Mental Health, Depression, ADD Discussion Thread

[LuckyPup]

Boy, this hits home. First, I'm glad y'all are discussing mental health here in the forum - kudos to you all for contributing to this thread. It's hard for people to discuss mental health, but it's especially hard in a forum like this, where people aspire to success, but compare themselves to more successful members, fear ridicule and judgement, and experience all the negative emotions that go along with unrealized aspirations and unmet expectations. Second, I won't go into full confession mode here, but I've dealt with depression my entire adult life. If anyone here is struggling I'll be glad to offer some resources that have helped me. Note: I'm not a medical professional or offering medical advice. I'm just a layperson who knows the terrain pretty well.

 

[ALC]

Detaching myself from the constant scroll on social medias, Instagram and stop comparing myself was the best decisions i made for my mental health i would say.

I started to fill weird trying to compare myself to people who "LOOKED" successful but in the end now knowing most are just "Fake it till you make it"but i didnt know at the time until i consumed enough content to understand it.

Makes me realize how many people can be trapped in this loophole of insatisfaction & comparing themselves when the people they look up to are fake.

80% of them are just fake or leaving of Parents moneys, renting cars or selling bullshit online. (Youtube gurus).
The problem is that some may be stuck in believing in this fake world and the new generation is constantly on these platforms trying to be like them, in such a superficial & materialistic world.

--
Another thread on the forum was to switch our mindset to express Gratitude, i think this helped me the most in the last 2/3 years to make peace with myself and recognize the luck we have to be alive, to have a safe environment around us etc.. to really reconnect with the roots of life itself and go deeper with our inner self.
Kinda removing some weight of the shoulders and allowing me to focus on the things that really matters...

Take care of yourself guys

 

[Bert B]

Thanks to all the contributors on this thread.

I wanted to chime in with some thoughts on mental health, and hopefully, someone can relate. I have struggled with mental health at various times, and I have learned to live with a sort of underlying low-level depression (or negative self-talk) - it is very minimal - but it can raise its ugly head from time to time.

So, here goes: for me, my biggest issue is one reaction to life, but can wear different guises @MJ DeMarco mentioned one of these recently on his telegram messaging thread (which I recommend, by the way) he used the quote by Theodore Roosevelt to emphasis the point, the quote being "Comparison is the thief of joy!"

And there is one guise: Comparison with a morbid reflection of the past and an inability to forgive oneself.
You see, my reaction to what I perceive in others and life happening around me can go like this:

"They are doing better than you, think they are better than you, (maybe they don't think they are!) maybe they are and don't think it because they made better choices than you; you f*cked up, and you did stupid stuff and wasted so much time, and it's too late now, and they are getting better and better and better. And you are stuck!"

But I have learned that this is complete trash. That's exactly what it is. The evidence is there in life to prove that it's flawed thinking so that I can swing into action quicker these days. But, these thought patterns do crop up and invade my dreams, spitting out all sorts of symbolic fantasies, which are kind of terrible; but in real life, I plough on. I am going my own way because I have no choice.

I used to be crippled by these thought patterns, and as I said, they are not gone; I have just turned down the volume. How I did, it was through extensive therapy, staying away from Drugs. I stopped drinking alcohol for 13.5 years; I enjoy a social drink now as I am not escaping anymore. But the reality is that it was only through doing deep work on myself and my perception and owning up to any mistakes I made. Be it physical, financial, mental, spiritual, etc.

I called many people, texted, emailed and reached out to tell people that if I hurt them, I was sorry. People appreciated this, for the most part. Most didn't even think I did anything wrong, but they were still grateful. Some even apologised to me for treating me badly; those were magical moments. But still, after all this, the noise in the mind can continue. Human life can be painful a lot of the time for different reasons. I talk about it now with friends, and I try to joke about it or make light of it as we are all suffering somehow.

Maybe this message is slightly unclear in its throughline. My main message to anyone is, I understand that you may be struggling, so go seek guidance and help in any way possible through human connection and talk. Talk till the cows come home as we say in Ireland. Don't keep the crap inside! And you'll be amazed at what will happen.

After this is said and done, get to work! And achieve something, nothing better for mental health than gaining a few goals but staying humble and focusing on the beautiful present. Bless you, all.

Bertie

 

[Simon Angel]

I've had OCD my whole life. In some pretty severe forms.

When I was a kid, it was intrusive thoughts about murdering people.

Usually people who were very close to me, like my mom. I'd cry because I felt like a psycho.

Then, it was about washing my hands essentially 100 times a day.

Then, it was about checking the stove. Checking the boiler. The door lock.

