**The Mental Health Thread**

[marinersfan]

Big night for me, have hardly been out of my flat in 20 years, certainly not to a local lounge bar, tonight is men's mental wellbeing group and have psyched and been psyched up by good friends to go.

Have also sorted things out with my best friend who happens to be female and finally went for blood tests after 16 years. Last time my liver was in a bad way, and I was grossly overweight, all the tests came back normal, and I feel in a much better place than 6 weeks ago.

I thought my life was lost just a short while back and now at the ripe old age of 57 want to start enjoying life again, there is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel.I've b

I've been trying to get to a local Andy's club meeting for weeks, but I don't really have anyone to go with. Thus I lack the impetus to actually go.
I always just seem to find ways to toss it off and not really do anything meaningful.

I've been off work for a few weeks now, and do feel a bit better, I feel l like I need to change jobs as I can foresee being back to square one in no time when I go back.

 

[Armageus]

I've been trying to get to a local Andy's club meeting for weeks, but I don't really have anyone to go with.

Going there is a huge step in itself, so no shame in having not managed to take that step yet.

Not sure why you think you need someone to go with, as it's very much a "you" thing, not about anyone else.

It might not work for you, but until you go you won't know. I'm glad I made the move to do it - it's nice to have a regular weekly thing where there are people who want to listen to how I am feeling.

My local group is also now trying to organise some "outside of man club" days, so that we can just do some social things together as a group of friends, e.g. bowling, pub, or food together, just so that we all have other things to look forward to doing (as most of us are in similar boat with limited social lives etc)

 

[marinersfan]

Going there is a huge step in itself, so no shame in having not managed to take that step yet.

Not sure why you think you need someone to go with, as it's very much a "you" thing, not about anyone else.

It might not work for you, but until you go you won't know. I'm glad I made the move to do it - it's nice to have a regular weekly thing where there are people who want to listen to how I am feeling.

My local group is also now trying to organise some "outside of man club" days, so that we can just do some social things together as a group of friends, e.g. bowling, pub, or food together, just so that we all have other things to look forward to doing (as most of us are in similar boat with limited social lives etc)

Because currently, anything left to me doesn't get done. Especially anything outside of my comfort zone.
I've never been overly confident, but currently, I'm definitely not.

 

[Tykey]

Seen my psychiatrist last week he's pleased with how I'm getting on. Is anyone having trouble sourcing their meds? I'm prescribed two meds, 1 I can get hold of no problem but the other, an ADHD med, it's a lottery whether I can get it or not. Every month I have to ring around pharmacies in the hope they it in stiock, I never go to the same pharmacy each month because none of them have reliable stock, I've had to travel upto 70 miles just to get meds. 1 of these days the way it's going I think I'm going to find I just can't get any meds anywhere, dread that day.

 

[arknor]

how do you go to another pharmacy?

mine always go to my nominated pharmacy digitally and I don't think it's possible to go another like in the good old days with a paper prescript.

your nominated pharmacy can print it out?

 

[Tykey]

how do you go to another pharmacy?

mine always go to my nominated pharmacy digitally and I don't think it's possible to go another like in the good old days with a paper prescript.

your nominated pharmacy can print it out?

Up until today my ADHD script and my other script always went to my local pharmacy, but for months now the pharmacy have given me a paper script for the ADHD med so I could go elsewhere to source it as they can't get it. But today my ADHD script was just a barcode in my My NHS app which I took to a pharmacy when I found out by phoning around they had stock.

 

[arknor]

But today my ADHD script was just a barcode in my My NHS app

oh that's cool

I've noticed whenever I've had an NHS letter on the same day I've always had another letter to the occupier advertising some "north east pharmacy" that's apparently working with or approved by the NHS....

Seems like someone is trying to kill off local pharmacies, I've had about 4 letters in the last month and it's happened every time.

 

[Tykey]

oh that's cool

I've noticed whenever I've had an NHS letter on the same day I've always had another letter to the occupier advertising some "north east pharmacy" that's apparently working with or approved by the NHS....

Seems like someone is trying to kill off local pharmacies, I've had about 4 letters in the last month and it's happened every time.

I hope they don't kill them off, it's really handy having 1 only a couple of hundred metres away.

 

[tres]

how do you go to another pharmacy?

mine always go to my nominated pharmacy digitally and I don't think it's possible to go another like in the good old days with a paper prescript.

your nominated pharmacy can print it out?

Ask for an ETP barcode that you can present at any pharmacy, and they can retrieve your prescription from the 'spine' (i.e. the cloud)

 

[13oots2]

The meeting was a great step for me, discovered I could still hold an articulate conversation, did have quite bad hand tremors to start, even went into the main lounge area after and had meal and soft drink.

Since then, have been pushing my boundaries and comfort zone a bit more and have walked into town several times this week. Last Saturday wandered in to get phone fixed and buy some nice cheese from the local deli, found myself in a shop that I never thought possible years ago.

Been thinking about it for years and finally went in for my appointment today, at the ripe old age of 57 have rediscovered a little of my rebellious youth and had a body piercing. Am really proud of myself, with positive encouragement from friends, to start living a little again

 

[Cromulent]

The meeting was a great step for me, discovered I could still hold an articulate conversation, did have quite bad hand tremors to start, even went into the main lounge area after and had meal and soft drink.

Since then, have been pushing my boundaries and comfort zone a bit more and have walked into town several times this week. Last Saturday wandered in to get phone fixed and buy some nice cheese from the local deli, found myself in a shop that I never thought possible years ago.

Been thinking about it for years and finally went in for my appointment today, at the ripe old age of 57 have rediscovered a little of my rebellious youth and had a body piercing. Am really proud of myself, with positive encouragement from friends, to start living a little again

That is awesome! I'm happy to hear things are going in the right direction for you. I should probably take some inspiration from you and go out more myself.