Mental health. Tips and coping mechanisms

[|tera|]

Time will tell my friend

My spirit is able, but my body is weak.
Just typing brings discomfort and pain.

I don't have anyone to ask and I do hope to die. I appreciate your suggestions and kind advice. My plan is to rest today as I've been doing.

I agree that it's stress and depression.
Your advice isn't void to me. I just can't achieve everything due to the situation I'm in.

 

[Gozado]

I hear you. I get it that even when one knows what might help (even though there's no certainty about whether any particular exercise really will be effective) it's sometimes just not possible to put it into practice.

If you are resting, good. If you can remember, while sitting or lying down, to actively breathe slowly, long breaths in and out, just a few times, that might be soothing. This next tip might sound really banale, but sometimes, if you touch, say, your shoulder or your cheek (or anywhere, really) with the opposite hand, slowly, it can also help your body feel less lonely.

When you're as down as you are, there are no great flashes of relief. However, any teensiest diminishment of any part of the suffering does this, for certain: it proves to some corner of your brain, your body and your spirit, that change is possible and that relief (as a concept) is possible. And that can become the stepping-stone for something better, later, tomorrow or another day. That's why, to gain this proof, I'd like to encourage you to try to do one smallest part of such exercises (or of whatever else you know does you good) even just for 30 seconds at a time.

Hope you can manage to breathe, and to sleep well.

 

[|tera|]

I lost the job opportunity, but I'm proud at the effort I gave, taking my circumstances into account.

I got the courage together to approach a specific family member that mostly understands my condition better. I requested that my family try and see if they can help me out for a few months financially to get back on private medication prescribed by a real psychiatrist in 2017.

I couldn't afford it a few years ago and was too proud to ask for help. This time I've swallowed my pride and promised to pay it back as soon as I am able.

The cost is substantial. Especially if you have zero income as I've got at the moment.

If I am able to use it once again I will be cutting down medication from a handful including a monthly injection to a capsule or two and tablet once or twice per day.

I just can't go on using the government provided medication. It's poor quality. Always changing due to stock issues. They have zero clue what psychiatric conditions are and how to treat it and quite frankly as the patient it shouldn't be my job to inform a doctor what medicine I should use and what the dosages should be.

I'm hoping and praying my family can get the money together for a few months so I can sort out my suicidal nature, lack of sleep, too much sleep and general unhealthy condition.

I started the day wanting to die. As I've done the last few weeks.
I'm ending the day by thanking God that He gave me the correct thoughts and direction to get on the right path again.

It sucks right now. I'm nauseous. Haven't slept for about 4 days and my stomach is churning constantly. I can't go on like this.

 

[Gozado]

Sorry about the job.

But wow, I commend you! It is awful to be at the mercy of the approval or generosity or rejection of others, so well done for gathering the courage to speak to that one family member who understands a bit more than the others do. Let's hope they will help you to get the medication you need, and that it can help settle and clear things for you, and then you can find other ways of trying to generate income.

 

[TribbleZA]

Sorry about the job.

But wow, I commend you! It is awful to be at the mercy of the approval or generosity or rejection of others, so well done for gathering the courage to speak to that one family member who understands a bit more than the others do. Let's hope they will help you to get the medication you need, and that it can help settle and clear things for you, and then you can find other ways of trying to generate income.

Agreed - well done. It can only get better from here

 

[Lupus]

Shoo this last year, I've never really had any mental health issues, normally been the type of guy who lives in the moment.
But then suddenly last year became obsessed with power failures, load shedding, work issues and and. Doctor prescribed anti anxiety pills to help out when I can't cope.
Was on them for about a month consistently. But for the last week I've not been taking and okay still waking up at about 3/4am but think that's a remnant of when I needed to for work.
What seemed to help a bit is getting out a bit more, even if it's taking the kid to Spur and let him go play air hockey or on the plane. Going to friends places as well held a bit, slowly trying to get things back to a normalish way. Also thanks to eye strain and such the opthmalogist told me I need to take breaks more regularly from the PC screen, which has helped.

 

[Ancalagon]

Man I'm struggling at the moment.

I'm not motivated to do my job. I'm on my way out, just waiting for some final round interviews, but I hope to be resigning soon. Like maybe this week or next week.

But before I go, I still want to do some work. And I just can't. It causes such stress. I sit here at my computer and try to work, and I do anything to avoid work. Including posting this.

I mean, maybe you could say that it doesn't matter because I'm leaving soon. I don't know. I just want to be able to work so that I can feel less stressed.

 

[Gozado]

Can you motivate yourself to do Just One Task? Sometimes that can help. It proves to you that you really Can do something. Try to finish one small thing.

 

[syntax]

Man I'm struggling at the moment.

I'm not motivated to do my job. I'm on my way out, just waiting for some final round interviews, but I hope to be resigning soon. Like maybe this week or next week.

But before I go, I still want to do some work. And I just can't. It causes such stress. I sit here at my computer and try to work, and I do anything to avoid work. Including posting this.

I mean, maybe you could say that it doesn't matter because I'm leaving soon. I don't know. I just want to be able to work so that I can feel less stressed.

Im struggling as well. During the start of lockdown and most of last year I was pretty motivated and managed to improve myself and work well.
Something changed the last few months and everything feels like a drag, I've never really been a "dont want to" person but it is hitting hard at the moment.

Even exercise, which has been my saving grace for a few years feels like a chore.
I think its a stacking of all the pressure eventually becoming too much.

