Mental health issues?

[ThatFishingGuy]

I can't be the only one on this site that suffers from mental health issues. I currently take medicine to manage my depression and anxiety, and for the most part they really work, but sometimes the low days hang around longer than I'd wish. Lately I've been feeling very disinterested in my hobbies, including fishing - the weather has been beautiful and I feel like I should want to go fish and take my kayak out, but I just can't find the motivation. It seems like too much effort to be worth it. 

 

For those that sometimes feel similarly, do you have any tips? I did recently start a new job, which might explain the stress and worsening mental health, but I'd be very glad to hear what some of the people here do when they're feeling this way. Do you have any fixes that work for you? Ways to change your mindset and overcome these feelings?

[NorcalBassin]

There's a daily "exercise" called 3 good things that just takes a few minutes each night to write down 3 good things that happened to you that day. The research is pretty remarkable and doing this has been shown to be even more effective than some meds and the benefits continue on for long after someone stops (if they decide to stop). I really encourage you to give it a chance for at least a couple weeks to see how you feel then vs now.

 

 

 

https://happyproject.in/three-good-things/

 

[Jigfishn10]

1 hour ago, ThatFishingGuy said:

ImI did recently start a new job, which might explain the stress and worsening mental health, but I'd be very glad to hear what some of the people here do when they're feeling this way.

I recently changed jobs b/c of nothing more, the writing on the wall. Not a lot of new work coming in and old work coming to a halt. 
 

For me a starting a new job depressed me. Worries of: am I doing a good job, getting along with others and for me, a schedule change! Getting to work early but getting out at a decent time to workout was BIG for me! 

My depression was prevalent for a couple months but I’m getting there.

 

It’s hard to be accepted in a new company, the new neighborhood, this site, etc Takes time man, but you’ll get there 

 

Cheer up thatguy, things will pick up. 

[schplurg]

Ya I have issues with depression/ADD, not too bad but sometimes it can be.

 

I am the same right now, lazy and unmotivated. But I also had an issue with my meds recently and had to go through withdrawls, then start again (doctor screwed up, thanks doc)

 

TIP:

Sometimes I just make myself go fishing. Like "Get off your butt and go dude, it's just your mind effin with you!" Go to a pond, local lake and bank fish. I'm usually glad I did. Even just for an hour.

 

I think with today's political chaos, Covid and now Russia/Ukraine that there is a lot to be concerned about and it is no wonder many of us are having problems. Oh ya, we all have our own stresses on top of that too!

 

Good thread. It's a shame that mental illness, whether mild or severe, is still thought of as being for wussies. "Oh just get over it!" Ya right. Though it is not nearly as much of a stigma as it used to be.

 

I mean something like 1/10 of people over 12 in this country are on antidepressants (I just looked it up). There is a LOT more understanding now.

 

I'm actually going to see a shrink a couple of times just to maybe get a better grip on stress management, look into different meds and maybe to be reminded that no, I'm not crazy, the rest of the world is. Okay I'm a little nuts

 

My other TIP is to talk about it. Here, with friends or family, with a doctor, if for no other reason just to realize that you are not alone. Sometimes if I complete a task or chore I've been putting off that makes me feel better.

 

No you are not alone, my brother.

 

Edit to add: if anyone is having really bad thoughts please talk to a professional. Don't mess around, suicide is a big killer in this country -  47,000 in 2020. I've been bad a few times in my life. I sold my only gun 5 years ago just in case. I scared myself a little.

 

Edit 2

I just talked myself into getting out of the house for a couple hours. Went like this: "Mike, take your own advice and go for a walk at the lake in town. Well heck. may as well grab a rod! Don't bring any tackle or back pack though, no pressure, just one rod and whatever plastic is on the hook and that's it. GO!!!"

 

I'm going! Never caught a fish there but I'm just gettin out of the house

[DitchPanda]

 I'm pretty fortunate in that I don't suffer from mental health issues..not saying I don't get bummed out a little but nothing like your dealing with. My girlfriend however has mild depression and also pretty severe social anxiety. I just try my best to be encouraging, understanding and supportive.

 People do give her crap about being so shy and introverted saying dumb stuff like just have fun and don't worry about what other people think...great advice unless your actually the one dealing with it. I've heard her say until you live in my head you should shut your mouth because you don't know what its like.

[Bird]

I do know that it's a real issue that requires empathy from us that may not suffer from mental health issues.

I witnessed 1st hand a very close coworker meet his demise from depression, heart breaking.

Prayers ?

