Mental Health: MOST Neglected Part of Fitness (IMHO)

[wingchun100]

That's cool. Glad you are able too. Mental helth in this thread seems to be coming accross as being a general thing. Well, that is just my observation rightly or wrongly, but some mental health issues are extremely profound. Mental fitness is not something that can be trained, some of us just have to pull our socks up and get on with it.

It's not general because not everyone has those issues. I am talking about EXTREME issues. If someone is struggling with just being able to get out of bed, they might have more going on than just laziness, you know? I mean, we ALL need to feel good, but some people have more struggles than others. Some people can't just look themselves in the mirror and tell themselves to suck it up and deal.

 

[Transk53]

It's not general because not everyone has those issues. I am talking about EXTREME issues. If someone is struggling with just being able to get out of bed, they might have more going on than just laziness, you know? I mean, we ALL need to feel good, but some people have more struggles than others. Some people can't just look themselves in the mirror and tell themselves to suck it up and deal.

Oh yeah, I have been there. I had to lock myself in my room at a hostel I was referred to. Not for own safety, but for others. Everybody was an enemy. After my second mental breakdown, rather than punching the mirror, After a while I looked at myself in the the mirror and simply said "no more" I stood up and went for a walk. My gosh it was hard, and I had to seemingly dredge up every ounce of physical and mental strength I could muster. Took a couple of years to get myself back to what normals consider everyday life. Managed to get myself a job etc, social life and what not. When I look back on it, that fateful day I pulled my socks up and fought the demons.


You are probably right. Some people can't maybe suck it and deal, but there are probaly just as many who simply can't be bothered. Hide away from the realty of mental illness. Now in today's society that would be no surprise. Humans are too quick to ostracise because one does not fit in social peerage.

 

[Tez3]

I have a friend who has depression and anxiety, she tries very hard to cope. One of the things she does is run a Fb page about rugby players as well as supporting a female football team with publicity, photography and anything else she can. She makes no secret that she has mental health issues and if she's too unwell to post photos etc she will say so, 99% of people are supportive but that one per cent post vile things on her site. One of the most surprising things about her page though is how many others suffer from the same and how many suffer it alone.
A couple of people here who are also FB friends of mine might guess who she is but if you see something I share from her do give her a shout, she appreciates the thought and the support.

 

[wingchun100]

The real struggle that I face is that I KNOW I should not live my life needing validation from others. I need it from within. And yet, due to depression, I cannot get it from myself. However, I am also conscious of the fact that I cannot rely on that because...well, people are unreliable! It is a horrible, HORRIBLE spot to be in, and I am hoping this evaluation will give me some answers (or at least point me in the right direction) so I can get out of this trap.

 

[wingchun100]

Just felt like sharing an update on this topic.

I completed a mental health evaluation a few months ago. The psychologist who initially started it with me got sick, so his patients were dispersed to other people in the same practice. It seemed to me like the guy I was assigned to did a rush job because he was resentful of all these other patients getting pawned off on me. He DID wind up diagnosing me with ADHD, but his report was a mere two pages long. It contained literally NO data; I received no testing, etc. All he did was go by this massive "Self-reporting" questionnaire I had to fill out. I felt that more was needed because, for someone like me who doesn't always have the best insight into why he acts the way he does, a self-report will not be helpful.

I went to see my doctor, and I was prescribed something for the ADHD. However, I am also going for a second opinion regarding the evaluation as a whole. The new psychologist I see was surprised there wasn't more to the report. This time around, I am confident I will get a more thorough answer.

 

[CB Jones]

I have ADHD what helps me is:

1). Competition allows me to focus more on whatever I'm doing. If I can make it a competition I can keep my focus on it better

2). Headphones and music. It drowns out things around me and helps keep me focused on the task right in front of me.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Just felt like sharing an update on this topic.

I completed a mental health evaluation a few months ago. The psychologist who initially started it with me got sick, so his patients were dispersed to other people in the same practice. It seemed to me like the guy I was assigned to did a rush job because he was resentful of all these other patients getting pawned off on me. He DID wind up diagnosing me with ADHD, but his report was a mere two pages long. It contained literally NO data; I received no testing, etc. All he did was go by this massive "Self-reporting" questionnaire I had to fill out. I felt that more was needed because, for someone like me who doesn't always have the best insight into why he acts the way he does, a self-report will not be helpful.