I am taking some leave soon and am going to digitally disconnect for a week, hoping that I get some perspective and stop feeling so damn sorry for myself

 

[Ancalagon]

Im struggling as well. During the start of lockdown and most of last year I was pretty motivated and managed to improve myself and work well.
Something changed the last few months and everything feels like a drag, I've never really been a "dont want to" person but it is hitting hard at the moment.

Even exercise, which has been my saving grace for a few years feels like a chore.
I think its a stacking of all the pressure eventually becoming too much.

I am taking some leave soon and am going to digitally disconnect for a week, hoping that I get some perspective and stop feeling so damn sorry for myself

I'm feeling better now, but yeah, its rough. For me, it comes in waves. It is like everything feeds off everything else. Any negativity just becomes amplified.

I'm not motivated in my job (luckily looking for a new one), so anything that makes me not keen to do my job just becomes huge. Then that affects my self esteem. Then it snowballs.

 

[Gozado]

This week I had a conversation about this topic, which prompted me to return to the thread.

Grow vegetables. Everyone I know who does so, feels better about themselves, in some way. Both for actually doing something constructive and, perhaps, because of the improved nutritiion. In some cases, they produce beyond their own needs, and then use those veges to barter towards whatever else they need.

As long as one starts small, it can be cheap to set up, especially if you watch youtube videos appropriate to your climate. For example, in plastic bottles, which are cheap and readily available and don't take up much space.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=grow+vegetables+in+plastic+bottles

For seeds, some may work from the local veges you buy in the supermarket. If not, once can buy one of each sort of vegetable from an eco/green/bio shop, and those seeds may work better.

 

[|tera|]

This week I had a conversation about this topic, which prompted me to return to the thread.

Grow vegetables. Everyone I know who does so, feels better about themselves, in some way. Both for actually doing something constructive and, perhaps, because of the improved nutritiion. In some cases, they produce beyond their own needs, and then use those veges to barter towards whatever else they need.

As long as one starts small, it can be cheap to set up, especially if you watch youtube videos appropriate to your climate. For example, in plastic bottles, which are cheap and readily available and don't take up much space.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=grow+vegetables+in+plastic+bottles

For seeds, some may work from the local veges you buy in the supermarket. If not, once can buy one of each sort of vegetable from an eco/green/bio shop, and those seeds may work better.

I may be a white Afrikaans male. Commonly referred to as a Boer. But no. I'm not a farmer.

It doesn't interest me. So I'd be wasting my time and energy. I build and I am extremely creative in the ICT sector. I don't do random things which I'm not interested in.

I get more gratification and feel better doing things I actually love doing.

 

[saor]

I don't do random things which I'm not interested in.

I think the point is to try random things so you can find more things you're interested in.

 

[|tera|]

I think the point is to try random things so you can find more things you're interested in.

I'm 37 years old. I'm not a child that needs to experience more things.
I know what I like and dislike.

 

[Magnum]

I gave up Decades ago. Became friends with the Demons in my head. They are quite civilized and well educated.
Just every now and again one of the fluffy Fckers escapes and gets into some weird sht.

 

[Paul Kemp]

I'm 37 years old. I'm not a child that needs to experience more things.
I know what I like and dislike.

Damn, so young and you are already limiting yourself from new experiences?

 

[saor]

I'm 37 years old. I'm not a child that needs to experience more things.
I know what I like and dislike.

Well, it's difficult to know if you like gardening or painting if you've never tried it. We get stuck in our ways and don't try new things and close ourselves off to a world of experience. Part of mental health involves exposing ourselves to new situations that allow us to perceive the world differently...gives us fresh perspective.

 

[|tera|]

Damn, so young and you are already limiting yourself from new experiences?

Finances limit most possible experiences. So yes, I rather limit myself than go further into depression.
If I live each day yerning for something I don't have, or need, or want, then I'd go crazy.
I'm working and attempting to move forward with my own ventures. It's not just an easy choice to experience anything, if you can't afford it.

Well, it's difficult to know if you like gardening or painting if you've never tried it. We get stuck in our ways and don't try new things and close ourselves off to a world of experience. Part of mental health involves exposing ourselves to new situations that allow us to perceive the world differently...gives us fresh perspective.

I've experienced a lot. It didn't change who I am.
If something interests me, then I'd like to experience it or get a different perspective.
There's not even one day that goes by, where I don't learn or attempt to better my life.
It's not an easy road.

 

[Paul Kemp]

Finances limit most possible experiences. So yes, I rather limit myself than go further into depression.
If I live each day yerning for something I don't have, or need, or want, then I'd go crazy.
I'm working and attempting to move forward with my own ventures. It's not just an easy choice to experience anything, if you can't afford it.

New experiences come in many forms. As an example a new meal is a new experience and you have to eat so there isn’t any financial burden. That’s an obvious one but there are many ways to experience new things without really spending money.
New experiences are an important part of our basic human drive.

Gozado’s suggestion on doing a bit of gardening I would assume is more along the lines of interacting with nature giving you more than you expect. A good suggestion shot down before take off. Odd but I don’t suffer from depression outside of the normal ups and downs so my perspective isn’t applicable based on what I have read so far in this thread.

 

[pinball wizard]

New experiences come in many forms. As an example a new meal is a new experience and you have to eat so there isn’t any financial burden. That’s an obvious one but there are many ways to experience new things without really spending money.
New experiences are an important part of our basic human drive.

Gozado’s suggestion on doing a bit of gardening I would assume is more along the lines of interacting with nature giving you more than you expect. A good suggestion shot down before take off. Odd but I don’t suffer from depression outside of the normal ups and downs so my perspective isn’t applicable based on what I have read so far in this thread.

A new experience can be something as simple as volunteering at the local SPCA, or to marshal at a parkrun. Those are cost free.