Mental Health : thoughts/coping/medicating

Having grown up with a father who battled with issues of the mind for decades, I certainly feel symphatetic towards anyone battling with themselves. But remember that you yourself have the most responsibility and face the biggest risks when it comes to faults of the mind.

If you feel bad for days or weeks on end, have trouble sleeping, notice sensory illusions, seek professional help. If the mind collapses badly enough, society can take all your personal liberties and responsibilities, and relegate you to a status where you dont even control your own money. Worst case scenario: Mental asylum for an undetermined amount of time (from weeks to several decades). If you stay in long enogh, the person coming out at the end of it will not be the same person it once was.

I say this not to guilt or scare anyone, I truly wish everyone well battling with these things. I just want to emphasize that these things can be dead serious matters and just getting wasted and reading self-help will not be enough. Take control of your situatuon, if you need help to do it, get help. Dont feel any shame in doing so either.

However, even if doctors, nurses, counsellirs and pills are there to help, they can only do so much. Having family and people close to you, who do not judge is paramount and their goodwill and love towards you is an asset you can rely on when you need energy to get by.

Everybody has their ups and downs, even “sane” people. Remember It can’t rain all the time, even the darkest moments will pass and make way for better. And when you get there, you might feel stronger having to come out of it all.

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I did a little trick that will improve any persons mental health.
I deleted my facebook a year ago - instant gratification.

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For me that helped also quiete a bit.

Yeah and me. Facebook deletion was good.

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Facebook deletion did not improve my levels of Depression and Anxiety.

For a quick overview of the recent research regarding cannabis use, please see https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/24/cannabis-regulation-science-psychosis

The neuroscientist who wrote that was revently interviewed about addiction in general on https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/12/693814827/a-neuroscientist-explores-the-biology-of-addiction-in-never-enough

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Withdrawal from social connections, like social media, may provide temporary relief from social related anxieties but ultimately social withdrawal has a negative long term impact in relation to depression and anxiety.

Additionally, everyone suffers from short bouts of depression throughout life. This is normal. But, suffering from depression long term is not typical and individuals who identify as suffering from depression for extended periods of time should seek professional help. Mental health and mental illness is not something to take lightly.

I can relate for sure. Finding a suitable form of meditation along with some sort of consultation is a most effective way of addressing these kinds of issues.

I left my job 18 months ago due to burnout , making games can be great , can be very stressful too.
Buying lots of synths didn’t help (gas won’t cure / resolve depression )

18 months on , I’m still not satisfied with any music I’ve done , I’ve been making abstract art too but haven’t sold anything ( I see lots of other people selling similar stuff but I don’t understand why , it’s quite straightforward to do ) . I find it hard to write pretentious bullshit like many of them do.

I’ve started looking for another job , not entirely sure I want to go back to games but it’s all I know after 30 years.

Not using twitter helped

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with regards to job stress I saw this the other day and it made me laugh…
FB_IMG_1553296067994

:smile:

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Actually I got a lot of support from the company I worked at , overall it’s quite complicated but ultimately I felt it time to leave and take a break .
I’m doing cbt , taking tablets . I think they’re helping.

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I have been dealing with chronic anxiety, cyclothymia (imagine a less extreme bipolar disorder), night terrors, and depression since a VERY young age. This has made living a “normal” life quite difficult. Things that most people can handle send me into an anxious frenzy. I also have to deal with constant tremors which quite honestly is super annoying and disrupting when trying to work, eat, and even make music. And admittedly in my teens I used to use psychoactive substances to self medicate these issues which did help me loosen up at first but eventually made my ailments much, much worse. It has taken me almost 6 years since to train myself to seem “normal” again to people on the outside, and learn how to properly socialize with people after having a terribly bad trip that, in my own terms, “reset my brain.”

My personal advice: find a mental health care professional and be brutally honest with them. This helped me so much in my recovery. My friends and family didn’t understand what I was going through, and talking to them about it only ever seemed to make them worried and upset.

Finding a therapist was one of the best things I have ever done. Even though I still live with my ailments, my therapist had coached me through many ways of fighting and managing my issues. A personal favorite that I still use is the STOP technique.

S - Stop what you’re doing that’s making you feel uneasy/anxious/depressed for a moment

T - Take ten deep breaths, 10 seconds inhale, 10 second hold, 10 seconds exhale then release excess air.

O - Observe your feelings from a “third party” perspective. Ask yourself, why is this this such a big deal? Why does it make me feel this way? What even IS this feeling? Why should I let this get to me? How would I feel if someone else was going through this?

P - Pause and reflect on those questions, and try to provide yourself some answers to the previous questions from a mostly non-emotional stand point. If you can’t give yourself a legitimate answer, then it makes you realize how insignificant the issue actually is, making you realize how easy it CAN be.

Now mind you, this works for me 90% of the time but it may not work for you whatsoever. But I never would have found this technique if I didn’t bite the bullet and finally reach out to someone professionally trained to help individuals like me in my situation. I know it can be scary, but it is such a relief finally getting specialized, individualized help.

And as for the others recommending weed as an alternative medicine (which it can do wonder) I STRONGLY recommend sticking with CBD only. THC has been shown to make mental ailments worse because of it’s psychoactive effects. Trust me, depersonalization is NOT fun, is no joke and can last years after usage.

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Fizgig!!

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Yes, yes and yes! Physical exercise/sports of all sorts, singing or performing on an actual instrument (with others!), human contact (especially doing/caring for other ppl.) That would be my top three things ever to get myself out of a rut too.

And yes …the possibility of traumatising yourself by getting overly invested/dependent on the outcomes of creative pursuits resonates with me too.

Man I love bleeps ‘n’ bloops but the kind of despair and frustration I get from music when things aren’t going my way. Wouldn’t want deal with it when I’m unstable to begin with in some shape or form, or have difficulties just loving the process not the result.

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total fizgig vibes :smile:

I second this advice strongly.

Hey Man,

As many people said here, consider visiting some doctor, psy, that could help you targetting and focusing in what makes you feel uncorfortable. Also travelling helps a lot, play "real "music instruments and go a bit out the computer can be cool. A lot of sun (use cream!). Sex, no drugs and rock n roll.
I’ve visited a psy during years and even if is not magic that can help. Last, try to enjoy what you got, is yours and I’m sure is cool.
Music is finally the best.

Cheers!

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Litlle remark here :
Don’t play Real instruments, just play instruments.

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Id listen to these. This guys program is helping me overcome my burnout and other issues. I started in 2014 and it took me several years to start to recover. I suggest listening to them all especially the ones related to emotions and behavior.

The program is all encompassing - diet, REST, Sleep, detox and some supplements. Also, a wonderful mental exercise that will help you see how your mind works and allow you to bring it back under control if you do it daily for a few years.

As i said the emotions and behavior one as well as the anxiety one prob be up your street. Stick in mate.

https://www.drlwilson.com/articles/ANXIETY.HTM
https://www.drlwilson.com/Articles/depression.htm
https://drlwilson.com/articles/emotions_and_behavior.htm

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Can’t change the past , can’t predict the future … i started feeling way better once i started focusing on today . Also as mentioned above , good food , move your body , sport , dance , work in a garden … whatever… usually good sleep follows automatically .

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