I went to see my doctor, and I was prescribed something for the ADHD. However, I am also going for a second opinion regarding the evaluation as a whole. The new psychologist I see was surprised there wasn't more to the report. This time around, I am confident I will get a more thorough answer.

If you go in for an evaluation or assessment, it's generally a 2-3 page assessment. The one that I do takes around an hour and a half, and is from talking with the person. Others do it from self-report questionnaires, which I'm not a fan of (similar to your issues, I feel like it's impersonal and most people don't go to therapy knowing exactly what their issues are), but from what I recall statistically there isn't that much difference towards accuracy of a working diagnosis.

The important thing is, whatever diagnosis you get in the assessment is a working diagnosis. It's tough to get all the information you need to accurately diagnose someone and rule out all other possibilities in one or two sessions. Diagnoses are liable to change as you continue treatment and the psychologist gets to know you better. Unless your intent was to just get a diagnosis and not attend treatment, which is pointless IMO. It would be like going to your doctor for a prostate exam, finding out you have cancer, and then just never going to get the cancer taken care of. Why bother going through the prostate exam if you don't do anything with the information.

Last comment; go to a psychiatrist, not a doctor. Your PCP will know what medications work for ADHD, (and the interaction effects that epocrates tells them), but they won't have any in depth knowledge on what medication would be best for you, and how it's effecting you in terms of mental health. It's just not their focus.

 

[wingchun100]

I have ADHD what helps me is:

1). Competition allows me to focus more on whatever I'm doing. If I can make it a competition I can keep my focus on it better

2). Headphones and music. It drowns out things around me and helps keep me focused on the task right in front of me.

Music used to help me focus more when I was doing homework in high school/college. Now if I try to do things while listening to it, I get distracted...unless it is classical music, because then there are no lyrics to focus on.

 

[CB Jones]

Music used to help me focus more when I was doing homework in high school/college. Now if I try to do things while listening to it, I get distracted...unless it is classical music, because then there are no lyrics to focus on.

Electric violin and cello

Lindsey Stirling
Black Violin
Caitlin De Ville
2Cellos

What I listen to when I'm writing report and doing paperwork or working on electronics.

 

[wingchun100]

Electric violin and cello

Lindsey Stirling
Black Violin
Caitlin De Ville
2Cellos

What I listen to when I'm writing report and doing paperwork or working on electronics.

I'd have to check it out.

These days, I need music with no lyrics, or I need the sound of something that is smooth and consistent, like the steady hum of a fan, humidifier, or something to that effect.

 

[wingchun100]

Got another med appointment today. I was prescribed something for ADHD, but it wore off pretty fast.

The first evaluation I went for was kind of crappy and weak. I went for a second opinion and got a much more thorough job done. However, the result of that is needing to go for different meds.

 

[wingchun100]

I have had more updates since I last posted on this thread.

Originally I was diagnosed with ADHD and put on Adderall. However, the evaluation did not seem that thorough for me, so I went to get a second opinion. This was much better and more in-depth, and I came out of it with a different diagnosis: depression, anxiety, and something called Avoidant Personality Disorder. (I don't feel like getting into a description of it here, so feel free to look it up.)

I went through a couple different medications before I got on the right one. Things have been steadily improving since then, and I amaze myself with new developments every day. I'll go into those more later, but for now I wanted to continue on about the mental health evaluations.

Even when I got on the right medication, I always had the idea of going for the autism evaluation in the back of my mind. Well, recently I was able to go for it, although I do not have the results yet. Those will be coming soon.

 

[wingchun100]

In the previous post, I mentioned briefly that I amaze myself with new developments every day. Here is one recent example.

I met my ex-wife at a bank parking lot when it was time for my son to go home to her. She had her ex-con boyfriend with her. I tried asking my ex about something to do with our son's school work. (Keep in mind I had originally emailed/texted/called to say, "Please send his book bag with him from now on." Even when I called, I got voicemail, and my call was not returned.) When he came over, he did NOT have his book bag with him, so I was trying to address the issue. I said, "Why didn't his book bag come with him?" She said, "It's at the house." I said, "Okay, but...that doesn't answer my question. Didn't you get the messages I left about wanting it to come with him?" At this point, the ex-con chimed in, "Dude, let it go. She said it was at the house." I said, "I was asking her, not you."

He got out of the car and ran around, charging at me. I backed up a couple steps, getting into fighting stance. My hands were up (open, not in fists), and I said, "You need to stay away from me. Don't get ANY closer!" And to my surprise, this thug (who has probably 6 inches in height and 30-50 pounds on me) actually stopped in his tracks.

