Rate your current mental health level out of 10

[MoneyGuy]

If not for this U.S. election, I’d be 9.5/10 as we have a near perfect life but the election is causing me great stress snd I’m now more at a 6/10. I’ll be cutting back on my Twitter activity to almost nothing. I can’t handle this. I’m also staying away from CNN and MSNBC.

[Puppet Guy]

I'll put it at a 7/10 right now.

I got let go from my job a few weeks ago, and that honestly was a huge boost for my mental health - I'd felt obsolete and broken there for longer than I can articulate, had been emotionally numb for about two years, and when I went to sleep in those two years it was very literally because I couldn't stand being awake anymore. Just getting out of there was a huge boost.

I got a pretty healthy severance package so there's some time to plot my next move (I want to change fields), but not having to worry about rushing to find a job I won't like to keep the bills paid. Still don't have a clue about what that step will be, but being out of that dead end and having some income and health coverage have given me some peace. It feels good to be somewhat living again after being stuck in Groundhog Day for so long.

[photon]

I'd say at a 7.5/10 currently, I'm at 115lbs total weight loss currently and that alone has had a bigger impact on my mental health than I'd have thought. Partly because I get out a lot more to do things I'm interested in, partly because I can buy clothes at normal clothing stores now so I get stuff I actually like, partly because I can get more done around the house, partly because just anything I want to do is just easier (or possible where before it wasn't).

I don't even remember the last time I could say I felt kinda happy.

[cam_calderon]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

If not for this U.S. election, I’d be 9.5/10 as we have a near perfect life but the election is causing me great stress snd I’m now more at a 6/10. I’ll be cutting back on my Twitter activity to almost nothing. I can’t handle this. I’m also staying away from CNN and MSNBC.

Keep it locked to Fox News, that's a good strategy.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

If not for this U.S. election, I’d be 9.5/10 as we have a near perfect life but the election is causing me great stress snd I’m now more at a 6/10. I’ll be cutting back on my Twitter activity to almost nothing. I can’t handle this. I’m also staying away from CNN and MSNBC.

That's a great step. I could tell from your posting that you were a guy living on social media to an unhealthy degree.

[Wormius]

Deleting Twitter is the best thing to tame the angst and worry. It’s just toxic to the nth degree.

[photon]

I've never been much on social media but I think reading political news and listening to political podcasts has a similar role in my life. One side effect of doing other things is I spend a lot less time listening to those podcasts or reading those news sites.

So the source can vary but the sentiment for getting off of Twitter is the same.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Brupal

Thread bump. I’m not sure why this trailed off in mid-May, as I found it an interesting and important way for us to stay connected.

Thanks for this.

My issue is very minor compared to what many are dealing with and I hope you find strength. Stampede is a difficult week because every year it brings back memories of a failed relationship with someone I really cared for and continue to think about often. We stayed in touch a little after our break-up, she would reach out every few months and we would catch up by phone. We would not see each other however. I last talked to her a year ago.

It’s been 10 years now and we have both moved on but letting go of her has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with. We still have friends in common so of course it’s inevitable that her name comes up.

I have had other break ups of course but this is the only one that still hurts.

I’ve done lots of reading on how best to forget an ex, particularly someone who meant so much, but for me time has not healed the wounds. I still think about her and miss her. Wondering if others are going through the same thing.

Edit: the wars in Israel and Ukraine have also taken a huge toll on my mental health. The suffering on all sides is unbearable to watch.

[cam_calderon]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Edit: the wars in Israel and Ukraine have also taken a huge toll on my mental health. The suffering on all sides is unbearable to watch.

So... don't watch? I agree it's distressing, but you're making a conscious choice to consume war coverage. You can always delete social media apps and avoid news channels. Unless you know people who've been affected personally by either war I find it strange you would let these conflicts thousands of kilometres away affect your mental health to a "huge" extent.

[Monahammer]

My mental health is waning lately. A couple of big things happening in my life right now:
- The association I work for just had a major member execute their withdrawal agreement. It has a 2 year unwind, but it's creating substantial stress in the office and ruining the good vibe we had going on. Also, it feels like we are being caught in a sort of personal disagreement rather than it being related to our performance, so a bit of a slap in the face.

- My wife has (almost unilaterally...) decided she is going back to school for her masters in fall. I say almost unilaterally because she didn't pitch it to me until she had already been accepted to the program. This one is effecting me a lot. I urged her to complete her masters right after she finished her Bach. Her mom was offering to pay for some at the time, and we were in a good place overall for that to occur. At the time, I had already started working and was providing for us- but it was just us. That situation was too much for her though, and so she started front-line crisis work as a social worker. She made it 3 years doing that before we got married. Our original plan (again, pre discussed...) was to wait a few years post marriage to have kids. I was informed on our wedding night that she was going off BC, and to deal with the outcomes myself if I didn't want us to get pregnant. Well, honeymoons are basically impossible to do that with IMO.

We had our first child about 10 months post wedding. I love him to death and wouldn't change a thing. But I did get out of her about 1/2 through mat leave that the real motivation was so that she wouldn't have to keep being a frontline worker. COVID happened during this time, and she went back to work for a very small interval between mat leaves for our second child. Whom I love and wouldn't trade for the world.

During this time, her work accommodated her desires and created a new position (essentially, HR) hiring and training new frontline staff. She lasted about 4 months doing this after mat leave 2. This all happened in the context of my business failing and me looking for my current job, too. She came to me and told me that she had worked out with a psychologist friend (someone who had completed the masters program that she declined) to work for her practice, managing the day to day ops, hiring, and administration. I asked her if she was sure- it's kind of a limit career wise, though interesting. She sold me on the opportunity by discussing how she would only really be busy with it the first 2 years or so, and then it would transition to her managing a team and being available to the kids before and after school etc. This was all confirmed by her colleague.

