I know this isn't a football topic but it is still very important, I have struggled with anxiety and depression for the last 10 years. I know its hard for anyone to talk about these issues to people they care about, let alone strangers on the internet but everyone needs to talk to someone. I struggle a lot with drinking too much and I hope I have never been rude or mean to anyone on here. I dunno I guess I just thought this could be an online place for people who were struggling to vent and let our their problems.

Hey mate, not sure if youre on facebook or not but if you are theres an awesome group called "blokes vs the black dog" which is a really safe and supportive space online for blokes to vent (Assuming you are a bloke of course)

4 minutes ago, biggestred said:

Hey mate, not sure if youre on facebook or not but if you are theres an awesome group called "blokes vs the black dog" which is a really safe and supportive space online for blokes to vent (Assuming you are a bloke of course)

Thanks buddy, I have a fantastic girlfriend luckily but I hope maybe this could help other people struggling

There have been times in life when I've been really, really awfully anxious. And there have been times when I've been enduringly, unshakeably unhappy.

But [censored] I'm glad I've never had a condition which made me feel that way no matter how the rest of my life was actually going.

 

Full respect to you and anyone else carry this with them, whether they want to share or not.

I liked this OP not for its content but for its posting. @Rafiki - I'm not some wise old guru but I've been through a lot of it myself until recently and am happy to have a chat to you or anyone else via PM if they feel like they want to talk about it.

Edit: The one thing I should I add, it's important that you don't let yourself feel any regrets or anxiety about posting what you have.  

Edited April 26, 20177 yr by Skuit

Good to see you have support around you. Thanks for starting this topic. Male depression is a severely under-supported and researched problem and there is still a stigma attached to men "seeking help" and talking about their mental health and emotions. It doesn't I haven't personally suffered but have had relatives that have.

G'day Rafiki.

I'm an older guy and have suffered from PTSD for many years and spent periods of time hospitalised as a result.  The most diappointing thing for me was being shunned by people I thought to be friends. What that ultimately did however was to identify those who are true friends. It transpired that some people I regarded as acquaintances put their hands up whilst a couple of "best mates" turned their backs on me. My life is better for that.

From your perspective, the absolute best thing that you have done is to identify that a problem exists. That is the very first step to wellness and the hardest part. Great achievement! Don't be afraid to seek professional help and guidance either. There are some great people out there who truly care.

Further, if you have found a lady that chooses to be with you regardless of your health issues, she is a definite keeper and a huge positive. As others have said, please PM me if you'd like to chat. I am more than happy to support you. After all, our love of the MFC makes us all mates and mates help each other out.

On a lighter note, it wouldn't do us any harm if the Dees played 4 quarters and got over the line this weekend!

Cheers

PD

7 hours ago, Rafiki said:

I know this isn't a football topic but it is still very important, I have struggled with anxiety and depression for the last 10 years. I know its hard for anyone to talk about these issues to people they care about, let alone strangers on the internet but everyone needs to talk to someone. I struggle a lot with drinking too much and I hope I have never been rude or mean to anyone on here. I dunno I guess I just thought this could be an online place for people who were struggling to vent and let our their problems.

Mate me too, you are not alone but we're lucky we live in a time where there is a lot of help available. For me, alcohol is one thing that always makes both worse so despite loving a few dozen beers I have to mostly avoid the stuff to function. 

Maybe a trip to the GP? There is help out there but is blokes tend not to for whatever reasons. I'm on a anti depressant that really helps, despite my initial reluctance to try..

Things do get better but sometimes we can be our own worse enemy's. Talk to someone bud, you can get on top of it!

Stay strong guys. With subjects like this we are all supportive. 

Let the Dog out.

Don't keep anxiety inside...

My daughter has the same condition gave her a book to read and it seemed to help you might like to try it good luck with it also have you gone to Headspace they do a great job again good luck and stay strong.

 

Edited April 26, 20177 yr by demon3165

Keep your chin mate and others on this page with the same or similar thing.  My dad has suffered horribly with bipolar for 30 years. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I have had quite bad anxiety since I was a child but lucky for me depression has stayed away

id advise folks to see professionals and don't be too blokey to go on meds as they do work a lot of the time. try to talk with family / friends about it and stay active/social if possible. sorry if that sounds lecturey its just stuff I know that can help.

