Rate your current mental health level out of 10

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Locke

Crampons, yeah. I got a pair of IceBugs a few years back because when I walk my dog at lunch in the hood, there are a lot of uncleared sidewalks and that little bastard is a tugger!

I've slipped and cracked my knees so many times....

Not once since I got those.

Forest Lawn ?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Forest Lawn ?

Ogden.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Locke

Ogden.

Report them for watering their lawn.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

I appreciate the offer, but frankly that is one of my issues.


Work & Home Stressors driving me to drink.

How about a better offer? I’ve started running and doing a lap around the lake once a week. If you need to blow off some steam and go for a run let me know

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

How about a better offer? I’ve started running and doing a lap around the lake once a week. If you need to blow off some steam and go for a run let me know

Competing for steps is fun. You get outside enjoy the sun and nature. Going to the water is very calming as well.

I had an Apple Watch for a while. Got one for my mom and sister and my dad was like I want one.

Gets everyone moving a bit more. Now when I see my mom one of the first things she asks for is to see my steps lol.

[KelVarnsen]

Post surgery for cancer so I’d say my mental health is at a 6 today

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

Post surgery for cancer so I’d say my mental health is at a 6 today

Hope your recovery goes well.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Duruss

Sorry I am late to this. I have been under going ketamine infusions and talk therapy and then I go and train my brain to endure and manage discomfort. And man it works, I am friendlier too now which was a pleasant surprise.

So the ketamine creates a nueroplastic window that has allowed me to break old connections and build new ones. To train my brain I first started by soaking a hand in ice water, started out at only managing 3 minutes, can now got for 12+, I then moved on to handling spiders which used to give me the creeps. Spiders are now interesting and no longer bother me. I capped it off by going skydiving, which turned out to be nothing but fun, barely a hint of anxiety.

I have been working at all this since May when I finished kicking a pair of "friends" out of my life for gas lighting and humiliating me, plus not taking No for an anwser and doing things like sending me a dick pick(I am a straight man). It was a case of if I can't trust you, then why am I tolerating you're being a creep?

The end result has been a serious sense of accomplishment and happiness. My anxiety used to require meds(benzo's) every couple weeks or weekly. Now? Once in 2 months and falling. I have never been able to manage anxiety like this before.

Psychedelic assisted therapy is very real, but it needs the talk therapy component. Honestly without the talk component I don't think it would be half as effective

Duruss, this is a really wonderful, hopeful story. I'm so happy for you!

I have not done Ketamine therapy, but have done other experiences like sweat lodge, ayahuasca ceremony, and psylocibin. The plasticity effects you describe with Ketamine are how I would describe what my mind felt like with the other modalities. Those discomfort progressions are fascinating and make a lot of sense, what a great idea.

Where are you receiving these therapies?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

How about a better offer? I’ve started running and doing a lap around the lake once a week. If you need to blow off some steam and go for a run let me know

This I might take you up on.

Have done 2 miles each of the last 2 days

[Duruss]

Originally Posted by SeeGeeWhy

Duruss, this is a really wonderful, hopeful story. I'm so happy for you!

I have not done Ketamine therapy, but have done other experiences like sweat lodge, ayahuasca ceremony, and psylocibin. The plasticity effects you describe with Ketamine are how I would describe what my mind felt like with the other modalities. Those discomfort progressions are fascinating and make a lot of sense, what a great idea.

Where are you receiving these therapies?

The therapy happens at the local hospital.

The nueroplastic thing works, and can do a lot more than just help with anxiety or depression. I linked the articles that gave me the idea to go this route.

https://www.wired.com/story/the-psyc...-to-childhood/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06204-3

[Johnny199r]

My mental health is lower than it's ever been, and I'm starting to be more pessimistic it will get better.

I'm 41. I got out of a 12 year relationship last year (no kids).

I thought I'd be able to meet someone new, but it's starting to seem unlikely at this point. I thought (foolishly) it would be easier.

I live in the home city of my ex (for the last 5 years). I was more introverted and just did my own thing with her.