 

[slonezp]

On 3/19/2022 at 6:47 PM, Jigfishn10 said:

I recently changed jobs b/c of nothing more, the writing on the wall. Not a lot of new work coming in and old work coming to a halt. 
 

For me a starting a new job depressed me. Worries of: am I doing a good job, getting along with others and for me, a schedule change! Getting to work early but getting out at a decent time to workout was BIG for me! 

My depression was prevalent for a couple months but I’m getting there.

 

It’s hard to be accepted in a new company, the new neighborhood, this site, etc Takes time man, but you’ll get there 

 

Cheer up thatguy, things will pick up. 

We discussed the job thing sometime ago. I've been at my current position for just about 2 years. If you recall I was very apprehensive about accepting the management position because the store I took over was under performing and had stagnant sales for 5 years. Couple that with moving from a guaranteed salary, with little responsibility at best, to commission based salary and the weight of the stores success on my shoulders played huge on my mind. It ate at me for weeks. Covid going on made things even worse mentally because everything was up in the air with the economy. With all that going on, I still accepted the position.

 

The stress (and fear of starvation) motivated me. I set my mind on success and so far so good. I haven't starved yet and my first fiscal year, sales were up 50% over the previous stagnant 5. I had a journeyman tech come in this morning who I haven't seen in maybe a year or longer. He works for one of the larger mechanical shops in Chicago and generally works south. My store is north. First thing he said when he walked in the door was "Rumor has it you're getting put on our payroll. I hear you've been going out of your way to help our guys"  I told him I'm more than happy to take his company's money LOL. What a compliment that was. Made my day.

 

OP, while I do not currently suffer from mental health issues, I have in the past. I suffered from depression when I was young and I attempted suicide as a teenager. I had a brother(RIP) that was born with mental issues and my ex-wife is bi-polar. I don't have a good answer for you but I've been thru it. This too shall pass.

[jbsoonerfan]

I have some mental health issues that seem to be getting worse as I get older. I am experiencing more anxiety than when I was younger. As a teacher, I have a hard time teaching some days because I feel like crawling in a hole. But, I have to do my job. I feel the same with coaching. I also, don't fish near as much as I did. Mainly because I am spending more time with my family, but also because sometimes it doesn't seem worth the effort. I tried meds and never could find one that didn't have some side effect that made it just not worth it. 

 

I am also very OCD and like for everything to be organized and neat and that too seems to be getting worse. 

 

Now, I have a serious career decision to make, which isn't making anything better. LOL

[schplurg]

2 hours ago, schplurg said:

Edit 2

I just talked myself into getting out of the house for a couple hours. Went like this: "Mike, take your own advice and go for a walk at the lake in town. Well heck. may as well grab a rod! Don't bring any tackle or back pack though, no pressure, just one rod and whatever plastic is on the hook and that's it. GO!!!"

 

I'm going! Never caught a fish there but I'm just gettin out of the house

Just got back, glad I went. No fish, said hi to a few people and was glad I wasn't sitting in front of the computer instead. Fished a little, sat down a little. I don't feel awesome but I feel "better" and like I did something today.

 

I'm actually going through a bit of a physical therapy as well, so I'm a little slower still.

 

I walked across a footbridge and looked down at a 15 pound carp in about 4 feet of water, just sitting there. A kid walked up and we watched that fish rise up then blast out of the water to eat something. That was a cool view of it. This lake is in San Jose, just a park.

 

I've also been on workers comp for a bit and that has been a bummer. I work part time still, but too much time on my hands. Thankfully it's time to fish, and I'm almost ready to go back to full time. Whoopee LOL.

[Koz]

My first bit of advice would be to stop watching the news and stay off of social media. Do it for a few days. then try a week, then try a month. If you do want o keep up with the news, go to a website like Reuters.

 

We all have times when things can be the lowest of lows, even if it's not chronic depression. I had a few rough patches in the last 5 years or so, especially when my father died. Now I have never used drugs, and my alcohol consumption is about 3 beers a year, but one thing that helps me when I'm down or even facing a tough challenge is the Serenity Prayer:

 

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

 

I think a lot of us feel stress and pressure because of things outside of our control. So for me, that first part of the prayer hits home. It did take a while for me to make this a habit. But when I felt down or stressed I would force myself to think about this prayer and it helps me keep everything in perspective This immediately quells the negative emotions that may be creeping up on me. This allows me to focus on the things that I can change, and that gives me a sense of control and confidence to move forward.