15 hours ago, Rafiki said:

I know this isn't a football topic but it is still very important, I have struggled with anxiety and depression for the last 10 years. I know its hard for anyone to talk about these issues to people they care about, let alone strangers on the internet but everyone needs to talk to someone. I struggle a lot with drinking too much and I hope I have never been rude or mean to anyone on here. I dunno I guess I just thought this could be an online place for people who were struggling to vent and let our their problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey mate,

First of all well done for speaking up, it takes a lot of courage to tell those around you (friends and anonymous people).

My partner is a psychologist. So here are some tips for you (if you haven't already) or others on here that might be considering help.

All the best
 

A BIG PROBLEM for many suffering with mental illness is the price it costs to receive continual help. Here are a few pointers for people wanting or needing it.

One can go to their local GP and ask for a referral to a psychologist. This will entitle them to 10 free sessions covered by medicare.

At the same time contact a local university clinic (Swinburne, RMIT, LaTrobe to my knowledge) and get on their waiting list as 10 sessions are typically not enough.

At these clinics one will receive help from a provisional psychologist (in-training). It is very cheap ranging from FREE - $60 (average is $15 - 20) an hour/session depending on one's income.

After discussing this with my partner, I feel the quality at these clinics are just as good as private practice. Where the students lack experience, they see fewer clients and thus put more thought and energy into helping them outside the hours of their one-one sessions. Of course, they have well-experienced supervisors they can turn to for advice regarding treatments and interventions. They're often quite enthusiastic as well.

Also of note, if anyone has or intends to go to a psychologist keep in mind that a particular psych may not be the right fit for them. Like in life, some people we click with while others we don't. If one ever has a bad experience or feels it's not helping don't give up on the idea completely, just try someone new.

As long as you yourself wants to improve and progress, take what they say on board, and they will guide you along the way.

LINKS:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/psychology-clinic/contact
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lss/psychology/pc/
http://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-locations-and-facilities/services/health-clinics/health-sciences-clinic/psychology

Edited April 27, 20177 yr by ignition.

Depression is an awful thing that I have battled for a few years now, the thing that helped me was exercising, looking good helps me feel good and regular counselling. Not fully recovered but feel I have control of it not the other way round. Wish you all the best.

Being a MFC supporter certainly does not help. 

Thanks everyone for the support, I feel like it is getting a lot better with the younger generation in regards to talking about it. If you are struggling I found talking to a stranger actually helped me a lot so as ofhers have said my PM box is always open.  Cheers

23 minutes ago, ignition. said:

Hey mate,

First of all well done for speaking up, it takes a lot of courage to tell those around you (friends and anonymous people).

My partner is a psychologist. So here are some tips for you (if you haven't already) or others on here that might be considering help.

All the best
 

A BIG PROBLEM for many suffering with mental illness is the price it costs to receive continual help. Here are a few pointers for people wanting or needing it.

One can go to their local GP and ask for a referral to a psychologist. This will entitle them to 10 free sessions covered by medicare.

At the same time contact a local university clinic (Swinburne, RMIT, LaTrobe to my knowledge) and get on their waiting list as 10 sessions are typically not enough.

At these clinics one will receive help from a provisional psychologist (in-training). It is very cheap ranging from FREE - $60 an hour/session depending on one's income.

After discussing this with my partner, I feel the quality at these clinics are just as good as private practice. Where the students lack experience, they see fewer clients yet put more thought and energy into helping them outside the hours of their one-one sessions. Of course, they have well-experienced supervisors they can turn to for advice regarding treatments and interventions. They're often quite enthusiastic as well.

Also of note, if anyone has or intends to go to psychologists keep in mind that a particular psych may not be the right fit for them. Like in life, some people we click with while others we don't. If one ever has a bad experience or feels it's not helping don't give up on the idea completely, just try someone new.

As long as you yourself wants to improve and progress, take what they say on board, and they will guide you along the way.

LINKS:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/psychology-clinic/contact
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lss/psychology/pc/
http://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-locations-and-facilities/services/health-clinics/health-sciences-clinic/psychology

Great post 'ignition'....

Hi Rafiki,

Drinking is both a stimuli that will get your neves and brain buzzing but as we all know the next day it's a depressant.

I'm not sure how old you are but there is never a bad day to think about getting control of it.

I don't drink like I once did in my twenties and thirties - I'm better for it in every way.

I would advise you limit the booze before getting on the meds.If you still require meds then try to set a date by which you may be off them.

Television and radio can also be a source of anxiety and depression because it feeds us conflict.

Stay strong in your mind about what you want in life and take the small steps towards it.

Life can keep you in a holding pattern at times but nothing is forever .

Advice is  cheap but exercise is the one thing that will get your brain releasing the right chemicals .