Checking behind the curtains in case somebody hid behind them. You know, to make sure.

I'd delay tying my shoelaces by 7 seconds before going out because I'd often get a "premonition" that I'd get run over by a car unless I do so.

I'd randomly duck while doing something on the computer because I'd get intrusive thoughts that a sniper was aiming at me in my apartment from a nearby rooftop.

Each and every time I thought: "This is silly as hell and there's no way that's real... But what if it is and I end up dying because I didn't duck for two seconds?" so I'd almost always do it.

Hypochondria as well and worrying about worst case scenarios.

My therapy? Rebelling against the thoughts and compulsions by doing nothing at all OR the exact opposite.

Brain: Rinse your glass three times before filling it with water or else you'll die or your girlfriend will die or a random kid in Africa will die OR the whole goddamn world will die!

Me (well, brain again): Whatever.

And that's pretty much it.

The first 24 hours were scary because I was wondering if I was, in fact, going to die in some ridiculous and unexpected way for rebelling against my "psychic" brain. Then it got easy.

I still struggle with hypochondria once or twice a year for a few days/weeks.

Haven't been depressed in a few years, however. And I haven't gotten panic attacks since I was 17 unless I smoke weed.

I used to get panic attacks every night from age 13 to 17, but that's a fun story for another time...

 

[Simon Angel]

A close friend of mine that was suicidal has gone missing a few days ago. They found his truck at the beach but weather has been too bad to search much.
He had been having issues for the last few years but something seemed to snap and he was having delusional thoughts like people were after him etc, so we sent him to live with his parents to get some help as they have experience in healthcare. Was booked in to see a Doctor at 830am but never returned.

One of the smartest guys I've known but he just couldn't put things together long term. Alcohol and weed abuse on top of super stress around work, affording accommodation and looking after his 2 boys that live with their mother of course didn't help.

I think if we were able to convince him to get professional help sooner he would still be here, but he was so sure of himself and had somewhat of a superiority complex and narcissism which made it difficult to get him to. It wasn't until a few days ago that he even admitted he needed serious help.

Man, there's a lot of people very concerned just about where they are going to house their family at the moment here in Australia. Things are crazy.

Psychosis from alcohol, weed, or both. I had mild psychosis with similar symptoms a few years ago while smoking a lot of weed.

At one point, I was deep into thinking everyone around me was a disinformation agent and/or that they were a figment of my imagination, including my closest friends and family. The only person who "got" me and made sense was, unsurprisingly, one of my closest friends who was also experiencing mild psychosis and paranoia lol.

I can also relate to the narcissism part. I grew up thinking I was special and had some sort of messiah complex. The way my life has gone so far, I've noticed I'm not special in any way apart from being of above-average intelligence and highly competitive/driven to improve my circumstances.

It took me until my mid-20s to fully process it. Seeing so many like-minded people here helped and has also been humbling at times.

But I can definitely understand why your friend is the way he is. I hope he's alive and gets the help he needs, psychosis was one of the scariest and most alienating things that I've experienced.

 

[Shono]

Sometimes the thing you have to focus isn’t your business but yourself

I’d recon it should always begin with sorting yourself out first. Lots of people use workaholism (the luckier ones) as an escapism and become massively successful only to realize it never made them happy or they find they ruined their health or their relationships in the process. Poor mental stature is like having a poison eat you from the inside out, no matter the external appearance, it is not something you can put a bandaid over, and ultimately when left unresolved is like wading through quicksand compared to what could otherwise be possible.

 

[Chrisket]

Love this thread, been lurking in the forums for a while but reading through all this finally got me to post lol.

I got diagnosed with ADHD last year and have struggled with depression for most of my teen years. Finally at a point where the depression is not so bad (I'm 21 now), if not almost gone completely.

What @heavy_industry said makes a lot of sense and physical fitness and eating right has helped tremendously. Also getting an external structure and responsibilities, I was lucky enough to get help finding a decent job which pulled me out of isolation and staying inside, fitness and clean eating were only able to be implemented after I had my external structure to build around.

ADHD is a bit harder than depression for me. None of the meds I took helped more than the side effects they gave me, so I stopped taking them. Especially when the external structure of my job isn't present to keep me accountable, meaningful work feels almost impossible. Even with all the lifestyle improvements made, everything feels hazy. My ability to overcome distractions, especially social media, is just not where I need it to be.

Memory also suffers greatly. For example, I read both The Millionaire Fastlane and Unscripted and loved the books, I couldn't put them down at times, but I don't remember 99% of them despite wanting to. I'm sure if I started taking action on a business venture, some of it would come back, but that's where the problem of executive function and starting tasks comes in, taking that leap seems terrifying if I'm honest, because I can't trust myself to do the work necessary once I've left my usual structure.