 

 

[schplurg]

Nothing has to trigger depression. I try and explain it to people like this, maybe it's a bad analogy:

 

"You know how you feel when someone close to you dies (or something similar)? That's what depression feels like, except you don't need a death to bring it on. Like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, but for no reason at all"

 

Your brain squirts a little juice into your bloodstream and that is what makes us feel sad, or happy, or horny. With depression your brain does this for no reason (the sad part). The drugs simply try and control what your brain is releasing, simply put.

 

It is just my brain screwin with me, as I said earlier. I know this, but it is still real. People kill themselves because of depression.

 

You're down, no motivation, things seem like a waste of time.

 

It's not a mystery either, it's science. We know what is going on, it's just hard to fix. I cannot meditate, pray or talk myself out of this. It is a part of me. But knowing that can make it easier. Kind of. And I don't even have it that bad.

 

Last time I felt bad I remembered that it's just my brain screwing around and that helped me deal with it. Knowledge is power whether it be from doctors, research, or experience.

 

One more thing:

Years ago my doctor told me this. "We can do therapy and talk about your mother , we can talk about your life history for a year, or we can try a few meds and see if anything helps. You know, get you functional then maybe go from there.

 

In the end the meds made it the most tolerable, allowed me to live my life, hold a job, be functional. And what the heck I've gone this far...I take Wellbutrin. It's mild, low side effects, and is good for ADD and mild depression. It isn't perfect but when I've quit in the past I always go back to it.

 

I take it primarily for ADD but it helps depression too.

 

Now this is way more than I expect to tell people on a fishing forum, but screw it, what the heck. If it helps anyone then cool. If not maybe it'll help me! And we shouldn't be afraid to talk about it.

[schplurg]

Also, Koz has a good point. I'm not religious, but as I said above, knowing you have a problem can at least help. Praying, or asking a person for help can both probably be beneficial because you are admitting it to yourself. Saying it out loud. I dunno what I'm trying to say really.

 

Why do dogs have it so easy? Your dog ever complain about a headache? "Oh I don't feel like going for a ride" Heck no! No matter when you grab your car keys that dog is at your feet ready to go whether they're dead asleep or in the middle of a meal. No issues, no BS. If they're not ready to go then you KNOW they're sick. Dang I wish it was that easy for us!

[Jmilburn76]

After suffering a TBI that caused a stroke Im now dealing with brain issues, anxiety, and stress that will probably never change. I had two different Dr appointments today with the last telling me to stop taking the meds I was trying since they are actually making things worse. On top of it all I went from working 50 hrs a week to hardly leaving the house for almost a year now and Ive gained 30 lbs.

 

 I had never heard of neuro-fatigue until now and it sucks, most days Im just tired and no one understands it as no one can see my brain isn't 100% and doesn't function like it did and never will. That causes more anxiety, its a never ending cycle.

[schplurg]

9 minutes ago, Jmilburn76 said:

After suffering a TBI that caused a stroke Im now dealing with brain issues, anxiety, and stress that will probably never change. I had two different Dr appointments today with the last telling me to stop taking the meds I was trying since they are actually making things worse. On top of it all I went from working 50 hrs a week to hardly leaving the house for almost a year now and Ive gained 30 lbs.

 

 I had never heard of neuro-fatigue until now and it sucks, most days Im just tired and no one understands it as no one can see my brain isn't 100% and doesn't function like it did and never will. That causes more anxiety, its a never ending cycle.

If you can't see it, it ain't broke. That is a big problem with this I think.

 

I have a friend who hit a tree snowboarding and tumbled down a hillside. Long story short he still has issues with his brain. I can tell, but I know why. He's usually fine but every once in awhile I can see it. Totally understandable of course, and we talk about it.

 

Well it's good that it is becoming more understood by people. Like I said, 1 out of 10 are on anti-depressants, and who knows what the other 9 may be doing.

 

I talked to my boss today who is also a friend. I didn't want to try to explain this to him (I called in sick this week) but he said, "Ya my brother has problems too when he runs out or stops taking his meds"

 

I was like, okay cool, you "get it". Was a load off my mind.

 

Incidentally, I've tried CBD too. I like it sometimes. It seems to take the edge off. It's so mild to me it's hard to tell sometimes. Definitely helps me sleep too. But  just do it occasionally.

 

Funny, my Mom, Dad and Stepdad have all tried it, either creams or tablet form. Times are a changin!

