Making choices when Depressed

[Bat King]

Here is a little article (it is long) that I have written about Mental Health issues. Specifically about making rash decisions when Depressed.

It is a lot more open than I usually am about my own 'stuff' though I have openly mentioned on this Forum before that I have Depression & Anxiety issues.

I am not going to go in depth here as I've already gone in depth on the Blog.

I'm unashamed about my condition. Feel free to share the article around. My real name is available in the Blog and I'll be sharing this on Twitter & Facebook under my real name.

If someone just simply knowing I have these issues can get a slither of something from it - GREAT.

ARTICLE HERE

[TordelBack]

Good piece, Bat King. Much of what you describe applies to me too. Particularly the 'unknown number' phone and unknown letter thing, which I actually haven't seen anyone else mention, very interesting. While I feel I am coping with depression much better these days, largely through being conscious of the signs of its imminent arrival, I seem to be growing increasingly worse at dealing with social situations even when I'm in otherwise decent form - I was at my brother's wedding today, and managed to get through the whole affair without talking to anyone other than my immediate family - including avoiding  the bride's entire family (and I like her very much) and all my brother's friends. That ain't right.

[Bat King]

Coping in social situations is a worry for many.

I was asked about how I manage to Moderate at Lawgiver when I have Anxiety - by someone who wasn't there. So they hadn't seen me to know if I looked nervous. In that situation I just see it as a performance. I used to do AmDram so that's easy.

at large social events... not as easy. My daughter got married a few years back. As Father-of-the-Bride you get to be centre stage at a time that you are allowed to be nervous yet are expected to pull it off. Again for the speeches I approached it as a performance. I nailed it . But look at photos of me during the service... Bricking it.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

If you're nervous in social situations, try picking up a shift or two at your local boozer during the evenings/weekends. It worked absolute wonders for me.

This might sound like I'm taking the piss, but I'm really not.

[Bat King]

I guess in a way that's also a kind of performance...

[Darren Stephens]

Really interesting article, Bat King. I can see it helping others in a similar position. 

[Tjm86]

Coping in social situations is a worry for many.

I was asked about how I manage to Moderate at Lawgiver when I have Anxiety - by someone who wasn't there. So they hadn't seen me to know if I looked nervous. In that situation I just see it as a performance. I used to do AmDram so that's easy.

at large social events... not as easy.

I think that is a common problem for a lot of us that deal with this sort of stuff.  It confuses people when they see you in one context where you have strategies for controlling and then in another where you don't quite have the same skill set in place.

There was so much in your article I could relate to and agree wholeheartedly with.  To say that triggers and symptoms are personal is absolutely correct.  Sometimes I think it is also hard to know what your triggers are yourself at times.  The Paris attack was a trigger for me but it took nearly a fortnight to make sense.  It's linked in to circumstances that are at the back of my 'problems'. That is the hard part at times and where awareness is something I find especially helpful.  Recognising some of the physical sensations (tight chest, 'pit in stomach' sensation) works at bringing things to bear. 

One of the things I'm working on with the anxiety is learning how to ride through it and remember that it is a bit like a wave that I'm surfing.  It eventually reaches the shore and peters out.  Combining that with mindfulness techniques tends to make the process more effective and short-lived.  I'm spending less time trying to make sense of the why's and whertofores and simply accepting it and moving on.

I think you are absolutely correct to say that decisions need to be taken cautiously during a, for want of a better word, 'spike'.  I think that this is where awareness is crucial and coping strategies are vital.  If nothing else, it helps avoid the trigger that is guilt!

Cheers pal.

[The Legendary Shark]

Excellent article, Bats. I suffered from this from 2000 until a couple of years ago when I never went out at all if I could help it. Going to the shops was a major undertaking and the rattle of the letterbox was as terrifying as the rattle of a machine-gun - and if the doorbell rang unexpectedly... Well, that was almost as bad as seeing the Angel of Death.

I hardly suffer from it at all these days, and when I do the effects seem infinitely less debilitating. I wouldn't recommend the "solution" I chose to anyone but I will say that there are solutions.

Good work, Bats - you're a brave man and I salute you.

[Bat King]

Thanks guys glad it has been read quite a bit and is generating conversation.

All my Mental Health articles start with MH and include possible Trigger warnings - I try not to equate them to 'Spoiler tags' but it does tend to look that way.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Great article.  I was just chatting to my friend the other night; and it brought home to me just how personal a thing depression is - He, for example, recently discovered he has cancer of the brain (it may be curable, it may not; I really, really hope it is) and despite his world turning upside down his mental state is relatively normal.  Obviously he's scared and does not want to die but he's still able to come out and meet me for a couple of  pints, and maintain a healthy relationship with his partner and family.

I, on the other hand, could be plunged into a horrible, seemingly bottomless pit of despair by something far less important; which would make it next to impossible to socialise and operate normally. 

Also, here's a phenomenon I have noticed quite a bit - when I'm taking medication, I occasionally get really, really depressed in dreams; only to wake up feeling fine if a little bit shaken.  Does this happen to anyone else?  It makes me worry that depression is not really cured by medication; it merely lurks in the subconscious waiting for me to stop taking the pills before pouncing again.

[Bat King]

Medication workd for some... Did bugger all for me part from give me side affects and depress me...

[The Legendary Shark]

Medication kept me depressed. When I told this to my doctor, he nodded and said it was quite common.

[Grugz]

I noticed when I was remembering to take my meds my dreams were actually surpressed ,but great blog you always feel alone but then you come on here and realise theres more of us nutters than we realise...maybe we should set up...nah sod it I'm doing it...

[Bat King]

The Netflix Petition has overtaken it but this was the top read article on my Blog for a while which was very gratifying.

I will write more MH articles but they can be taxing.