I also wonder how much of not executing is actual ADHD and how much is just the defeatist mentality I'm still struggling with. It's a bit of both I guess.

Sorry if this is rambl-y. I don't just want to vent either. For any of my fellow ADHDers, here's some stuff that's helped with productivity, maybe it can help you too:

1. Fasting. Especially in the mornings, not having food digesting does wonders for my focus, add one or two black coffees and it's a Ritalin-like feeling of laser focus. An alternative to this would be a super low-carb breakfast if you still need to eat for whatever reason. So long as the food you have doesn't leave you feeling sluggish.
2. Leave the house to work if you can't focus. Go to your local library or a cafe. The public space keeps you more accountable and seeing others working makes it easier to lock into whatever you need to get done.
3. Music, this one's a little obvious. But calming stuff without lyrics, like piano or even just some white noise, is best in my experience. On the flip side, music with lyrics really destroys my concentration, unless the work I'm doing is some menial repetitive task, then it helps again. This one might be more personal preference of course.

 

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[BucketHolly]

This is an important thread.

 

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[juba.hadjal]

Hello everyone, I wanted to talk about a tragic event occurred in France Yesterday, A doctor (orthopedist) committed suicide because of a lot of pressure. Burn Out.

The reason I am posting this is that a lot of parents especially third country parents are pushing their children to become doctors without knowing that they generally are not happy with their job and are subject to very long work hours and the lack of free time... Indentured time is a pin in the a$$.

Less than two weeks ago a young lady doctor of 34 years old did the same thing.

What do you guys think about that tragedy? and what do you have to say to people who want to become doctors?

 

[Mattie]

What do you guys think about that tragedy? and what do you have to say to people who want to become doctors?

There's a lot of suicide lately, and this isn't just with doctors. This is has no status quo, social class, no barriers to race, age, ethnicity, culture, and is correlated with anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress, and other factors in one's daily life, past, present, and future. The environment, relationships, coping skills, lifestyle, there are various multi-variables involved.

There is high sensation seeking involved, high risk taking, being highly sensitive, emotions, thoughts, feelings. I've been around a few myself in my experience. I understand the complexity of it, and it's not simple to conquer with just a few words, explanations, and it's a foreign language to most people who have never been in low arousal and can't get themselves back up out of troubled waters in that exact moment when they decide to make such a definite choice. When one is in low arousal, they are focused on some traumatic event, tragic experience, or perhaps many over a long period of time.

When they focus on this event or past events, they magnify it by focusing on it so much. In the case with your doctors, they may be stressed, unsatisfied, not enough satisfaction out of their lives, but this is the surface factor, it is not the root cause. There are other factors unknown behind the scenes in their private lives. Usually one is reflecting on their failures and success in various relationships, how it has affected their life, how it has impacted their life, and they're usually tired of struggling, fighting, and worn out from battling with such thing as domestic violence which involves emotional, mental, financial, sexual, spiritual abuse in the environment long-term. There's some times child abuse.

The guilt, the shame, the blame, people not taking 100% responsibility for their actions in their lives. And it also depends on their personality type. Some people handle life better when they are emotionally objective, where others are more about emotional intimacy, bonding, connection, and so in relationships you have the opposition of emotional detachment versus emotional attachment, and the average person is not aware of finding balance in the middle. One is usually gravitating towards one end of the spectrum or the other, and can't understand what's the issue in society.

We've conditioned people in society to blame, shame, guilt, and suppress their emotions. We've taught them anxiety and stress is just something you ignore, suppress, and "Deal with it." And this becomes very destructive for many women and men in our society. There's only so long you can do this, before it backfires and the end result depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, and suicide. You will find professional people all the way up the scale find themselves in trouble, while also those at the bottom. This also has to do with choices, and the cause and effect of those choices.

 

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[Mattie]

France has an extremely high suicide rate similar to the United States. Doctor or not, France has almost one death per hour, every hour, every day of every year from suicide. The issue in France is in no way limited to doctors.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it's the 10th leading cause of death in America, and every 12 minutes if this is accurate information. This is sad. This is my "Why" and of course, studied all my life because back in 1993, two people close to me months apart passed away. And I just happen to have had relatives involved with the Mental Health Systems, and Substance Abuse/Addictions, and of course even though it's not spoken about, Generation X lost a portion of our generation to suicide from 1970-1995.

