Glastonbury Mental Health

[TheDayman]

1 hour ago, MrZigster said:

I would be grateful, if it's not to personal or painful, if people on here could share their experiences of taking antidepressants, good or bad.

I've been told I'm anxious and depressed and have been offered them. 

I'm extremely apprehensive. No amount of pills or talking to people is going to change the thing that is making me anxious and depressed, so is it really worth the possible side effects (for example,feeling even shittier).

Thanks in advance.

My other half is a psychotherapist so my opinion on this subject is a bit weighted.

Her position - which I echo - would be to first seek a therapist. Medication can be a postive aid but tends not be a long term solution on its own. I'm sceptical of GP's prescribing antidepressants for anxiety/depression without also advising to speak with someone. 

If you haven't already, I'd consider speaking to a therapist. For anxiety, I'd look in to a therapist that specialises in Cognative Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This type of therapy is a highly structured and modern form of therapy. It's centred around the modern sciences, understanding why our brains do things and then training them to do things differently if there's an issue. As far as I know, this type of therapy can work really well for anxiety and depression.

Hopefully this helps you somewhat. Good luck in your journey my friend!

 

[grumpyhack]

My daughter is a mental health nurse and I'd echo and agree with all of @LostHorizons comments.

[zero000]

21 minutes ago, LostHorizon said:

My other half is a psychotherapist so my opinion on this subject is a bit weighted.

Her position - which I echo - would be to first seek a therapist. Medication can be a postive aid but tends not be a long term solution on its own. I'm sceptical of GP's prescribing antidepressants for anxiety/depression without also advising to speak with someone. 

If you haven't already, I'd consider speaking to a therapist. For anxiety, I'd look in to a therapist that specialises in Cognative Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This type of therapy is a highly structured and modern form of therapy. It's centred around the modern sciences, understanding why our brains do things and then training them to do things differently if there's an issue. As far as I know, this type of therapy can work really well for anxiety and depression.

Hopefully this helps you somewhat. Good luck in your journey my friend!

 

The new guidelines for depression suggest that therapy is a first option before antidepressants: https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/23/nhs-to-give-therapy-for-depression-before-medication-under-new-guidelines

 

Antidepressants can be life savers in certain circumstances however. It can also really help with engagement in therapy, as it can lift your mood just enough to help you engage in therapy meaningfully. Would recommend having a good discussion with a trusted  GP. 

[TheDayman]

1 minute ago, zero000 said:

The new guidelines for depression suggest that therapy is a first option before antidepressants: https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2021/nov/23/nhs-to-give-therapy-for-depression-before-medication-under-new-guidelines

 

Antidepressants can be life savers in certain circumstances however. It can also really help with engagement in therapy, as it can lift your mood just enough to help you engage in therapy meaningfully. Would recommend having a good discussion with a trusted  GP. 

Great to see, its absolutely the best way forward.

Hopefully Ireland will follow suit!

[MrZigster]

Thanks for all of the replies.

I should have mentioned that I am seeing a couple of people. The local counselling centre and the local mental health trust. It's early days yet (I'll be three sessions in with each each by Tuesday). I haven't told either of them about the other yet. It was so hard to actually get any face to face appointments I just grabbed at what was (finally) offered. The former seems better than the latter and I'm getting the feeling that the latter are heading towards referring me to the former anyway.

I totally agree with the keep fit thing. I've had a few attempts at couch to 5k, mainly for cardiovascular and getting fit for Glastonbury reasons, and the benefits mentally were noticeable.  However, I know it's only half an hour every other day but fitting this in around a 12h on 12h off shift pattern when you're struggling to leave your bed anyway is trying to say the least. I don't think I ever got to a level where I could comfortably complete week one. Plus I absolutely hate it! I'm mid fifties and knowing that I'll be starting again and that it will ache everywhere etc, etc, is a bit much at the moment.

 

 

[ModernMan]

I have been taking Citalopram but taken myself off them recently as didn’t feel they were helping. I am stuck in an endless cycle of ups and downs and I really don’t know what to do any more I’m totally broken by it all. I’ve lost myself in all honesty and I don’t know how to return 😔

[MrZigster]

Just now, ModernMan said:

I have been taking Citalopram but taken myself off them recently as didn’t feel they were helping. I am stuck in an endless cycle of ups and downs and I really don’t know what to do any more I’m totally broken by it all. I’ve lost myself in all honesty and I don’t know how to return 😔

Yep. Sums me up well.

