blame" things like social media". But what is it that is happening that is pushing them towards social media as the main platform for socialising and getting involved in toxic behaviour? etc. Too deep for today.

[Crazy Dazz]

The one thing you can't do is generalise. Too many different types of people for that.

The one thing I will say is that Mental Health issues tend to reflect the individual.
Those who are normally very responsible, see their role as providing & protecting, and put others first, will suffer when they feel they have failed in those obligations.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

The one thing you can't do is generalise. Too many different types of people for that.

I agree.

Every person will deal with stresses and problems differently. I'm the sort of person who will stew over things and second guess my abilities if something go's wrong.

I am very aware of my faults and I blame myself for a lot. I have also found other people will use my faults to their benefit.

I can also say that I am physically active, eat well enough and have never ever smoked or taken recreational drugs. I have never had a drop of alcohol. And I'm the sort of person who uses social media for good and distance myself from the toxicity inherent in those platforms.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes depression has no one major cause, ie too much drugs, heavy drinking, social media ect. It's a combination of experiences that build up over time.

[slowsnake]

I met a very complicated young girl a couple of months ago, she reminded me of Olive Oyl from the Popeye cartoon, she was stick thin and homeless!
Her name was Iris and her mother is a speed freak, or "tweaker" as they are called now.
She was a beautiful child, undernourished and big brown eyes, she was 11 years old, she lives on the streets at a suburb called Northbridge in Perth.
She was with another girl, 12 years old and they were being protected by 14 year old Hannah who I call the Mother Hen!

It was near midnight when my neighbour called me, my neighbour is on methadone and is 43 years old, her best friend is Hannah's mother, she is 42 years old and thinks she has an aboriginal elder living in her right chest or breast area?...this woman was raped as a 6 year old by a relative an uncle, she is a real mess, everything that you hate as a human has happened to this poor woman.

But Hannah is absolutely normal, she was her mothers carer, and she goes around picking up street kids, she feeds em and protects them, she has her mothers platinum credit card, this girl is 6 feet tall and could be on the cover of Vogue magazine, she is the most well adapted and caring 14 yr old kid I have ever met.
Hannah and I get on like a house on fire, we both have severe ADHD and she is medicated and I am not, but we both have this "drive" inside us, it can't be explained but its a certain ability we have to go forward, not dwell on the past but only on what is happening in your environment at the present time.

I left and went home at 1am, in the morning I was going to see the local cops and get em to stop these 3 kids at the local railway station, I was going to get them to find out where Iris lived, go and get these dealers who were supplying her mother, a smash and bash!..balaclava and baseball bat job!..lol!

They were gone by morning, got a taxi at 5am, bloody Hannah must of twigged what I was going to do, that's intuition for you, have not seen any of them since, but Hannah's grandmother visits my neighbour and friend weekly, she assures me her granddaughter is OK, but her daughter is a mess, adding as usual.

You can't help folk if they don't want helping, but kiddies are a worry and I still think about Iris, but Hannah all 14 years of her assures me she is fine!

And we all think we got problems!


Cheers Billy.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Some may have seen my post in the "What Made You Feel Good Today" thread, but I thought I'd post this here too, as it may just help someone out.

Myself and a few others are participating in the Pushup Challenge, where teams are completing 3,318 pushups over 25 days, to both fundraise for and put a spotlight on mental health. The target of 3,318 represents the number of Australians who died by suicide in 2019.

Each day they have a new mental health fact. Today's, I thought, was quite interesting and something that you blokes on here should keep in mind, especially given the topic of discussion:

Men are much more likely to die by suicide

Day 8 – 209 push-ups

209 men every month: Of the 3,318 push-ups this year, 2,502 of them represent men who died by suicide in Australia in 2019. That’s over 75% of the total, and is equal to about 209 men every month. Women experience mental health issues at higher rates than men, and report higher rates of suicidality. However, men are less likely to seek help for mental illness, and are 3x more likely to die by suicide.

Some spaces within our communities exist especially to support the mental health of the men in our lives, like the Men’s Shed. Men’s Sheds provide open workspaces where men can socialise, work, or help out their communities.

If you or a male you know needs to talk to someone about mental health, Mensline is a national service for men providing referrals, counselling and support. Call 1300 78 99 78 (24 hours a day).