And I'm sure there was some of the Baby Boomers in this mix, because at the time it was the ending of the Vietnam War, Divorce, Separation, the "Revolution" of free drugs, alcohol, sex, the hippie cults, and we were the first generation to experience this on magnified level than previous generations. While some were lucky to have families that stayed together, this wasn't always healthy either. We're just seeing it being repeated at the present time, and of course, the addictive culture is expanded and magnified compared to our generation in different ways.

When it comes to Mental Disorders, this makes it 10 times more difficult to navigate depending on what the impairment may be. If you already have navigation issues, it's kind of like trying to fly a plane with a broken wing. I watched this movie back in one of my courses in college, but does talk about in great detail the issues of what happens with those withe severe depression, manic and bi-polar. The Bridge.

Warning: The movie gets kind of deep into things, so if you're triggered easily probably not a good idea to watch it. The objective of sharing the video is to bring awareness and education.

 

[YoungPadawan]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it's the 10th leading cause of death in America, and every 12 minutes if this is accurate information. This is sad. This is my "Why" and of course, studied all my life because back in 1993, two people close to me months apart passed away. And I just happen to have had relatives involved with the Mental Health Systems, and Substance Abuse/Addictions, and of course even though it's not spoken about, Generation X lost a portion of our generation to suicide from 1970-1995.

And I'm sure there was some of the Baby Boomers in this mix, because at the time it was the ending of the Vietnam War, Divorce, Separation, the "Revolution" of free drugs, alcohol, sex, the hippie cults, and we were the first generation to experience this on magnified level than previous generations. While some were lucky to have families that stayed together, this wasn't always healthy either. We're just seeing it being repeated at the present time, and of course, the addictive culture is expanded and magnified compared to our generation in different ways.

When it comes to Mental Disorders, this makes it 10 times more difficult to navigate depending on what the impairment may be. If you already have navigation issues, it's kind of like trying to fly a plane with a broken wing. I watched this movie back in one of my courses in college, but does talk about in great detail the issues of what happens with those withe severe depression, manic and bi-polar. The Bridge.

Warning: The movie gets kind of deep into things, so if you're triggered easily probably not a good idea to watch it. The objective of sharing the video is to bring awareness and education.

I'm sorry you had to go through that. I personally struggle with Bipolar disorder and I find it incredible how many people struggle with mental health these days.
So many people struggle in silence, and a lot don't get help until it's too late

 

[AdamUK]

Hi I'm new here, but not new to mental health!
My 2 cents is..

I think we all have the potential to suffer with mental illness. It just takes the wrong combination of factors including stress, illicit substances, loss, bullying, abuse to set us on a downward spiral that might end with suffering from a severe mental illness.

Building awareness will help people realise when they are heading towards a mental illness and they can seek treatment before it's too late,
so this thread is very important for building awareness. Great work!

 

[Andreas Thiel]

Very good thread. Depression will still be covered, right? I have not missed anything!?

My family is really messed up, genetically speaking. It is difficult to appreciate the magnitude of the issues by just reading about them in articles, but some people have a way with words. I think Supa is doing an awesome job so far. Love the format.

Fortunately, my mother eventually found the right mix of medication to become a "normal person". Needless to say ... there were some problematic aspects to my childhood.
I struggled with depression from the end of the German high school equivalent through most of the time at the Academy where I studied.
Worlds lie between a) full blown depressions where you cannot move the needle on the hopelessness that you feel and b) just being inconsolably depressed, wanting some alone time.
At some point, the depressions started fading but a lack of energy grew. The feeling that there is a physical issue and you need to find a solution for it, again, is worlds apart from being in a depression, but both can trouble you at the same time. That can be confusing.

Both my brother and my sister are unable to work full time. My brother is a genius in many areas, but just keeps getting crushed by health issues, mentally and physically. It is a blend of different things, anxienty disorders seem to be chief among them.

Fortunately, these days the true depressions are mostly absent from my life. My family tries to attack the issues as intellectual challenges and we hope for medical advances.

Of course I get triggered when the picture-of-health-Joe-Rogans of this world talk about what other people could do differently that would make all their problems go away - when all they can do is assume.
Fortunately there are many people who get it as the comments show, like:

Think of all the lives joe could have saved from suicide if they only knew to do some jumping jacks. Damnit

 

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[GuestUser4aMPs1]

@Supa

I was wondering if you could cover Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), especially since some studies have suggested that the disorder may be more common among businessmen and leaders in general.

Have you've ever experienced someone with NPD?
Also if you're diagnosed, does it ever go away?