[schplurg]

Sorry if I'm taking over the thread. I just took this photo on my "forced" fishing trip today. Lousy camera but I wanted to prove I went haha. And just show that I got to see this instead of looking at my PC screen all day

 

Two geese swam up to me, came ashore about 15 feet to my left. Was cool just watching them. One stood up, spread his wings and flapped them a few times and all kinds of dust and sticks and twigs blew around. I could feel the air moving.

 

Never noticed that before. It's the simple things sometimes. I walked around the lake, cast here and there, then went home. I've never even had a bite here. Didn't care.

 

[TnRiver46]

Anyone that knows me would definitely say I have mental health issues haha. A variety of them. Oh well I just roll with it I guess 

[schplurg]

Nobody is perfect. It's no surprise that something as complicated as the human brain isn't made perfectly.

 

One leg shorter than the other, colorblindness, allergies. Humans are an all around mess!

 

Edit to add: Just look at my "hair"!!!!!

[Koz]

One caveat that I want to add to what I said earlier is that my son suffered greatly from depression. A friend had committed suicide, COVID took away social interaction, and two of his grandparents dies plus some other things. It was bad. Really, really, terrifyingly bad.

 

He was in therapy. Doctors tried medication after medication. He was hospitalized - twice. And for all the doctors and all the medications, what it finally comes down to is your brain. Your brain gets you into this and your brain can get you out of this.

 

That's going to mean different things to different people. If you believe the medication will help, it will. If you believe prayer will help, it will. If you believe therapy will help, it will. But if you don't believe something will help you, it won't. Your brain will overpower it. And that is the mighty struggle.

 

It is my personal opinion that if you understand this, even when things are dark, that there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. If you can see that light, you can find a way to navigate your own path. Your brain is both a powerful tool and a powerful enemy, but ultimately you have the control over that power. Find the light.

[throttleplate]

living years ago with a girlfriend in calif, i went with her to a Borders book store.

She didn tell me what she was going for but i went and read gun magizines.

When i was finished i found her in the medical section of the bookstore and she was reading a book on mental peronalities, about why people act in the way they do.

I asked her why you reading that and she tells me , because i want to find out what your problem is.

That night i slept in the spare bedroom and 6 months later i left her and moved back to Las Vegas.

On 3/23/2022 at 9:49 PM, schplurg said:

I take Wellbutrin.

Have you ever tried Paxil, Paroxetine?

 

Paroxetine is an antidepressant that belongs to group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Paroxetine affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, anxiety, or other disorders. Paroxetine is used to treat depression, including major depressive disorder.

[schplurg]

Way too many negative stories involving Paxil. No way, but I don't need it. My sister was involved in a class action lawsuit many many years ago. I mean not "involved" but she got a settlement. You gotta be real careful with it. She had bad reactions. She only used meds temporarily after a bad time in her life.

 

I don't have bad depression really, it's mainly ADD. My brain goes too fast. I won't do SSRIs at all. I can actually go without meds okay but I am way more productive and steady with the Bupropion/Wellbutrin than with nothing.

 

There are people out there who have depression way worse than I do. Maybe it would help them. I've tried other stuff in the past. My doctors were frustrated trying to medicate me long ago. Said I was an unusual case.

 

I've been taking Wellbutrin for a few decades, sometimes off but mostly on, and I can't see that it has harmed me, as in side effects or growing a third eye I am going to see a doctor soon though to reevaluate me. Been a long time.

 

This med thing is really frustrating. It isn't perfect and I have stopped many times, but I always go back. I'm happier with it, but it isn't perfect. And not all generics are made equally. I found that out the hard way. Sometimes I feel like it isn't worth it, but usually I guess it is.

 

BTW I hope @ThatFishingGuy is still around and feeling better (fishing).. Shouldn't his username be linked, did I do it wrong?

[schplurg]

 

Man I'm talking a lot but I want to point out one more thing that I touched on earlier.

 

A lot of people who don't normally have depression or anxiety issues are now feeling it in some ways because of everything going on in the world these days. We have chaos in politics here, a pandemic that left us largely isolated from each other for long lengths of time and afraid we could die, and now the threat of a major conflict (more major than it already is) with a madman threatening to use nukes.

 

It's like being in 3 horror movies at the same time. A  young gal I work with caught Covid early before the vaccines. She gave it to a friend and that friends Dad got it and died. My coworker felt great guilt even though she didn't know she had it. She talked about it with me. We're afraid of killing each other too, not just ourselves! That's heavy.

 

A lot of us went through the cold war so maybe the Russia thing isn't anything new to us, but I called a younger friend of mine to go fishing and he was saying "How can I think about fishing when Ukraine was attacked yesterday?"