Stay well, folks.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Today's mental health fact.

Exercise can be an anti-depressant

Day 9 – 135 push-ups

Exercise can be an anti-depressant: There is growing scientific evidence suggesting that aerobic exercise can be utilised to prevent and treat depression. One recent analysis of this evidence suggested that three 45-minute exercise sessions per week (135 minutes total) was enough to provide anti-depressant benefits to mental health.

The impact of exercise on mental health was recently demonstrated in a study involving 1.24 million people, which found that people who participated in exercise had less days per month of poor mental health. The biggest differences were associated with team sports and forms of aerobic exercise.

Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to help: moderate activity like fast walking, cycling, steady lap swimming, or anything that causes a rise in heart rate and a bit of a sweat, is the best way to give your brain a boost.

Check out a blog article on exercise HERE

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I agree.

Every person will deal with stresses and problems differently. I'm the sort of person who will stew over things and second guess my abilities if something go's wrong.

I am very aware of my faults and I blame myself for a lot. I have also found other people will use my faults to their benefit.

Yep, I'm the same.
Trying to stay productive helps, but it's often hard to get motivated.

I also think that it's important, where it honestly is true, to allocate blame to others when appropriate. Not to stew on it, but to realise some things were beyond my control, and move on.

More recently, I have found the concept of the "3ft world" to be helpful. Focus on what's right in front of you, and on the things that you can control.

[slowsnake]

Everyone is different, I used to stew things over but never in an evil or vengeful way, I had and still do have excellent control over my emotions!

But with me it depends on the level of "down I feel" and that's a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being ropeable!
Also the level of betrayal I feel if a loved one is involved.
Then there is the hard bit, nutting out in my own head why I feel the way I do, and will it matter in 10 years time!

No, I put my hand to my face and just say to myself " if its not her and now, right in front of my face" then I don't worry about it?
Took me about 50 years to work that out, that **** don't matter, unless its right here right now, or forget it until it is!



Cheers Billy.

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

..
No, I put my hand to my face and just say to myself " if its not her and now, right in front of my face" then I don't worry about it?
Took me about 50 years to work that out, that **** don't matter, unless its right here right now, or forget it until it is!

Cheers Billy.

Took me 15 years to figure this out, wasn't until I had the listened the ebook "subtle art of not giving a ...."

[blueoval]

In relation to the push up challenge posted by Foxtrot, I am thinking of giving this a go for 1 month. Both to help with concentrating on something mentally, but also for helping to love a little fat and hopefully tone up the arms and chest.

http://igorvoitenko.com/bring-sally-...ab/293272411-1

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by blueoval

In relation to the push up challenge posted by Foxtrot, I am thinking of giving this a go for 1 month. Both to help with concentrating on something mentally, but also for helping to love a little fat and hopefully tone up the arms and chest.

http://igorvoitenko.com/bring-sally-...ab/293272411-1

Hey blue, if this is your thing, I recommend you take a look at the Shaun T Insanity challenge. Guarantee you'll have abs by the end of the program. When I first started I couldn't get past the warm up stage By week 4 I had abs!....alas fried chicken won over in the end.

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

Hey blue, if this is your thing, I recommend you take a look at the Shaun T Insanity challenge. Guarantee you'll have abs by the end of the program. When I first started I couldn't get past the warm up stage By week 4 I had abs!....alas fried chicken won over in the end.

You had me at fried chicken

But I want to do this kind of challenge for a month to prove to myself I can do it.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Originally Posted by blueoval

In relation to the push up challenge posted by Foxtrot, I am thinking of giving this a go for 1 month. Both to help with concentrating on something mentally, but also for helping to love a little fat and hopefully tone up the arms and chest.

http://igorvoitenko.com/bring-sally-...ab/293272411-1

I can't open that link on the work computer as it's hosted in the Russian Federation. I hope that it's a serious site and not tongue-in-cheek!

Originally Posted by blueoval

You had me at fried chicken

But I want to do this kind of challenge for a month to prove to myself I can do it.

Good on you, mate. I've been feeling a bit flat today. Only thing I can put it down to is that I haven't been able to exercise (walk or run) for the last few days because of the terrible weather we've been having. Although I have been keeping up with the pushups and/or alternates (lunges, situps, squats) I used to hate exercise, especially running. But now that I've got into it, I really miss it when I don't get a chance to get out. You never know, you might just find that you love it, too.