The main reason for asking is I've never been diagnosed, but there was a period of time 2-6 years ago that it checked all the boxes on the DSM-5, about 90% of the time:

1. Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from other people
2. Fixation on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc.
3. Self-perception of being unique, superior, and associated with high-status people and institutions
4. Need for continual admiration from others
5. Sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others
6. Exploitation of others to achieve personal gain
7. Unwillingness to empathize with the feelings, wishes, and needs of other people
8. Intense envy of others, and the belief that others are equally envious of them
9. Pompous and arrogant demeanor

Needless to say, you didn't want to be around me

It was only after I hit a real, real low that my head was screwed back on right.

Now I'm much more humble, open, can listen better, have more empathy...

Just not sure if it was a result of just "growing up,"
or if there's still some underlying condition.

Would appreciate a write-up!
Cheers.

 

[Crissco]

What a great thread / topic. I am bipolar and on medication for it for the past 12 years. I had two mental breakdowns(being off medication). I am happy to input my opinions / help others in need.

 

[Black_Dragon43]

My question is for general cuorisity. Why did you stop with SSRIs? It seems that they did their job in balancing heart rate and blood pressure (this thing is really interesting and I never heard about this connection). Hence, I conclude that they had a good effect on your brain/mental state and anxiety.

Oh yeah, they did more than just balance heart rate and blood pressure, they also make you feel super relaxed, and some muscles in your body relax that have probably never relaxed before. That's the good side - on the bad side, they mess with your brain chemistry in a forceful and unnatural way (for example, it led to me getting benign fascicular syndrome, BFS, for about 2 years or so), they kill your drive/creativity, and they create dependency. What happens if you go on a mountain trip, or you get sent to prison, or God knows what happens and you don't have access to your SSRI?!

Also, for full disclosure, I took 3 different medications:
• SSRI (Lexapro - for 2 years)
• Benzo (lorazepam - for 1 year)
• Antipsychotic (Quetiapine - for 1.5 years or so)

Below is a private conversation I had with another member here, my reply only with some slight edits:

But I tell you, those medications weaken you. You take them, and you feel better... but you're less capable to withstand future stress. To become strong, you have to willingly accept and go through pain, without offering resistance. Avoidance of pain - that is the foundation for people who resort to drugs to battle anxiety or depression imo.

I built my business and done things that I never thought I could... and all that because I faced the pain, and learned to keep going without flinching. You know, when I quit those drugs, I went through some very hard times. One night, which was the worst, rock bottom, I woke up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, drenched in sweat, anxiety 100/100 easy, and irrational as hell. Like I could NOT think. I know it doesn't make sense, but my mind was thinking that I am a physical building, and I can't move, and I'm crumbling and something bad is going on. Hyperventilation, full-on panic attack, confusion, the whole deal.

And I was alone at the time. I thought about calling 911, but then I said... let me wait. f*ck that, because those people, they're not helping me with anything. I have to face this alone. And no matter what happens, and no matter what I feel, I will keep breathing, moment by moment. In those moments, you know, all I wanted to do was take another breath. That was how narrow my focus became. Nothing else existed apart from the next breath. And slowly I realised that my mind was in a fog, and I literarily could not think. Some functions were no longer active. But I was aware of all this. And then, over time, my heart rate went from 180 bpm, to 120bpm, and suddenly those functions came back on. Like a veil was lifted. And then things slowly got better and better.

And that was the absolute worst.

Ever since then, I've been off the drugs for years, and much better. Nowadays, my anxiety only comes back when I'm very stressed. Initially, the reason why I got put on those medications is because I was in a period of high stress. And one day, coming back from martial arts training, I passed by a dog. And rabies is still a thing here, so my OCD started thinking what if he bit you or scratched you and you got rabies? Rabies is incurable! And it's a horrible way to die. Then I noticed this small scratch on my hand... and all shit broke loose! I thought it's from the dog, I'll get rabies, and die, etc. So in the next couple of hours I literarily started developing physical symptoms which got worse and worse. Anxiety 100/100, nausea, 120bpm heart rate, inability to breathe, diarrhea, and so on. NOTHING could calm it, and I could not sleep. Not alone, not with other people, not with anyone. And the next day, my family decided to take me to the psychiatrist, and that's when they put me on the medications. At that moment, it saved my life. I remember first day on the medication, I had NEVER felt so rested in my life. I slept like a baby!! 15-17 hours straight. And I felt absolute peace.

But over time, I realised that these pills, they're a weakness. Why was I such a pussy that I needed these pills to deal with the pain? Why? Why can't I be bigger than the pain? Why can't I train myself to become a beast, who can withstand massive stress and thrive? And it was this realisation and the decision to ACCEPT THE PAIN, whatever it was, and however hard it got, it didn't matter, that pulled me through. Just accepting that the worst that can happen is that the pain would kill me... but if it wouldn't, then I would be unbeatable.