Since the breakup, I've joined 2 co-ed soccer teams (I played for a couple of university teams many years ago and enjoy it) a monthly book club and have a couple of friends that I spend time with sometimes (ie going for a bike ride on the Weekends). My hobbies generally surround being active (going to the gym, biking, yoga etc) however I've had an injured back for 4 months, despite going to physio and any type of rehabilitation treatment you can think of which has been frustrating. But for the back injury , I would have joined a running club or two, because that's how everyone and their dog seems to meet their partner these days.

I go on bigger trips (Asia for 6 weeks this year, Africa next January etc), have a lot going for me (high income job, not Bad Pitt looking but not ugly, either, no vices etc) but my life is just boring and I don't know how to change it. Every day is just the same. I haven't had much success getting with online dating (not looking for 30 year olds, just ladies that I find attractive with qualities I like, to like me back or message me back).

I'm just not seeing this ever start to get better. When I was 25 or 30, there were always people you could kind of mingle with, even at work, to have a social circle and naturally meet others but that seems to be gone now.

I understand other people have much more real problems than this, ie - serious health issues, poverty issues, and I should be content, but the thought of waking up 6 months from now and being in the same cycle makes me want to scream. Can anyone relate to this?

[Russic]

I think it's important to acknowledge that things don't need to be Requiem-for-a-dream-levels of awful for mental health struggles to take hold. Bad things can happen all at once, or–as you're experiencing–it can simply be a slow leak of enjoyment until you realize how bad it's gotten.

One thing I believe to be damaging is to downplay where we're at. Sure, other people have more serious issues than you do. That can be great if you need to drum up a little gratitude, but taken too far and it becomes a "I shouldn't be feeling this way" situation.

Perhaps I'm reading too far into your post, but "I should be content" is a big old red flag for me. Who says you should be content? You've outlined some rather sh** happenings that you're dealing with, so I don't think you're out of line for feeling rough about that.

For me, whenever I find myself saying things in absolutes ("I don't see this ever getting better"), I entertain the idea that depression has gotten hold of the microphone. While that may seem obvious, I do have to remind myself that depression is a massive liar and quite a prick. He's also really hard to see when he's closest to you.

I think it actually sounds like you're doing a great job. You're remaining active and meeting with people despite being introverted, which is no small task. It feels like you're on a real heater of bad luck, but when people keep doing the right things, that luck can turn around. Not for sure, but statistics are on your side here.

Looking ahead 6 months is doing you no favours here. Most of us can't forecast what we'll have for lunch tomorrow let alone the state of our lives in half a year.

I can't relate to how you're feeling now, but I definitely could've a few years ago. Again, I can't say things will work out, but I can say life can change quick and often.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

My mental health is lower than it's ever been, and I'm starting to be more pessimistic it will get better.

I'm 41. I got out of a 12 year relationship last year (no kids).

I thought I'd be able to meet someone new, but it's starting to seem unlikely at this point. I thought (foolishly) it would be easier.

I live in the home city of my ex (for the last 5 years). I was more introverted and just did my own thing with her.

Since the breakup, I've joined 2 co-ed soccer teams (I played for a couple of university teams many years ago and enjoy it) a monthly book club and have a couple of friends that I spend time with sometimes (ie going for a bike ride on the Weekends). My hobbies generally surround being active (going to the gym, biking, yoga etc) however I've had an injured back for 4 months, despite going to physio and any type of rehabilitation treatment you can think of which has been frustrating. But for the back injury , I would have joined a running club or two, because that's how everyone and their dog seems to meet their partner these days.

I go on bigger trips (Asia for 6 weeks this year, Africa next January etc), have a lot going for me (high income job, not Bad Pitt looking but not ugly, either, no vices etc) but my life is just boring and I don't know how to change it. Every day is just the same. I haven't had much success getting with online dating (not looking for 30 year olds, just ladies that I find attractive with qualities I like, to like me back or message me back).

I'm just not seeing this ever start to get better. When I was 25 or 30, there were always people you could kind of mingle with, even at work, to have a social circle and naturally meet others but that seems to be gone now.

