**The Mental Health Thread**

Got to the point where I'm just trying to make time pass and shutting down now. I spent a good portion of Thursday and Friday face down on the sofa. Managed to oversleep past midday both days this weekend too, clearly I just don't want to face existence right now.

This is after slightly foolishly phrasing something at work Thursday as "This needs to be done by Monday or I'll quit". I would have stood by "Or you can consider me off work until it's completed". Idle threats to quit are not the best behaviour though.

We're in the middle of buying a house and everyone says it's stressful and expects me to be finding it so, but in reality I'm stressed out by everything in my life and buying a house is the last ditch effort to not go ****ing nuts and throw my life out the window. Only when the purchase drags on and becomes uncertain do I feel the stress because I have ****-all else to feel positive about.
 
Back at work on a phased return , really it was more I felt after 6 months I should go back rather than feeling ready but I still isolate myself so human contact Is probably a good thing
Given the choice though I just don't want to be around others ,if I wasn't living here it would be an isolated plot on a Scottish island I reckon
 
moon man said:
Back at work on a phased return , really it was more I felt after 6 months I should go back rather than feeling ready but I still isolate myself so human contact Is probably a good thing
Given the choice though I just don't want to be around others ,if I wasn't living here it would be an isolated plot on a Scottish island I reckon
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I watch this guys videos, he found a cheap corttage in irelend that needed doing up a bit but he has no mortgage. Mostly lives off the land.
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Quitting the Rat Race - Stuff, Space and Time

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moon man said:
Back at work on a phased return , really it was more I felt after 6 months I should go back rather than feeling ready but I still isolate myself so human contact Is probably a good thing
Given the choice though I just don't want to be around others ,if I wasn't living here it would be an isolated plot on a Scottish island I reckon
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I have the same problem with wanting to be alone. If you come up with any ideas let me know.

I'm in supported accommodation at the moment but that is basically because they won't let me live on my own. It is very hard to explain to someone how difficult it is to be around other people.
 
Lysander said:
What's the best way to support a good friend who has made a suicide attempt?

This friend lives far away so I cannot be there physically.
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I don't mean this to sound flippant or insensitive as it's an indelicate question but was it a true attempt or were they reaching out for help? They are two very distinct and different things and dependent which it is, it could dictate your next action depending how close the friend is on a personal level.
 
Cromulent said:
Get them to call the Samaritans or go to their GP. Or if really bad A&E. If they are actively suicidal they need to act now to keep themselves safe.
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They have been taken to a psych ward so I want to know if there's anything I can do when they get out. Maybe I should have mentioned that, sorry.

SixTwoSix said:
I don't mean this to sound flippant or insensitive as it's an indelicate question but was it a true attempt or were they reaching out for help? They are two very distinct and different things and dependent which it is, it could dictate your next action depending how close the friend is on a personal level.
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I don't know.
 
Lysander said:
They have been taken to a psych ward so I want to know if there's anything I can do when they get out. Maybe I should have mentioned that, sorry.
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When my girlfriend self-admitted for a 4 day stay in a psych ward, I visited each day and stayed in touch. She was allowed her phone so hopefully your friend can too, and you can check in a couple of times a day if they want to talk. Basically put the support in now, so that they know they can come to you once they're out? And maybe they will lead with how you can help then.
 
Lysander said:
They have been taken to a psych ward so I want to know if there's anything I can do when they get out. Maybe I should have mentioned that, sorry.
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From my experience of being in psych wards, they'll discharge them with a care plan and if this was their first attempt they'll be referred to CMHS for longer-term help. They will also be told about the local crisis telephone line and possibly also have support from the home treatment team. If none of that happens I'd be speaking to the psychiatrist.
 
LuckyBenski said:
When my girlfriend self-admitted for a 4 day stay in a psych ward, I visited each day and stayed in touch. She was allowed her phone so hopefully your friend can too, and you can check in a couple of times a day if they want to talk. Basically put the support in now, so that they know they can come to you once they're out? And maybe they will lead with how you can help then.
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I've told them I'm always there for them and have my phone on 24/7 for them. But I think they are just in a different place, and words like "I love you" don't really compute or mean anything. I don't know what else I can do apart from just let them know I am there whenever they want. This person has a long-term history of trauma and nothing can 'fix' that apart from acceptance, listening, support and understanding.
 