At heart, I'm probably close to the Stoic philosophy. I agree that my brain has OCD/anxiety because of a biological reason, and especially in periods of high stress it can flare up. So what? My desire is not to escape the pain, but to become the man who can carry the pain. Drugs make you weaker. Uhh you're feeling anxious, here, take this pill, chill out bro. And next time, you're even less capable to deal with the pain, and need the pill again, and on and on. f*ck that... I don't want my anxiety to control me. And I CAN control it. So I can't sympathise with Jordan [Peterson] here. Since my whole experience tells me very strongly that his position on drugs is wrong, and he is a victim of it. The proof, as it were, is in the pudding. He trusted drugs, and he got screwed by drugs, despite his knowledge! It reminds me of Epictetus... all the books in the world are worthless if you can't apply them. And by taking those drugs, he was teaching himself how to avoid the pain, rather than how to bear it. And when the drugs stopped working, he was left with no alternatives.

The reason why it's difficult to find open minded people talking about meds, speculating, may be that clever people usually don't take pills or they don't share it. There is a stigma attached to people that take medications (I'm the first ignorant). I see them as weak and stupid. I know it's just a judgment. It's jist something that, in some way or the other, got into my head without control. Know, studying the topic, I better understand how it works.

Yes there is, but a large part of that stigma is, IMO, real, and there for valid reasons.

ADD

I'm not sure what to comment on it. I'm quite sure I don't suffer from ADD or anything similar to it, and never really had these problems. I'm a guy who can "suffer" boredom without much problems - I don't need things to do. I literarily don't need exciting stuff apart from spending time with family, and working on my business. So to me, it's a mystery how some people need all the adrenaline rushes, etc. etc. to be happy.

If I am to give my honest opinion, I think hyperactivity is a defense mechanism - it's an avoidance of something. The hyperactive person is trying to avoid awareness of something that they don't want to see/notice in their lives, so they jump like a maniac from one thing to the next and seek stimulants to excite them to keep the thing they don't want to notice outside of awareness.

From my observations, most extroverts are hyperactive, and the reason they are hyperactive is a defense mechanism. They're afraid to be by themselves, alone, and so they go to any lengths to socialise, interact with others, and so on. A lot of it is seeking after validation and approval.

Again, I'm not an expert at this, just based on what I've noticed.

 

[Mike Saubert]

Mental health?

Yes.

An awareness thread?

Mhm.

But... why?

I know. We‘re here to talk and discuss about entrepreneurship. The Fastlane. The Unscripted life.
Beneath all that, underlying like a red thread binding everything together, in my opinion, is one thing: value.

It‘s value, that we are trying to create. To build our entrepreneurial efforts upon.

So, what‘s valuable about an awareness thread on mental health?

Probably everyone suffering from a mental health disorder wants to just live a happy life. A happy life without the disorder(s).

What would be more valuable for this person, to lessen his or her symptoms? To alleviate the pain he or she is feeling within.

So, all right. What is this thread about?

It can‘t take away that inner pain. But maybe it can give people a little bit more insight into specific mental disorders.
To be able to get on a journey to alleviate that pain, to better understand the illness and/or to seek help, one needs to know about it first.

That‘s my goal with this thread.

Giving you insights, that may help you to better understand a mental disorder. If it‘s one that you may suffer from yourself, a loved one suffers from or if you‘re just interested in that topic.

So, yes. What I‘d like to do in this thread is to depict specific mental disorders. Not from a pure scientific perspective, but rather one that looks at it from the inside. Aswell as looking into resources to help someone who suffers from it.

Some of the disorders and illnesses I want to look at are depression, OCD and other anxiety disorders, PTSD, bipolar disorder, shizophrenia and borderline personality disorder.

This is going to take some time and work, mostly in research and putting everything together.

Therefore I‘d like to make sure, such a thread is ok from an admin‘s perspective. @Vigilante

If it is, I plan to start on monday with the first post on OCD.

Well said- and yeah, it's fricking important that everyone be aware- we are all human...and need help from time to time
It doesn't mean you are bad, unworthy, inept, fragile, or wrong- it just means we're human.
nice work!

Mike

 

[Black_Dragon43]

But how can we get rid of this fog?

You can't. Stop worrying about that fog and get after it.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5TVX7zxEzo&ab_channel=WisdomDistilled

 

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[Black_Dragon43]

Latest and most comprehensive mental health theory is that all mental disorders are all metabolic diseases.

If the brain is starved of nutrients or gets inflamed, you start having mental health symptoms.

