The Mental Health and Wellness Thread

[Hotwire]

I think it's high time we get a thread where we can discuss these issues and how they affect our lives.

I'll go first.

I'm currently dealing with issues involving my 10yo daughter. She's autistic and, back in September, started having trouble with depression. We've been getting her therapy since then. Back in November she expressed some suicidal ideation. Most recently, she cut her wrist, superficially, with scissors while at school. She's starting a partial hospitalization on Monday. Her autism makes it even harder to deal with. She doesn't seem to fully understand what's going on in her own head. To make things harder, EVERY facility that can help her is nearly an hour or more away from us. This is not an issue that really needs to be complicated by logistics.

 

[squeekness]

My sister has a daughter who cuts and has had the same issues with getting her care. We need universal health care now.

 

[chaseter]

I know it’s very tough in kids as they can’t yet grasp the World, where they fit into it, and how to cope within a growing mind/brain. It’s defintely a subject we need to focus way more attention on.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Its all about funding, understanding & access to services. Public awareness & understanding can be only be understood through direct experience or mental health awareness & promotion of the 'themes, feelings and effect' of depression, anxiety & suicide.

If successive government's & leaders wish to bury their head in the sand and hope & pretend its not a problem, it's not a 'growing' problem and it's a problem that isn't going to go away then sadly, very sadly, it will continue to blight, damage and wreck people's lives, sufferers, families and supporters/carers.

I know and have experienced myself every facet & emotion concerned with the inner workings of depression and how it causes a life shift & the emotional upheaval of cause & re-build required.

I'm deeply passionate about enabling services to those whom most need it and I have never shied away from my own experiences, the stigma is real, still exists in society & workplaces all over the world and we need to break down those barriers to say it's a part of life, it's not the end of one's life and we are here to hear and listen acutely to your pain & suffering.

I've been to hell & back and had a profound experience with depression and suicidal tendencies, and I'm far from alone, let us find a place where understanding is commonplace, knowledge of how help can be attained is commonplace & re-building does not come at a cost of life, but creates new life & transparency of feeling.

 

[Sundancer]

Facing it right now. After ten years finally got my dream job and they're telling me I'm not good enough. I'm still in my probation period.

 

[Hobgoblin]

I've had suicidal feelings my whole life. I've never hurt myself but I've seriously considered it. Oddly, my history of depression has made me less likely to kill myself, I think. I've faced these feelings before, over the course of years, and I'm still here. It makes me know the feeling is beatable.

 

[Mandon Knight]

Facing it right now. After ten years finally got my dream job and they're telling me I'm not good enough. I'm still in my probation period.

Talk it through with them, let them see your passion for your work and how hard you've worked for this opportunity. Nothing was ever solved without communication.

Keep a diary of events that you feel have happened that you believe give them that view and counter with the (I believe) the reality is that you are only settling in to the role, it takes 6-8 months in any job to know the role, integrate into it formally.

If they are naturally bullies and are failing to understand you as an individual and your employment needs in training or supervision, that's on them, not you.

I really hope you work this through, if your organisation has a HR consultant, ask for a private consultation with them. All the best.

 

[squeekness]

I suffer from chronic pain and have had limited success with medications (I refuse to take opioids). I've had a lot of really bad days and gave suicide some real thought, but I've got my husband, my daughter and my dogs. Sometimes you just need these things to help you stay grounded.

 

[chaseter]

You not falling victim to opioids is a triumph you need to recognize!

 

[squeekness]

You not falling victim to opioids is a triumph you need to recognize!

Thanks. I just don't dare, it would only make a bad thing worse. When I know I'm dying that's one thing, but for the day to day I have now, I'm just steering clear.

 

[Hotwire]

Can a mod add the suicide prevention hotline to the thread title?

1-800-273-8255

 

[Mandon Knight]

Here is the major UK mental health charity support website too...

https://www.mind.org.uk/

 

[the last son]

I've had suicidal feelings my whole life. I've never hurt myself but I've seriously considered it. Oddly, my history of depression has made me less likely to kill myself, I think. I've faced these feelings before, over the course of years, and I'm still here. It makes me know the feeling is beatable.

Same boat.

 

[NHawk19]

Coping mechanisms are something I think we could stand to teach more of in school. Society is so focused on Math and Reading numbers that starting even in Kindergarten society is pushing work sheets and busy work. This in turn is piling on stress at younger and younger ages.

People need to learn to interact and express themselves in constructive manners, ask for help, and have some compassion. Granted many types of mental health extend beyond simple techniques but at least the simple techniques offer a start and teach kids how to calm down and not feel so over-whelmed. It's also one of the reasons why I recommend Daniel Tiger & Mr. Rogers to friends with kids. Those shows cover many coping mechanisms that aren't touched in schools these days.

 

[Hotwire]

I was bullied from kindergarten all the way through my senior year. IT NEVER STOPPED! In my mid-teens, I hit bottom. I'd given up. I couldn't see an end to it so...

One afternoon I was in my room and sat there in the floor. Eyes soaked with tears as I wrote a note to my parents. I took a knife from my collection and put it to my wrist. I sat there for what geeky like forever trying to work up the nerve to pull the blade. Eventually, my thoughts turned to my little brother. He's 10 years younger and was maybe 5 at the time. It hit me hard when I thought of how it would affect him if he was the one who found me. That really shook me. I dropped the knife. I couldn't do that to him. I managed to compose myself, tear up the note, and put the knife away. It was years before I told anyone.

 

[Mandon Knight]

I was bullied from kindergarten all the way through my senior year. IT NEVER STOPPED! In my mid-teens, I hit bottom. I'd given up. I couldn't see an end to it so...