Start with long walks if you are fat and then start jogging or swimming.

Be organised,dillegent and honest in all your dealings.

Happiness is elusive,the world is fairly complex and people can disappoint.

I am not a fan of the mental health industry as such but I caution against over-medicating yourself.

Eat well,sleep well and lay off the grog .Force yourself to get that exercise in every day .

If that fails,get a professional to help.

Best of British!!

6 hours ago, ProperDee said:

G'day Rafiki.

I'm an older guy and have suffered from PTSD for many years and spent periods of time hospitalised as a result.  The most diappointing thing for me was being shunned by people I thought to be friends. What that ultimately did however was to identify those who are true friends. It transpired that some people I regarded as acquaintances put their hands up whilst a couple of "best mates" turned their backs on me. My life is better for that.

From your perspective, the absolute best thing that you have done is to identify that a problem exists. That is the very first step to wellness and the hardest part. Great achievement! Don't be afraid to seek professional help and guidance either. There are some great people out there who truly care.

Further, if you have found a lady that chooses to be with you regardless of your health issues, she is a definite keeper and a huge positive. As others have said, please PM me if you'd like to chat. I am more than happy to support you. After all, our love of the MFC makes us all mates and mates help each other out.

On a lighter note, it wouldn't do us any harm if the Dees played 4 quarters and got over the line this weekend!

Cheers

PD

I can relate to your story ProperDee the same thing happen to me, the friends who i had known for years some even from high school who we grew up together, who just didn't give a toss, when i told them i have depression.

I thank my late father for taking to me to see my first match in the early eighties because i have made a very good friend her and her husband have welcome me into their family and they mean the world to me, i don't have many family members of my own so i am very great full to have them in my life. So you can say football is more then a game because our club although we haven't seen a flag yet is worth more to me then just a football club.

I think it's great that we can share our stories together i know it's not the same as GP but if you have gone through or are going through something like depression just having a chat can make things a little better.

I've not suffered from either affliction, but am aware it's a problem across society.

As it's an important issue, my suggestion is to pin this thread.  

I've never opened it, but there's a similar thread pinned on the main page of BigFooty and it has over 400 posts.  Some might like to also reference that thread. 

On 4/26/2017 at 11:01 PM, Rafiki said:

I know this isn't a football topic but it is still very important, I have struggled with anxiety and depression for the last 10 years. I know its hard for anyone to talk about these issues to people they care about, let alone strangers on the internet but everyone needs to talk to someone. I struggle a lot with drinking too much and I hope I have never been rude or mean to anyone on here. I dunno I guess I just thought this could be an online place for people who were struggling to vent and let our their problems.

The Black Dog Institute does some excellent work in this space and there are lots of good resources on their website.

They've also published this great book where depression sufferers tell their own stories from the first onset of the illness, through diagnosis and then into recovery / management. There's lots of great little tips in there about how to deal with it as people tell their own coping strategies and what they do to help them stay healthy. There's also a chapter written by the partners / families of those people where they talk about the strain that mental illness can have on relationships and different ways to mitigate it. There's a similar book on bipolar disorder which I've found to be really useful.

Good luck mate! Like others on here, I'm happy to chat if you ever need someone to talk to. 

On 4/27/2017 at 0:48 PM, Biffen said:

Hi Rafiki,

Drinking is both a stimuli that will get your neves and brain buzzing but as we all know the next day it's a depressant.

I'm not sure how old you are but there is never a bad day to think about getting control of it.

I don't drink like I once did in my twenties and thirties - I'm better for it in every way.

I would advise you limit the booze before getting on the meds.If you still require meds then try to set a date by which you may be off them.

Television and radio can also be a source of anxiety and depression because it feeds us conflict.

Stay strong in your mind about what you want in life and take the small steps towards it.

Life can keep you in a holding pattern at times but nothing is forever .

Advice is  cheap but exercise is the one thing that will get your brain releasing the right chemicals .

Start with long walks if you are fat and then start jogging or swimming.

Be organised,dillegent and honest in all your dealings.

Happiness is elusive,the world is fairly complex and people can disappoint.

I am not a fan of the mental health industry as such but I caution against over-medicating yourself.

Eat well,sleep well and lay off the grog .Force yourself to get that exercise in every day .

If that fails,get a professional to help.

Best of British!!

Good advice, Mr Biff.

After about 15 years of being a member of Demonland and Demonology sometimes very active to months or even years of no activity on here, I never thought I'd see a thread like this appear.