[ModernMan]

I feel for you. This isn’t me and the overthinking cycles is painful, my life has become a mess. 
 

Was there something the started it all off? I was seeing a therapist for a bit too but I’ve stopped that, nothing feels like it’s helping me tbh and I’m losing control on my life. 

[Cooter]

1 hour ago, ModernMan said:

I have been taking Citalopram but taken myself off them recently as didn’t feel they were helping. I am stuck in an endless cycle of ups and downs and I really don’t know what to do any more I’m totally broken by it all. I’ve lost myself in all honesty and I don’t know how to return 😔

This was pretty much how I explained how I felt to one of my family members earlier today.

I've had a couple of serious traumas in recent years and they've knocked the stuffing out of me. I feel like a completely different person to what I was and just want the old me back. I've had cbt therapy and various meds, nothing changed, and now I'm just dealing with it and just plodding on through it. Maybe one morning soon I'll wake up and I'll be me again.

[guypjfreak]

That's my tab box 

38 tabs a day and I buy bottles of morphine which I take as and when.. 

I was on pozac for years and now been on citalapran for years.. Asked to change back but they said no but might try lithen but I told them to fuck off.. 

I've tried lots of different times to just stop but it really fucks you up so stay on them and come off slowly.. 

I've said this on here before but I've not been anywhere now for 7 weeks.... Anyway was going to go out Fri night and bottled it.. But I know that's not good.. I'm lucky I have a fantastic wife who keeps me going.. 

Stay strong modern man.. Don't end up with like the rest of the US on here lol 

Peace and cider.. 

 

[ModernMan]

6 minutes ago, Cooter said:

This was pretty much how I explained how I felt to one of my family members earlier today.

I've had a couple of serious traumas in recent years and they've knocked the stuffing out of me. I feel like a completely different person to what I was and just want the old me back. I've had cbt therapy and various meds, nothing changed, and now I'm just dealing with it and just plodding on through it. Maybe one morning soon I'll wake up and I'll be me again.

I hope the same that I’ll feel like me one day magically but I don’t know how. I recently read Bob Mortimer’s book and he told a story about how he was depressed for a long time and one day, he felt joy watching Middlesbrough score that he’d not felt for years and he knew he was feeling more himself. I sometimes wonder if Glastonbury this year could be something like that for me but I don’t know 

[blutarsky]

9 hours ago, LostHorizon said:

My other half is a psychotherapist so my opinion on this subject is a bit weighted.

Her position - which I echo - would be to first seek a therapist. Medication can be a postive aid but tends not be a long term solution on its own. I'm sceptical of GP's prescribing antidepressants for anxiety/depression without also advising to speak with someone. 

If you haven't already, I'd consider speaking to a therapist. For anxiety, I'd look in to a therapist that specialises in Cognative Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This type of therapy is a highly structured and modern form of therapy. It's centred around the modern sciences, understanding why our brains do things and then training them to do things differently if there's an issue. As far as I know, this type of therapy can work really well for anxiety and depression.

Hopefully this helps you somewhat. Good luck in your journey my friend!

 

My other half is also a psychotherapist

I don’t have any personal experience of taking antidepressants so the following may well seem rather self-indulgent

I find that my own personal mental health varies depending on what I have been doing recently. for example if I have been exercising regularly and experiencing things which I find cathartic particularly in a sporting sense then my mental health tends to be quite good regardless of any external stressors

if my physical releases from stress have been limited perhaps through injury or other restrictions then I can tend towards bout of low mood

throughout my relationship with Mrs blue Tarski I have found that the most crucial element to maintaining a positive relationship and good sense of general well-being has been to talk. no matter what situation we may have found ourselves in we have always been fortunate that we have given each other space to express our mood and any issues that have been troubling us. 
In The course of the past 10 decade they have obviously been many points where there has been friction however this has almost always been overcome by talking through our issues. 
I appreciate this advice is unsolicited and potentially unhelpful but if you have anyone to talk to who is prepared to listen to you and offer nonjudgemental feedback then that may well be a good route to tackling your problems

I am privileged that I have never been required to resort to medication to deal with my mood but I would be the 1st to admit that at times I have experienced bouts of mild depression which have cause me to ask questions about my lifestyle

as you are asking these questions I can only assume you have sought advice already and wholeheartedly support you in seeking guidance to help you deal with your mood

I hope this does not seem patronising in anyway or condescending but I am quite drunk  🥴 

[Little Andy]

I had a really tough 2021. Didn't end up using therapy or meds, but I was close. But what I did learn in the end, was that the primary cause of the anguish was staying indoors all the time (obviously more common lately!), leaving me to dwell and fear how I would cope with my problems for the rest of my life.