Here's today's mental health fact:

Support the new mums (and Dads) out there
Day 12 – 143 push-ups
Post-Natal: Today’s target is 143 push-ups. This represents the approximately 14.3% of Australian mothers who will experience post-natal depression. That’s one in seven.

Symptoms of post-natal depression can include: low mood, feeling inadequate or a failure as a mother, feeling overwhelmed or scared, getting unusually irritable, blaming yourself excessively, and not feeling able to look forward to things. Post-natal depression is also common in men - up to one in ten will experience it. Post-natal depression can be complicated and it’s worth checking in with a health professional if you are worried.

You can find more information and help here:

https://www.panda.org.au

[mondeomatureguy]

Hi Guys,
i was just reading some of the posts and a lot of them mention exercise.

As a few of you may have read a post that i write about my divorce from my first wife and instead of falling in a heap i went out and brought a push bike and would ride around a park on the weekends.

Another good thing is walking. It takes your mind off things and you get fit at the same time.
If you dont like walking do what i did brought a Dog and he or she makes you take them for a walk and after a while you will miss it when you dont or cant go for a walk.

Good Luck guys and stay safe and look after your selves.

[shedcoupe]

My observations of depressed or anxious people - some have a personal chemical imbalance and some are in difficult situations and for some, both.
People who are self-focussed tend to have more difficulty in life, and with the rise of social media self-obsession is increasingly encouraged and validated.
Psychological disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are usually found in women who imho are more prone to depression etc.
Back in the day when newsagents still had magazines the ‘mens interests’ section was mostly about externalities such as making stuff or doing stuff, whereas the other mob’s was about me-me-me and hearth and home stuff.
Regarding cannabis, it’s attractive to people who need a lift and a break from the madness of the world (like getting into a warm bath) and used in moderation it’s excellent for that, particularly if suitable strains are used.
But yes, excessive use is demotivating and encourages negativity.

[slowsnake]

As for pot, well like asbestos disease it may not show up until later, could be 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year or 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 decades?...who knows?

Some folk say its that "first drink" that makes an alcoholic!
Maybe pot or ice are the same, why smoke green if it gives you paranoia and delusional thoughts or behaviour!
Maybe because it gives you a disability support pension, and you dont have to put ya dole form in, and no need to look for a job cos that interferes with being stoned 24/7?

Social smokers, ice users and social drinkers excused!...



Cheers Billy.

[shedcoupe]

I know quite a few people who’ve been smoking cannabis for more than forty years and who aren’t delusional or paranoid or demotivated.
The only one who isn’t in the best shape is also an alcoholic.
Alcohol is a much more problematic drug.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

I know quite a few people who’ve been smoking cannabis for more than forty years and who aren’t delusional or paranoid or demotivated.
The only one who isn’t in the best shape is also an alcoholic.
Alcohol is a much more problematic drug.

You may well know quite a few people who still "choof" after 40 years, and they may seem ok to you and others, but the damage you can't see is hidden away in their heads, not for public display or at work, whatever work they do!
I'm pushing 69 yrs now, and I can pick a junkie, or tweaker or potmonster a kilometre away!

And a choofing alcoholic is a different animal altogether, I suppose its the fact that when stoned or ****ed you don't have proper self control, not just your head, but your body, and especially morals and ethical behaviour goes out the window!

Eventually that behaviour leads to a feeling of worthlessness and you question who and why you are the way you are!..it's depressing really, for them and those closest to them.


Cheers Billy.

[CoupeKing]

''Refuse to participate in the lie'' Not enough of that going around.




Change your diet/lifestyle and eating habits (small steps). Meditation, exercise, pets, yoga mean *&^& all if you're eating/drinking processed toxins with no nutritional value.

Whole foods, no snacks.

[shedcoupe]

Is that information from personal experience ?
Just asking.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

Is that information from personal experience ?
Just asking.

Mmmm, are you asking me! the bloke who run over a cane toad, skinned and dried it, then rolled it up and smoked it?....

The dude who owned a dead pet goanna in the NT, who used to take it to the wet mess for a nice cold VB?....