So...why is this something so amazing? Well, you would have to know my life to get the full impact of it. Needless to say, if this had happened as little as 2-3 years ago, I would have ran for my car, but I didn't. I stood my ground. Why? Because I was not in the wrong. I was merely trying to communicate with my ex about our son...OUR son, not his, and he had no place chiming in to interview with how I raise him. Maybe he thinks he does simply because he is dating my ex, but guess what? If he broke up with her tomorrow, he wouldn't give a flying F what happens with our son. So he needs to learn to butt out.

The only thing that angered me about the whole event was that my son witnessed it, and then I had to let him go home with that jerk. There was nothing I could do about it. I tried calling CPS, but they didn't care because he was in the car when it happened and therefore out of the way of any physical harm. I asked, "Don't you think that kind of stuff causes him PSYCHOLOGICAL harm?" Apparently, social services law doesn't care about that 'round these parts.

The next time my son came over, I asked him how he felt about what he saw. He said, "I was scared that he was going to punch you." I said, "I know, and I am sorry you had to see that, but do you know what I was doing? Do you know why I didn't run to my car?" He said no, so I explained, "It's because I was trying to talk to your mother about something to do with YOU, about something related to your school work, to help you out in areas where you are struggling. He had no business butting in. I stood my ground for YOU, buddy, because when it comes to you, your brother, or your sisters, NO ONE is going to intimidate me."

It has been such a long time coming. Those of you who have had enough self-esteem/self-confidence for all your lives cannot grasp what a relief it is. I mean, it is one thing to go through all the evaluations I have, to get a diagnosis, to get on medication, to feel better, and to THINK your self-confidence is higher, but you really don't know until it gets tested somehow. And you can't plan for moments like that.

I am so glad that I passed my test. It made me realize: "Shoot, if I didn't scamper away like a frightened rabbit from an ogre like that, then what need do I have to be scared of ANYONE?"

 

[Flying Crane]

You’ve been on a tough road. Keep at it.

 

[wingchun100]

You’ve been on a tough road. Keep at it.

Thanks. It might not be as tough as SOME have it, but that doesn't mean it's been easy.

I am going to get my results today!

 

[Flying Crane]

Thanks. It might not be as tough as SOME have it, but that doesn't mean it's been easy.

I am going to get my results today!

Well, I haven’t had to deal with the issues in the same way you have, but I have recently gone through a lay-off from a high-stress job that I held for 18 years, going back to school to figure out a new direction, and my wife also being laid off and back in school at the same time. And trying to juggle the needs of our 4-year old.

I was surprised at how disorienting this change has been, and how much stress it has caused me.

One thing became clear to me: my martial training helps keep me mentally and emotionally more calm and centered, and it is critical that I keep at it. When I don’t, when I let it slip to the side, then I get stressed and axious more easily and I don’t sleep well. So it really helps me get through the tough times. The problem is, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed with other responsibilities, and then let my training slip away. I can’t let that happen, it is a survival tool for me.

 

[wingchun100]

Got my results yesterday, although she did not give me a copy of the report to take home. I can't remember all of it, so I am going to hold off on writing anything about the outcome until I have it in my hands.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Got my results yesterday, although she did not give me a copy of the report to take home. I can't remember all of it, so I am going to hold off on writing anything about the outcome until I have it in my hands.

Was this official results from the assessment where they diagnosed depression/anxiety/Avoidant Personality Disorder, or the autism evaluation?

 

[wingchun100]

Well, I haven’t had to deal with the issues in the same way you have, but I have recently gone through a lay-off from a high-stress job that I held for 18 years, going back to school to figure out a new direction, and my wife also being laid off and back in school at the same time. And trying to juggle the needs of our 4-year old.

I was surprised at how disorienting this change has been, and how much stress it has caused me.

One thing became clear to me: my martial training helps keep me mentally and emotionally more calm and centered, and it is critical that I keep at it. When I don’t, when I let it slip to the side, then I get stressed and axious more easily and I don’t sleep well. So it really helps me get through the tough times. The problem is, it is very easy to feel overwhelmed with other responsibilities, and then let my training slip away. I can’t let that happen, it is a survival tool for me.

I hear you on that one. We do the best we can at the time. If our best isn't good enough, then we figure out how to do better.

 

[wingchun100]

Was this official results from the assessment where they diagnosed depression/anxiety/Avoidant Personality Disorder, or the autism evaluation?

Autism evaluation. Coming soon.