I have unfortunately struggled with anxiety and depression for probably 80-85% of that time. Many ups and downs and I really feel like The condition and my personality have changed a lot over time. I won't go into it too much because there's things that I feel are quite big issues but I'm glad to see people willing to discuss this topic and if anyone wants to chat I'd be happy to.

The best advice I can give people suffering from mental health issues is to keep your mind in the present moment. Most worry is about things that happened in the past that can't be changed or in the future that hasn't even happened yet. Instead of listening to the internal voice in the head, be aware of all your senses and you will realise that your mind( that causes unpleasant feelings) is only a small part of your reality. The key to this is mindfulness, to catch your mind wandering and be present with your conscious mind instead of the sub-conscious running the show. When you are conscious, you can reprogram the damaging effects of the sub-conscious with positive programming.

I have a more extreme way than most with dealing with life's suffering: that has been a strong dedication to meditation, sometimes practicing over 10 hours per day living in monasteries but I realise this life is certainly not for most people and I don't want to preach religion on here but I would like to list some secular books that I believe can help people with mental health issues, these are:

The power of now- Eckhart Tolle

Take off your glasses and see- Jacob Liberman (a book about eyesight but equally insightful about improving your life)

The Open Focus Brain- Les Femhi.

 

I am more than happy to answer any questions if anyone wants to PM me.

 

One last thing, keep your head up(literally), this will make you feel better.We are the only species on Earth that has an upright spine but we choose to slouch. Just look at how Melbourne players perform when they have their heads down.

Stay strong and be happy.

 

On 27/04/2017 at 0:13 PM, ignition. said:

Hey mate,

First of all well done for speaking up, it takes a lot of courage to tell those around you (friends and anonymous people).

My partner is a psychologist. So here are some tips for you (if you haven't already) or others on here that might be considering help.

All the best
 

A BIG PROBLEM for many suffering with mental illness is the price it costs to receive continual help. Here are a few pointers for people wanting or needing it.

One can go to their local GP and ask for a referral to a psychologist. This will entitle them to 10 free sessions covered by medicare.

LINKS:
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/psychology-clinic/contact
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/lss/psychology/pc/
http://www.rmit.edu.au/about/our-locations-and-facilities/services/health-clinics/health-sciences-clinic/psychology

Just to clarify - It's not free sessions, the psychologist will charge what ever they charge - $150-$250 per session, the government rebate will be $84.80 for a general psych (they have lower fees, AND they're just a competent) vs a clinical psych (who's training whilst deals with the general population, work a lot with personality disorders i.e.: schizophrenia etc) as well as mood disorders (anxiety, depression) whereby the rebate is $102.00 - hence they charge more - you'll be roughly $50-$75 out of pocket - and considering what we spend on booze and food during the week - its pretty cheap to get your head sorted for the long term. 

Love this thread.

Am currently developing a doc series on youth mental health. Obviously, a massive issue.

We need to talk about mental health and too much is left unsaid.

First time I have opened this thread. It's good to see that posters (mostly men) are participating.

I've mentioned in previous threads that I suffered from depression for a good 4 to 5 years. I get anxious sometimes still but I have never been like I was at its worst in  2011 (where I would occasionally still be in bed 5 minutes before I was supposed to be at work as it was physically impossible to drag myself out).

What @Biffen wrote is basically what I found worked best (though it differ from person to person). I only drink socially these days, I try to run 4 times a week and go to the gym 3 to 4 times and  also meditate when I can. 

Ian Thorpe and Biff are spot on in that booze is a band aid that makes things worse later on. Confront what you have to. While it is difficult to do at the time, the feelings aren't permanent (thought they may feel like it).

Medication isn't something that I found something overly effective but I'm not everyone (considering that my doctor put me on Champix at the time too to quit smoking, the chances of it working weren't great). I recently heard an interesting interview on Late Night Live with Johann Hari about the comparative effectiveness of medication that might interest some.

It was a long road where progress and line it takes forever. My advice is to take your time even if it feels that you are going backwards. You will have good days and bad days.

I would say that a former coach of ours Dean Bailey has the best advice about it (though he was talking about team building):

There is no magic pill to get better.

When he said that in Breakfast with Bails, he basically meant that there is no one fix all solution to ones problems. It's a matter of going out and trying your best every day to do what you need to do (although the best you can provide on any given day can differ in quality).

P.s. My phone is playing silly buggers so here is the link to the LNL interview 

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/depression-re-examined/9724554

 

Edited May 25, 20186 yr by Colin B. Flaubert