 

It's cool that he cares of course, but I talked him down and we went fishing, but it dawned on me that this is new for a lot of people. It is scary. We talked about it some while we fished.

 

I mean we've been wondering, especially for the first year "Will I die if I get this virus that everyone around me is getting?" That's gotta affect people man. That's traumatic really.

 

If you're not feeling it at least a little bit then I want whatever you're smokin' (and that doesn't help my ADD either)!!! But seriously, my HR department says for the past two years workers have been complaining of being unusually tired and generally unhappy and wondering why. A lot of them.

 

The experts realize that this is happening.

 

I guess I'm just trying to say: heck no, the OP (first poster) is not alone, nor am I. Not even close. I'm gonna stop typing now. I'm a little buzzed so...

[Dwight Hottle]

??

Talking about it is helpful.

[DaubsNU1]

Man, I feel for you! Hang in there. Talking / letting it out seems to help. Get a good therapist / counselor.

 

Things I have found that help:

• Stopped watching news / TV:  lots of drama in the world, even on network TV. It's all designed to keep me watching...so I will see the adds...and want more stuff. About all I watch is sports on TV, not much else. Even then, i tend to DVR/time-delay, and FF through the commercials. 
• Being grateful for what I have: I've got good health, good wife, good family, good kids, good job, lots to be thankful for
• Pray often: I thank God every morning and every evening (see above)
• Slow down social media:  or get off all together. I can feel myself getting jealous just scrolling through the feed. That's when i put it away for the day.
• Eat right: went gluten free with wife about 5 years ago (she had to for medical reasons). I never realized how bad I felt until I got off the wheat/bread/carbs. Wow. And I have recently stopped eating processed foods, vegetable oils...and feel EVEN BETTER than before. Hard to explain...worth a try.
• Cut way down on alcohol:  I've never been a big drinker...so cutting back was not a big deal.
• Cut out caffeine: Stopped with soda/pop back in high school...and have never drank coffee.  Again, felt better. 
• Being responsible for me: this one is hard...often find myself thinking, "...I can see where they are going wrong..." and "I can help fix them..." It's not about fixing others...it's about concentrating on fixing me, being responsible for me. Other's happiness is not my responsibility. Gotta take care of myself first. Of course, I take care of my wife, kids, family...but ultimately they are responsible for themselves. 

When I'm feeling down, I youtube Cast Away...Tom Hanks sitting by the fire...

 

youtube.com/watch?v=PKLVAeI7MU8

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, DaubsNU1 said:

Man, I feel for you! Hang in there. Talking / letting it out seems to help. Get a good therapist / counselor.

 

Things I have found that help:

• Stopped watching news / TV:  lots of drama in the world, even on network TV. It's all designed to keep me watching...so I will see the adds...and want more stuff. About all I watch is sports on TV, not much else. Even then, i tend to DVR/time-delay, and FF through the commercials. 
• Being grateful for what I have: I've got good health, good wife, good family, good kids, good job, lots to be thankful for
• Pray often: I thank God every morning and every evening (see above)
• Slow down social media:  or get off all together. I can feel myself getting jealous just scrolling through the feed. That's when i put it away for the day.
• Eat right: went gluten free with wife about 5 years ago (she had to for medical reasons). I never realized how bad I felt until I got off the wheat/bread/carbs. Wow. And I have recently stopped eating processed foods, vegetable oils...and feel EVEN BETTER than before. Hard to explain...worth a try.
• Cut way down on alcohol:  I've never been a big drinker...so cutting back was not a big deal.
• Cut out caffeine: Stopped with soda/pop back in high school...and have never drank coffee.  Again, felt better. 
• Being responsible for me: this one is hard...often find myself thinking, "...I can see where they are going wrong..." and "I can help fix them..." It's not about fixing others...it's about concentrating on fixing me, being responsible for me. Other's happiness is not my responsibility. Gotta take care of myself first. Of course, I take care of my wife, kids, family...but ultimately they are responsible for themselves. 

When I'm feeling down, I youtube Cast Away...Tom Hanks sitting by the fire...

 

youtube.com/watch?v=PKLVAeI7MU8

 

 

 

 

 

 

No coffee????!!!!!! 

[Jmilburn76]

@DaubsNU1  the #1 thing that helped me quickly was to stop watching news. I stopped watching it all, even local, zero news for me. I use my phone to look at weather and an app for fishing.   It has taken away a lot of the worrying and stress of things that I can do nothing about anyways.