Yeh, its from personal experience, but watching others go down quicker and harder, I stopped after seeing what it did to my mates and other folk, especially my old stamping ground, Cabramatta.

I stopped drinking 7 years ago, choofing 30 years ago, and acid 45 years ago and never used heroin or speed unless I had to drive overnight to a job and would drop a few "shakers"..my only habit is nicotine and picking me nose!..lol...hahaha


Cheers Billy.

[shedcoupe]

I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then .... ;-)

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then .... ;-)

Its a "yes" but its a very educated yes,
I had no idea why I was like I was, I was a very driven person, but I knew there was something wrong with me since childhood, turns out that at aged 60 years old I was diagnosed with " the most severe case of untreated ADHD" the psychologist had come across, he was 74 yrs old!

He took me on for an entirely different reason, the ADHD come up in my first session, numerous tests proved it!

He said Billy, you should be dead or in jail, and write a book about your life experiences and leave nothing out but names, change the names a n d places and dates.
It was a shock to me, but it explained everything about me and my life, so since I was 6 yrs old, so one session aged 60 yrs explained my whole life!

I refused treatment, he wanted me to take Dexadrine, a stimulant, a form of "speed", I told him I needed that when I was 6 yrs old, too late to change who I am now!

But I am very happy with who I am, happy within myself, am laid back, very relaxed and easygoing, and I seem to attract damaged people, most of it garbage and too far gone for help, some are in their late teens, they have no idea what life is, or how important it is to work, make a wage, get a little self esteem back!....it's bloody sad mate, work is what keeps you sane, filling that 8 hrs with stuff that is anothers business to stew over not your own!


Cheers Billy.

[shedcoupe]

At least you stayed off the nutmeg.
During the great Hedland mull drought of September ‘84 I had a go at a rollie made of Drum and nutmeg - it wasn’t good.

Looking forward to your book btw.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Yesterday was a rest day in The Pushup Challenge.

We're back into it today.

Today's mental health fact will be music to Coupe's ears

You are what you eat
Day 14 – 130 push-ups
1.3 Bacteria for every Human Cell: Researchers estimate that for every human cell in the body, there are 1.3 bacterial cells. The majority of these bacteria live in our intestines, and the more we learn about them, the more we realise what a huge impact they have on our mental health.

There is a complex communication system between our live-in gut bacteria and our minds. For example, if you take the gut bacteria of a human with depression, and you use them to colonise the gut of a mouse, the mouse starts to show depressive behaviours. It won’t be as adventurous or as motivated, and it will have less of a survival instinct.

We don’t yet have a full handle on how we can harness our gut bacteria to improve mental health, but suggestions include eating more pro-biotic and pre-biotic foods. Probiotic foods are fermented foods like yogurt, miso or kimchi, that contain high numbers of helpful bacteria. Prebiotic are high-fibre foods that good bacteria use as fuel, such as legumes and nuts.

Of course, everything should be eaten in moderation.

You can find a blog article on how diet impacts mental health here:

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.a...by-what-we-eat

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

At least you stayed off the nutmeg.
During the great Hedland mull drought of September ‘84 I had a go at a rollie made of Drum and nutmeg - it wasn’t good.

Looking forward to your book btw.

No nutmeg, we used tea leaves and birdseed, so it popped as we smoked!



Cheers King Billy

[blueoval]

+1 for the dog walks.

Took me old mate to Kuitpo Forest yesterday for a 2hr walk with some friends. Made a big difference to my energy and mentality for the day.

I tend to take the dog for a walk everyday regardless of weather and current mood. It has certainly lifted me mentally.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by blueoval

+1 for the dog walks.

Took me old mate to Kuitpo Forest yesterday for a 2hr walk with some friends. Made a big difference to my energy and mentality for the day.

I tend to take the dog for a walk everyday regardless of weather and current mood. It has certainly lifted me mentally.

I have a park not 20 metres from my unit, I walk my Tabby cat everyday, weather permitting of course, its a leash only dog park, but 99% of dog owners are blind I think, but they really are amazed to see me walking with an off leash cat?...
And by the way blueoval its for mine and the cats benefit, we both enjoy it too!
I tried to teach him to throw and catch small sticks, he mostly comes back 10 mins later, covered in grass and plant roots, but always with a live "rat"



Cheers King Billy