One afternoon I was in my room and sat there in the floor. Eyes soaked with tears as I wrote a note to my parents. I took a knife from my collection and put it to my wrist. I sat there for what geeky like forever trying to work up the nerve to pull the blade. Eventually, my thoughts turned to my little brother. He's 10 years younger and was maybe 5 at the time. It hit me hard when I thought of how it would affect him if he was the one who found me. That really shook me. I dropped the knife. I couldn't do that to him. I managed to compose myself, tear up the note, and put the knife away. It was years before I told anyone.

It is one of THE bravest things to do, to turn back from that moment and consider the other people it will impact after one has taken that route. I speak from having done the same process.

Being able to write this scenario takes huge courage and you should be very proud of yourself HW.

I salute you and your bravery.

 

[squeekness]

I was bullied too. What a shock my first semester of college and everyone was so nice. Life does get better.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

I think it's high time we get a thread where we can discuss these issues and how they affect our lives.

I'll go first.

I'm currently dealing with issues involving my 10yo daughter. She's autistic and, back in September, started having trouble with depression. We've been getting her therapy since then. Back in November she expressed some suicidal ideation. Most recently, she cut her wrist, superficially, with scissors while at school. She's starting a partial hospitalization on Monday. Her autism makes it even harder to deal with. She doesn't seem to fully understand what's going on in her own head. To make things harder, EVERY facility that can help her is nearly an hour or more away from us. This is not an issue that really needs to be complicated by logistics.

I know some folks who find getting close to animals pretty comforting, hopefully she's not allergic to any kind of animal.
Just know what animal suits her state best.

 

[Hotwire]

I know some folks who find getting close to animals pretty comforting, hopefully she's not allergic to any kind of animal.
Just know what animal suits her state best.

We have two cats she loves to cuddle. This whole situation started because of a cat, actually. We had to put her buddy to sleep due to cancer. It was her first experience with death and we may have inadvertently made death sound like a good thing.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

We have two cats she loves to cuddle. This whole situation started because of a cat, actually. We had to put her buddy to sleep due to cancer. It was her first experience with death and we may have inadvertently made death sound like a good thing.

I'm sorry to hear that.
Meditation might be good to do. Yoga classes?

 

[Sundancer]

Talk it through with them, let them see your passion for your work and how hard you've worked for this opportunity. Nothing was ever solved without communication.

Keep a diary of events that you feel have happened that you believe give them that view and counter with the (I believe) the reality is that you are only settling in to the role, it takes 6-8 months in any job to know the role, integrate into it formally.

If they are naturally bullies and are failing to understand you as an individual and your employment needs in training or supervision, that's on them, not you.

I really hope you work this through, if your organisation has a HR consultant, ask for a private consultation with them. All the best.

Appreciate the pep talk. The scarier part was I moved to another state for this and am just settling in. I did have a talk with my supervisor and it went...I don't know. Sometimes knowing "I DON'T KNOW" keeps things in perspective.


The last time I was jobless I went off my meds (didn't think I could afford them) and ended up in a psych ward. Apparently some states have facilities where they will evaluate you and help you out with meds.

 

[Sundancer]

I was bullied from kindergarten all the way through my senior year. IT NEVER STOPPED! In my mid-teens, I hit bottom. I'd given up. I couldn't see an end to it so...

One afternoon I was in my room and sat there in the floor. Eyes soaked with tears as I wrote a note to my parents. I took a knife from my collection and put it to my wrist. I sat there for what geeky like forever trying to work up the nerve to pull the blade. Eventually, my thoughts turned to my little brother. He's 10 years younger and was maybe 5 at the time. It hit me hard when I thought of how it would affect him if he was the one who found me. That really shook me. I dropped the knife. I couldn't do that to him. I managed to compose myself, tear up the note, and put the knife away. It was years before I told anyone.

My bullying seems tame compared to others. That sucks, man. I hope things are good between you and your brother and he helps you during the tough times. When you've been there, you can appreciate the pain in this and how actually hard it is for some people to open up. I try to talk to my sister. She, on the other hand, is tired of talking to therapists and doesn't want to talk to anyone.

Thinking of how much it would hurt my family kept me going at timer. We don't communicate much, but I know they would be devastated, especially now that I'm emotionally invested in my nephews.

This game is worth checking out http://www.depressionquest.com/

 

[Canadian Rider]

I struggle with depression and OCD. The best thing I ever did was tell my GP - she sent me to a Psychiatrist (I call him the brain mechanic.) He prescribed a medication that helped with my OCD in a massive way, but more importantly he taught me the coping mechanisms over the last 10 years that have allowed me to be (mostly) happy and at peace/content. I have made many bad choices over the years (and still do) but I have a simple philosophy: ODAAT. One Day At A Time. I just handle the things that come up as best I can and keep moving forward. IF you have any struggles with Suicidal thoughts talk to someone. There is help out there and people care about all of us, even if we don't believe it or see it all the time. My 2 cents.

 

[Canadian Rider]

We have two cats she loves to cuddle. This whole situation started because of a cat, actually. We had to put her buddy to sleep due to cancer. It was her first experience with death and we may have inadvertently made death sound like a good thing.

Autism is a difficult condition to deal with. I have friends with children affected. Sorry to hear that you have these issues and that your daughter is struggling. Hang in there. Keep loving her. Keep asking questions and keep looking for help - there are a lot of great resources out there.

#wrasslin

 

[Mandon Knight]

Am finding life very hard to get through at the moment, so many variants of reasoning and feeling associated with that statement.

There has been so much trauma in my life and there is so much 'hanging open' currently, I am struggling with trying to 'find a way'.