It was only when I was able to work from the office again, leave the house, live life again, did I realise that when I was caught up living life properly, I was indeed ok. My problem had been the fear of coping with my problems, not so much the problems themselves. Once I accepted what was wrong, but that I can live with those problems, and indeed do live with them when I'm not at home worrying, I was able to return to myself.

Now I feel much more able to cope with whatever else life may throw at me in the future. And sometimes the next thing it will throw (or I will hunt out myself) will be a positive thing!

Dunno if this will help anyone, but I hope so. x

[ModernMan]

I’ve had a really tough 48 hours and I’m struggling to see the point in anything. I exercise a lot, have a good job but having recently gone through a breakup I find myself in a situation where I’m not sure how to commit to any kind of future, everything seems pointless and I analyse everything. I’ve always been good at future planning but it’s totally left me now and I feel unsure of everything, even why I’ve gone through a breakup in the first place. 
 

I appreciate all the advice on here though it’s nice to read. This forum helps me through some of my darker days 

[Little Andy]

12 minutes ago, ModernMan said:

I’ve had a really tough 48 hours and I’m struggling to see the point in anything. I exercise a lot, have a good job but having recently gone through a breakup I find myself in a situation where I’m not sure how to commit to any kind of future, everything seems pointless and I analyse everything. I’ve always been good at future planning but it’s totally left me now and I feel unsure of everything, even why I’ve gone through a breakup in the first place. 
 

I appreciate all the advice on here though it’s nice to read. This forum helps me through some of my darker days 

I'm no health professional, but your brain appears to similar to mine; I'm use to always living under the premise of what direction I am going in the future.

It's not easy, but I've improved massively now I try and ignore that, just take each day as it comes. As I said in my last post, the problem is the fear of the future, not the future itself. At any given current point in time, you're usually safe! Yes, there may be things to accept that are really tough (and breaks up are naturally difficult), but you will get through this and be ready to seek out new opportunities in life again at some point. The biggest stumbling block to this is the fear of the future, not the future itself. Living for today will truly help (and if you've got no plans for today, organise fun stuff to look forward to for forthcoming days).

Edited March 13, 2022 by Little Andy

[TheDayman]

32 minutes ago, ModernMan said:

I’ve had a really tough 48 hours and I’m struggling to see the point in anything. I exercise a lot, have a good job but having recently gone through a breakup I find myself in a situation where I’m not sure how to commit to any kind of future, everything seems pointless and I analyse everything. I’ve always been good at future planning but it’s totally left me now and I feel unsure of everything, even why I’ve gone through a breakup in the first place. 
 

I appreciate all the advice on here though it’s nice to read. This forum helps me through some of my darker days 

I don't know what else is going on in your life but I do know break ups are tough. Really fucking tough.

It's important to recognise though its okay and completely natural to feel absolutely shit sometimes. A phrase my other half often says to people which might help, is to try and sit with those feelings rather than in them. What that means is to appreciate that it's okay to feel down, understand that it's natural but try not let it completely take over (there's lots of therapy exercises that can help do this but it's not my place to advise on them, thats where the professional comes in).

Importantly, don't be hard on yourself. Maybe think about seeing someone again too. Like everything, you're going to have some therapists that are better than others and your going to have different styles of therapy that suit different types of people and situations.

It's a good thing to focus on things like Glastonbury but maybe try not to hang everything on top of that one event. Everybodys brain works differently and where it may have took just one light bulb moment for Bob Mortimor to brighten up his darkness, it may take a few more light bulbs to brighten up someone's else's.

If this forum helps, this could be one of your light bulbs. Glastonbury will probably be a really bright bulb for you too, but it's important recognised it sometimes takes more that one bulb to light up a room.

Edited March 13, 2022 by LostHorizon

[guypjfreak]

How many people here have tried Steps to wellbeing 

I've gone 4 times over a long period . Its just talking but I went to it before glasto 2015 and a few things she said actually got me through the festival to a point where I could hear her voice.. 

Your not the only one...no one can see your struggling just as you can't see them struggling.. 