If the theory is correct, and I strongly believe that it is, it means that Depression, Anxiety, OCD, Schizophrenia etc. are all different symptoms of the same underlying issue.

The first step to fixing your mental health is not F*cking therapy.
It's fixing your sleep, diet and exercise regime, in order to fix your brain metabolism.

And on the psychological front, the best thing you can do is start making progress in life and start being proud of your hard work. Slow but consistent progress.

Every day will be brighter and you will slowly start to understand that the life you are living is nothing less than a miracle.
You were just blind and could not see it.

I look at it in simpler terms.

We don’t want to admit that we’re physical beings, and therefore we attribute to our minds much greater power to control how we feel and what thoughts we have than to our environment.

The truth is that our environment simply controls most of the thoughts and moods that we have. It’s not lack of mental strength that causes you to feel like shit when you’re in a shitty environment (and that includes eating crap, not sleeping, etc). And there’s no “mindset shift” that can change how you feel in the long run without you changing your environment.

Once you begin to think along physicalist principles, this becomes quite clear. I am in agreement with Nietzsche over one thing: that today’s psychologists have for the most part inverted cause and effect.

They think that bad thoughts and bad moods are the CAUSE of the bad environment. This guy is depressed, that’s why he drinks all the time. This other guy is traumatized, that’s why he doesn’t leave the house.

And the truth is exactly the opposite. The first guy is depressed because he drinks. And the second is traumatized because he doesn’t leave the house.

When you have the causality a$$ backwards, the problems become impossible to solve which is how the current mindfulness-backed third wave CBT has backed itself into a corner.

Fixation on the effect will not change the cause. The fixation has to be around the cause, because that’s what has potential to change the effect.

If you get stuck ignoring your drinking habit because you’re trying to work on your negative thoughts and lack of self-esteem, you’re unlikely to succeed in changing the latter… because they’re simply an accurate reflection of who you are at that point in time… you don’t have any self-esteem and no reason for your thoughts to be positive. You’re a drunk! So first you have to fix yourself up, then you’ll feel better.

 

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[heavy_industry]

@Black_Dragon43 I agree with everything that you've said except this:

The truth is that our environment simply controls most of the thoughts and moods that we have.

I refuse to be a victim of my circumstances, good or bad.

I may not always have control of what is happening around me, but what I think, how I feel, how I am, and what I do are my fundamental human freedoms.

This idea is discussed at length in the stoic philosophy, Yoga, and the book "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl.

---

It's true that most people don't exercise this freedom and they end up being the product of their environment, because they react instinctively to whatever is happening, like animals do.

I am not interested in doing what most people are doing.

The environment will not change me. I will change the environment.

 

[socaldude]

Of course the side effects and long term effects were awful and not worth it. But! I do miss that superman feeling sometimes.

Do you mind sharing what the side effects were?

One of the reasons I never went on Psycho-Pharma pills was fear of the side effects.

I chose the route of experimenting with natural supplements for my Depression and ADHD.

They definitely do, but people treat fasting like it's evidence God exists, and quite frankly, I'm so sick of hearing about it I'd choose dying to diabetes before fasting.

Yeah, everyone's body is different and we are not standardized. So, I definitely feel you.

This kind of stuff is extremely difficult to fix.

I know for me, fixing my depression was the hardest thing in my life.

 

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[Aidan04]

I've had OCD my whole life. In some pretty severe forms.

When I was a kid, it was intrusive thoughts about murdering people.

Usually people who were very close to me, like my mom. I'd cry because I felt like a psycho.

Then, it was about washing my hands essentially 100 times a day.

Then, it was about checking the stove. Checking the boiler. The door lock.

Checking behind the curtains in case somebody hid behind them. You know, to make sure.

I'd delay tying my shoelaces by 7 seconds before going out because I'd often get a "premonition" that I'd get run over by a car unless I do so.

I'd randomly duck while doing something on the computer because I'd get intrusive thoughts that a sniper was aiming at me in my apartment from a nearby rooftop.

Each and every time I thought: "This is silly as hell and there's no way that's real... But what if it is and I end up dying because I didn't duck for two seconds?" so I'd almost always do it.

Hypochondria as well and worrying about worst case scenarios.

My therapy? Rebelling against the thoughts and compulsions by doing nothing at all OR the exact opposite.

Brain: Rinse your glass three times before filling it with water or else you'll die or your girlfriend will die or a random kid in Africa will die OR the whole goddamn world will die!

Me (well, brain again): Whatever.

And that's pretty much it.

The first 24 hours were scary because I was wondering if I was, in fact, going to die in some ridiculous and unexpected way for rebelling against my "psychic" brain. Then it got easy.