@Lysander If at all possible, the best thing you can do is visit them for a few days. I know from personal experience, one of the things that stopped me from hitting alt+f4 when I was in a very dark place was people showing up for me. Not that they knew at the time. Phone calls and texts are great but not the same. A friend of mine overdosed a couple of years ago and I still feel incredibly guilty for not reaching out. I hadn't talked to him or seen him in a few years and didn't know the extent of is depression etc. I probably wouldn't have been able to change anything but, yeah...
 
Vidar said:
@Lysander If at all possible, the best thing you can do is visit them for a few days. I know from personal experience, one of the things that stopped me from hitting alt+f4 when I was in a very dark place was people showing up for me. Not that they knew at the time. Phone calls and texts are great but not the same. A friend of mine overdosed a couple of years ago and I still feel incredibly guilty for not reaching out. I hadn't talked to him or seen him in a few years and didn't know the extent of is depression etc. I probably wouldn't have been able to change anything but, yeah...
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Thanks Vidar, I wish I could be there physically but this person is in the US and I have no financial means to go there to visit them. Hence all I can do really is be here for them if they need me. But really I just needed to know the best things to do or say. The good part is that they are very communicative and we talk every day whenever possible, so I hope that that continues.
 
@Lysander I'm not really sure what you should say, the fact is when your that level of depressed your brain isn't working right. What I found made things worse for me or made me angry where things being said like "What's the next step" "You have to get through this" or "How do you think it makes me feel" People mean well but it doesn't help things at all. What I did find that worked for me was a mate who was just honest and said he didn't understand how I was feeling, how could he? But that he was there and wasn't going anywhere and just hammered that home every chance he got. He got me gaming again even though I didn't feel like it and even sent me a couple of little lego sets to occupy my mind for a bit. So you could try some things like that, especially if there's something from your mutual past that's a good memory that you can send something related to.

Just remember that everything is on their time at the moment, I hope this helps a little.
 
Vidar said:
@Lysander I'm not really sure what you should say, the fact is when your that level of depressed your brain isn't working right. What I found made things worse for me or made me angry where things being said like "What's the next step" "You have to get through this" or "How do you think it makes me feel" People mean well but it doesn't help things at all. What I did find that worked for me was a mate who was just honest and said he didn't understand how I was feeling, how could he? But that he was there and wasn't going anywhere and just hammered that home every chance he got. He got me gaming again even though I didn't feel like it and even sent me a couple of little lego sets to occupy my mind for a bit. So you could try some things like that, especially if there's something from your mutual past that's a good memory that you can send something related to.

Just remember that everything is on their time at the moment, I hope this helps a little.
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No, this is really good advice, thank you.
 
moon man said:
Anyone found that CBT works ? my counciling experience so far is pretty disappointing ,I do try but............
Maybe more self help based would suit me better
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I've found that it takes a bit of the edge off things. It doesn't cure things completely, or even halfway, but it helped me see things more logically and my OCD is somewhat better since having it.

For some information, I was a step 3 patient presenting moderate to severe symptoms of OCD and depression. I had 16 CBT sessions over the space of one year.
 
I find CBT extremely challenging, I'm on the level 3 treatments as they've given me a diagnosis of PTSD. I'm also having sessions once a week. I've had CBT at level 1 for depression in the past and there seems to be a night and day difference since then. But I am finding it helpful.
 
Vidar said:
I find CBT extremely challenging, I'm on the level 3 treatments as they've given me a diagnosis of PTSD. I'm also having sessions once a week. I've had CBT at level 1 for depression in the past and there seems to be a night and day difference since then. But I am finding it helpful.
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This person I was talking about earlier today has PTSD. Well, I don't know if it's diagnosed but it certainly seems that they have it given the experiences they've had and the reactions.
 
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