I understand other people have much more real problems than this, ie - serious health issues, poverty issues, and I should be content, but the thought of waking up 6 months from now and being in the same cycle makes me want to scream. Can anyone relate to this?

I think I know how you feel....to a degree obviously, not exactly.

But its taken a long time for me to find balance and I still havent found it.

Often, we sacrifice our own lives for the sake of a spouse. In my case my spouse is...IMO too attached to her family. Which is enormous. My family however is quite small, but I have lots of friends.

But even that friendship is sacrificed because with a family her size there is something all the time, whether its a birthday or anniversary or whatever the hell....but because 'its family' its more important.

But its one-sided.

Yeah. Sometimes I want to skip your Brother's birthday to hit the pub with my buddies and watch the Flames game.

Do you know how many of your Brother's birthdays I've been to?

And the problem now is that I've said 'No' too many times and am now rarely asked.

I also loved playing sports, but competitive sports as a kid have ruined me. So I cant do that anymore. I cant play soccer, I cant play softball, hell even court-sports like tennis or badminton? Thats an ankle-destroyer waiting to happen.

[BigBrodieFan]

I was at my very lowest in 2015. I was married to a person who was gone to work overseas all of the time, and we had a horribly tumultuous relationship prior to that.

I decided to file for divorce and I started exercising trying to get back to the same weight and tone I was in my teens/early 20s. It took me til the end of 2016 until I realized my body will never be the same as it was back then. And, I remember the day my divorce was final, I was elated and sort of back to being myself

However, I feel like depression has been zoning in lately. I find the aging process extremely depressing, especially when people I love start dying. I feel like people sort of gain family and friends and jobs until they are in their 40s, and people start losing family and friends after 50 and I seem to be hyper focused on that lately. I have to find a way to cope with it. I have been reading a lot of books lately that attempt to explain why I feel this way but none of them have quite nailed it.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Competing for steps is fun. You get outside enjoy the sun and nature. Going to the water is very calming as well.

I had an Apple Watch for a while. Got one for my mom and sister and my dad was like I want one.

Gets everyone moving a bit more. Now when I see my mom one of the first things she asks for is to see my steps lol.

I'm in a fitness challenge that's going on within my rugby club.

We are all in a chat and have to hit 25 days of activity, workout/hike/walk dog/ you name it, just needs to be:

1 - more than 30 mins in duration
2 - must involve something that puts you in a good head space

It is about physical & mental health.

Then if you hit the 25 days for the month, you are invited to a Champion Dinner with the others.

[Erick Estrada]

I assume I'm not the only person that typically gets more depressed in the fall? It's been a problem for me ever since I was a kid I would start feeling bummed out by late August and it's stuck with me as an adult. It's even worse now due to the last year which has been the most difficult of my life. My wife and I did everything together for 30 years and I never really developed a lot of friendships outside of my highschool buddies so now I kind of feel a little lonely and alone. Also I'm not sure I'm cut out for online dating as it's the same repeatable conversations and trying to sell yourself to a total stranger that may or may not be honest about themselves. Blah!

[Paulie Walnuts]

Yeah the weather or season change sucks. October is usually fine, plus you get Halloween, but after that its literally just counting down to Christmas and right after I am looking forward to March for the time change.

[GGG]

For me it’s the once you start to get into the dark when you leave home and dark when you leave work. The time change helps with morning light for a bit.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

I understand other people have much more real problems than this, ie - serious health issues, poverty issues, and I should be content, but the thought of waking up 6 months from now and being in the same cycle makes me want to scream. Can anyone relate to this?

I can. I am continually telling myself that I have a lot to be thankful for and there are millions of people on this planet and plenty on this forum with far bigger problems than me. My mind will have nothing of it though as it's a constant battle.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by GGG

For me it’s the once you start to get into the dark when you leave home and dark when you leave work. The time change helps with morning light for a bit.

The worst, wake up in the dark and go home in the dark. Whatever sunlight we get is during work hours.