Now, here we are 2 years later. She tells me she's unhappy with this choice and can't imagine doing this for 20 more years. I understand that, but I am at a loss. How can I be confident that she won't just hate being a therapist after getting her masters? What about our plan for the kids?!

I can't tell her this... she told me when she was already excited, already invested. She deserves to be happy, and is mostly wonderful to me and the kids... but I can't help feeling like this is wildly selfish. I will be bearing all of our living expenses for the next 2 years while she goes to school, will be bearing the debt payments until she graduates, and no doubt will be the lead on childcare as she completes school work...

I don't know how to escape the resentment I am already feeling about this.

[PaperBagger'14]

^^ Based on the whole body of that post Monahammer it sounds like there is a lot more to your issues than just your wife going back to school right now and it seemingly being selfish (I agree with you, it does seem she’s putting herself above everyone else).

Maybe instead of only focusing on her career and educational choices, look at the whole picture. Is she a good mom to your kids? Will she continue to be a good mom while finishing her masters? That would be my biggest concern. I personally would support my wife through anything as long as she kept being the awesome mother she is.

Life is funny and full of curveballs, capacity to adapt to these changes is so very important. Personally speaking, if I stuck to my career plan after high school I’d probably be a laid off geophysicist that formerly worked oil and gas haha. Funny how things work out.

[tony-soprano]

0/10 during nhl playoffs, 10/10 when panthers won.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I can't tell her this... she told me when she was already excited, already invested. She deserves to be happy, and is mostly wonderful to me and the kids... but I can't help feeling like this is wildly selfish. I will be bearing all of our living expenses for the next 2 years while she goes to school, will be bearing the debt payments until she graduates, and no doubt will be the lead on childcare as she completes school work...

I don't know how to escape the resentment I am already feeling about this.

You deserve to be happy too.

You can't escape the resentment if you just smile and accept everything without a full discussion with all of your apprehensions about what's going on big picture laid out on the table. If you can't have a discussion like this with your wife then decisions and actions like this will continuously happen for the rest of your married life and your resentment will only continue to grow. Also have to note the irony of the situation that the field of study she's going into is to become a therapist when there's clearly communication breakdowns on major life items.

[GreenLantern2814]

2/10.

My son was stillborn in February. I haven’t been back to work. I smoke all the weed I can get my hands on, and it’s a good day when I don’t drink before 2 in the afternoon. I have no patience with anyone, and I rarely see friends. I have been going to therapy once a week since it happened.

We got a Great Pyrenees puppy shortly after - she watches our daughter like a sheep, it’s adorable. Those two get me through the day.

Recent Flames activity has also been a welcome distraction.

But yeah. I’m not great.

[MoneyGuy]

Originally Posted by jayswin

That's a great step. I could tell from your posting that you were a guy living on social media to an unhealthy degree.

I don’t spend as much time online as you seem to believe. Ironic, yeah, given I’m online right now.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

2/10.

My son was stillborn in February. I haven’t been back to work. I smoke all the weed I can get my hands on, and it’s a good day when I don’t drink before 2 in the afternoon. I have no patience with anyone, and I rarely see friends. I have been going to therapy once a week since it happened.

We got a Great Pyrenees puppy shortly after - she watches our daughter like a sheep, it’s adorable. Those two get me through the day.

Recent Flames activity has also been a welcome distraction.

But yeah. I’m not great.

RIP to your son, man.

I experienced a dramatic shortening of my own patience once, related to the failure of my business and following bout of depression. That was super frustrating as I could identify that I wasn't who I wanted to be but couldn't help it. It was a bit of a spiral. I am glad to hear you are going to therapy. Don't hesitate to reach out if you want an impartial vent.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

2/10.

My son was stillborn in February. I haven’t been back to work. I smoke all the weed I can get my hands on, and it’s a good day when I don’t drink before 2 in the afternoon. I have no patience with anyone, and I rarely see friends. I have been going to therapy once a week since it happened.

We got a Great Pyrenees puppy shortly after - she watches our daughter like a sheep, it’s adorable. Those two get me through the day.

Recent Flames activity has also been a welcome distraction.

But yeah. I’m not great.

I'm sorry to hear that. That's one of the major tragedies in life.

My condolences.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

2/10.

My son was stillborn in February. I haven’t been back to work. I smoke all the weed I can get my hands on, and it’s a good day when I don’t drink before 2 in the afternoon. I have no patience with anyone, and I rarely see friends. I have been going to therapy once a week since it happened.

We got a Great Pyrenees puppy shortly after - she watches our daughter like a sheep, it’s adorable. Those two get me through the day.

Recent Flames activity has also been a welcome distraction.

But yeah. I’m not great.

This is horrible.

I'm sorry you are struggling.

I had a long post highlighting how good things are for me right.

But that's in bad taste.

Please make sure you look after yourself & your family.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

This is horrible.

I'm sorry you are struggling.

I had a long post highlighting how good things are for me right.

But that's in bad taste.

Please make sure you look after yourself & your family.

Don’t be silly - please share if something good is happening in your life.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Don’t be silly - please share if something good is happening in your life.

My son, who has been chasing a dream got a step closer on Friday.

He got an invite to a National camp with Rugby Canada. He is one of 55 athletes invited in the West.

There is a similar camp running in the East. At his position, it puts him in the top 10 group for his age.

He is pretty stoked.

The excitement, fear, surprise I saw boasted my mindset to no end.