Look into it.. 

https://www.steps2wellbeing.co.uk/

[danmarks]

Yeah. Just to say , going through similar myself. It does feel unending but it does get easier. You won't believe this at this moment and will feel that it's easy for anyone to say this as they don't know that overwhelming heavy bleakness where it's an effort to just get out of bed.

I truly do. I have had some horrendous dark times. Many years ago i was on prosac after my life went south. It doesn't cure anything but after about 3 weeks i just found i didnt care so much. It just gave my brain chance to breathe. Took them for 6 months. Forget to take them to a festival and never took them again. I wouldnt recommend stopping like that though.

My relationship status and living arrangements have also recently changed massively in a way that i wasnt expecting and not for the best.

This time though it feels ok. One day at a time is enough and also realising life is a series of small moments. Some of these moments aren't as you expected but others will be glorious. 

It sounds counter intuitive but i found a lot of strength in Afterlife.

Its actually quite moralistic in a modern way. If you truly don't care- can really let go then nothing will bother you.

And being kind to others does bring joy to your life as a brilliant side affect.

Sounding like a cliche cos it is - life is what you get . Living is what you give 

[Cooter]

15 hours ago, ModernMan said:

I hope the same that I’ll feel like me one day magically but I don’t know how. I recently read Bob Mortimer’s book and he told a story about how he was depressed for a long time and one day, he felt joy watching Middlesbrough score that he’d not felt for years and he knew he was feeling more himself. I sometimes wonder if Glastonbury this year could be something like that for me but I don’t know 

Interesting thanks.

Must admit though I'm not even 50% sure I would cope with the festival this year. I've been the last 30 years so this isn't something I say lightly. Like most people here it was a thing I thought and spoke of most days of my life, which is why I've been on this forum for 20 years. It's actually quite scary that I'm scared about going now. It's not that I don't want to be there, I do, but if the panics set in then I'll end up a burden on people.

Its all very confusing and very tiring being a different person.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Can I just add that it's really heartening and encouraging to hear people share their thoughts, feelings and vulnerabilities on here, I know how difficult it can be. And also, thank you to everyone who's offered an empathetic ear. I can't stress how important both factors are and anyone feeling like they need to vent, it's great to think that this is a safe space to do so, either on this thread or privately

[ModernMan]

7 hours ago, LostHorizon said:

I don't know what else is going on in your life but I do know break ups are tough. Really fucking tough.

It's important to recognise though its okay and completely natural to feel absolutely shit sometimes. A phrase my other half often says to people which might help, is to try and sit with those feelings rather than in them. What that means is to appreciate that it's okay to feel down, understand that it's natural but try not let it completely take over (there's lots of therapy exercises that can help do this but it's not my place to advise on them, thats where the professional comes in).

Importantly, don't be hard on yourself. Maybe think about seeing someone again too. Like everything, you're going to have some therapists that are better than others and your going to have different styles of therapy that suit different types of people and situations.

It's a good thing to focus on things like Glastonbury but maybe try not to hang everything on top of that one event. Everybodys brain works differently and where it may have took just one light bulb moment for Bob Mortimor to brighten up his darkness, it may take a few more light bulbs to brighten up someone's else's.

If this forum helps, this could be one of your light bulbs. Glastonbury will probably be a really bright bulb for you too, but it's important recognised it sometimes takes more that one bulb to light up a room.

This was just a lovely reply thank you so much ♥️

[Quark]

I have pretty much nothing constructive to add tbh, but I'd definitely echo about talking. I had some comparatively very low level issues with anxiety a few years back and strangely I found that talking about it here actually helped me get better at talking about it in the real world.

@MrZigster the only opinion I can give on ADs is from a friend's experience rather than mine. They did help to a point, but after a while the found what they described as feeling permanently "flat" really unpleasant. Certainly a last resort for them in future. 

Whatever happens, stay safe and well everyone x

[guypjfreak]

Good thread old son..... Needed I think.. 

[Quark]

3 minutes ago, guypjfreak said:

Good thread old son..... Needed I think.. 

Aye, it's a decent thread this one. If I remember correctly there were some meet ups / number sharing going on in 2017 for anyone that was struggling at the fest.

One of the times efests and its crowd does the good shit.

[guypjfreak]

26 minutes ago, Quark said:

Aye, it's a decent thread this one. If I remember correctly there were some meet ups / number sharing going on in 2017 for anyone that was struggling at the fest.

One of the times efests and its crowd does the good shit.

Well said old son