I still struggle with hypochondria once or twice a year for a few days/weeks.

Haven't been depressed in a few years, however. And I haven't gotten panic attacks since I was 17 unless I smoke weed.

I used to get panic attacks every night from age 13 to 17, but that's a fun story for another time...

Same boat. I've had OCD since birth.

I remember being obsessively afraid of black holes in 3rd grade because I once watched a NOVA movie on them.

In 5th grade I was obsessed with the wind and it destroying everything I cared for.

This list can go on and on, but recently I've been doing what you do, and telling my brain to F*ck off. After you see the patterns it becomes easier.

Brain: You left the car door open!!
Me: F*ck off.

Brain: Wash your hands because you touched a doorknob!!!
Me: F*ck off.

Brain: You have chest pain!! What if you're dying?!?!
Me: F*ck off.

 

[Simon Angel]

I'm just going to write every single thing that has helped me to become more mentally stable:

• Accepting & loving myself unapologetically (fine line with narcissism, so beware)
• Sunlight
• Exercise
• Friends
• Female attention
• Love
• Sex
• Physical hobbies (working out, racing, sports)
• Cold showers
• Physical exhaustion – if you're physically exhausted, you're much more unlikely to be mentally as such
• Good sleep
• Vitamin D
• Discovering my personality type (and the personality types of everyone around me)
• Making myself my mental point of origin (doing things only because I want to/decided to, not because of some external factor)
• Realizing that I'm here for a short time and that the world and the Universe have existed and will continue to exist after my time
• Realizing that no matter how awful I'm feeling on a given day it will end eventually – which is usually after I go to sleep and wake up in the morning with a clear head
• Focusing on the present – the past is gone, I survived, and that's all that matters
• Controversial, but cutting out music (or only listening to jazz/elevator music for a while and never listening to more than 1 or 2 songs in a row)

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Uh...

How about taking their phones away?

Nope, can't do that...

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Doctor suicides in France merged with the mental health thread.

 

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[Mattie]

This should be promoted on social media to awareness of people dealing with mental disorders.

I promote this a lot, the mind games we like to play. I mean should all be educated. I'm not going to comment on it too much, but has a lot to do with some of the emotional and mental issues we're facing with the younger generation. I do promote stuff, but I'm one person, and hopefully there are other referees out there blowing the whistle besides me. The last few days, I'm rolling my eyes at this 100% freedom of the feminine movement, and it's getting to extreme. I've even been told I'm prejudice, discriminating, and demanded to stop standing up for the masculine, and stand up the leftist feminine movement. No Thanks, I'm not going to support some actions and behaviors that I know will cause emotional and mental pain to children and future generations. Some of these actions and behaviors are going to cause some psychological wounds for the children, and people like me have to advocate for them whether they like hearing it or not.

 

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[sparechange]

starts off young, my fb is filled with teens that publicly and proudly show themselves drinking bottles and ripping bongs or talk about other drug use, pills etc.

then they grow up with all these mental illnesses, maybe im wrong, most likely not (know lots of people that are crazy from drug use)

its always turned me away from drugs and drinking. everyone i know that is involved with those activities is generally ***** in the head.

staying away from booze, pills and other stuff & living a healthy life is very important.

the celebrity stories headlines on magazines always brighten up my day, seeing these high profile people abuse hard drugs and booze suffering 'depression' while they have a life that is a million times better than mine is entertaining.

staying away from the wrong people in life is another big key, having been surrounded by a lot of shitty people, good old spare change has been around hard drugs but ive always managed to say no. seeing the aftermath & effects of ''partying'' deals you a lifetime of consequences

whats the solution? starting with children and educating them on drug use properly, unfortunately our drug education programs in Canada are always laughed at by younger kids (elementary & high school)

so i think this is more of a parenting issue.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Bump, in light of the recent swath of mass shootings...

 

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[Supa]

Just two quick additions to the post on OCD.

I'd like to share one incredible, and free, resource for everyone who is suffering from OCD or pretty much everyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of it.

The OCD Stories Podcast

It's, well, a podcast and has already 192 episodes, and counting. You can listen to it through the website or on pretty much every podcast app. So far I listened to a few of them and can wholeheartedly recommend those with Dr Steven Phillipson and Dr Jonathan Grayson.

Speaking of Dr Jonathan Grayson, I also want to share his book with you.

Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty by Jonathan Grayson

There are no words I could use to paint a picture of how good this book is in my opinion, but the Look Inside! excerpt on Amazon is pretty long, that will probably give you a pretty good feel of the book.


I also wanted to apologize for not continueing with the posts yet. I'm hoping to do the one on Depression soon, as well as being more active on here again.