[Misc] World Mental Health Day

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

A few days ago, I was skimming through some Youtube videos, and I came across one from an American doctor, who after going round the houses a bit, said the number one symptom for magnesium deficiency was fatigue. And then muscle cramps. My son has both of these.

Further reading showed a lack of magnesium in the diet is associated with anxiety and depression. My son has this as well.
I also found magnesium deficiency is associated with - diabetes (wife), high blood pressure (me) and a host of other things I can't remember. Magnesium is necessary for some 350 bodily processes.

Further research is indicated. But at first sight, through the eyes of a layman, it might be worth a visit to a nutritionist, some vitamin/mineral supplements, and eating foods rich in magnesium - leaf greens, nuts, grains, legumes.

I have long been of the opinion, based on a hunch and no evidence at all, that depression - may - and in part - be a function of a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Chemicals are important. It isn't the solution to everything but it can help.

On a mundane level I have been blighted with cramp for years. My physiology knowldege reminded me we need plenty of potassium in the blood to keep 'excitable membranes' stable. I have been taking 1.5 g potassium supplements daily for months and, guess what, no cramps.

I need my chemicals.

 

[Eric the meek]

@B

Chemicals are important. It isn't the solution to everything but it can help.

On a mundane level I have been blighted with cramp for years. My physiology knowldege reminded me we need plenty of potassium in the blood to keep 'excitable membranes' stable. I have been taking 1.5 g potassium supplements daily for months and, guess what, no cramps.

I need my chemicals.

I seem to remember that the sources of potassium are the same as those of magnesium - greens, nuts, legumes, grains. I may have got this wrong though. This tends to happen quite frequently these days.

 

[Cotton Socks]

My goodness, that's a good video. It got me thinking.

It made me think about me, and not my son. He's 24, and has had anxiety and depression for years. Once he gets into his funk, has can stay in bed for days. Obviously there is no chance of keeping a job, or a girlfriend. It must have had a deep effect on my wife and myself. She went to the Rock Clinic for a while. But I see my job as to just get on with it.

This week, for three days running, we have taken him out to cycle paths in the country, so that he can go on his electric longboard. That works wonders for him. I missed the Liverpool game as a result. But I didn't mind really. Well, not that much anyway. What is more important? Football, or your son's mental health? Tonight, he is out at nin-jitsu. This has been the best week for a long time. He is in a good place. Thanks for reading this.

So, as it's made you think about you & your 'job to just get on with it', has it made you consider that your mental health is important as well? You can get some counselling as well to help you process things. Your whole families mental health is important, including yours, as you are quite clearly a unit that works together. Really pleased that he is in a good place.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

@B

I seem to remember that the sources of potassium are the same as those of magnesium - greens, nuts, legumes, grains. I may have got this wrong though. This tends to happen quite frequently these days.

Old age, mate.

However, wikipedia is the friend of the factually challenged

 

[Eric the meek]

Top man. I salute you

Thank you but what is the alternative? To not take him out to ride his board?

Actually, I gave serious thought to refusing to take him, and watch the football instead. But I'm glad I made the right decision, even when he changed the starting point from Henfield to Bexhill, completely ruling out any chance of getting back for the football. Family comes first.

No, he has no idea of the sacrifice I made.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Thank you but what is the alternative? To not take him out to ride his board?

Actually, I gave serious thought to refusing to take him, and watch the football instead. But I'm glad I made the right decision, even when he changed the starting point from Henfield to Bexhill, completely ruling out any chance of getting back for the football. Family comes first.

No, he has no idea of the sacrifice I made.

You do what you have to do, Family first. Mind you, I find that easier to say now I'm old. When I was under 40 it was me first, or, OK you first but 'with a face like a smacked arse'.

The kindest gestures are those made that nobody knows about. True altruism

 

[Eric the meek]

So, as it's made you think about you & your 'job to just get on with it', has it made you consider that your mental health is important as well? You can get some counselling as well to help you process things. Your whole families mental health is important, including yours, as you are quite clearly a unit that works together. Really pleased that he is in a good place.

Point taken. I know you are right. But I'm 64, a bit old school, a bit stoic, but I do occasionally have my moments. Plus I have a healthy suspicion of counsellors. My sister is a self appointed counsellor and advised me to throw my son out of the house.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Point taken. I know you are right. But I'm 64, a bit old school, a bit stoic, but I do occasionally have my moments. Plus I have a healthy suspicion of counsellors. My sister is a self appointed counsellor and advised me to throw my son out of the house.

My ex GF had a similar attitude to my son.

Did I say ex GF? Yes. Ex.

 

[Cotton Socks]

Point taken. I know you are right. But I'm 64, a bit old school, a bit stoic, but I do occasionally have my moments. Plus I have a healthy suspicion of counsellors. My sister is a self appointed counsellor and advised me to throw my son out of the house.

Counsellors are there to listen & give you a helping hand to work through things, they should never offer a solution or give advise as to what you should do. I'm not a counsellor, so I can suggest you sack your sister as 'your' counsellor.

 

[Eric the meek]

Counsellors are there to listen & give you a helping hand to work through things, they should never offer a solution or give advise as to what you should do. I'm not a counsellor, so I can suggest you sack your sister as 'your' counsellor.

She planned it all. She asked to meet me for lunch, without my wife (I.e. divide and conquer). So she and I met at a pub in Arundel. I wondered what it was she was going to tell me. Then it emerged. She told me a story of a chap whose son was a drug addict and stealing from them. He threw his son out, but two years later, they were back in contact and had a good relationship. I firmly believe she made it all up.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I'm a shrug the shoulders and say 'whatever' kind of bloke. If I become more laid back, I would fall over. I don't have problem with my mental state. My eldest daughter does. Her symptoms range from super happy to wanting to leave this world, she's still in the being diagnosed stage, but a chemical imbalance could be hereditary(wifes side, mad as a bag of frogs). Years ago, it was just put down as a 'womans problem', as in being emotional and over reacting.
More research needs to go into this, but a correctional medication has been prescribed for my daughter, but finding the right dosage is not something that happens overnight.
My point is, if you feel overwhelmed, seek out help. Don't just 'deal with it'. The sooner you get support, the easier it is. Life doesn't get better, you do.

 

[Eeyore]

That was brilliant. I kind of knew what was coming, but then I have experienced terrible mental health traumas in recent times (I'm hugely better now).

For me the thing was reaching out and being able to share my health concerns with others. I feel fortunate that I am not shy of telling people I'm not okay, but I have a working environment that is strong on this issue so that helped.

So the video is so important, because some folk don't have that string to their bow. It's often because they are brought up in an environment that told them that these things remain unspoken.

If you are struggling there is help out there- and often in unexpected places. When I opened up about my difficulties I invited others to do the same and folk, like in the video above, who I didn't expect to be the sort that struggled did so. It does go unnoticed and also people can be really good at hiding it.

It's okay to say 'I'm not okay'.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/

Samaritans - Here to listen

Samaritans works to make sure there’s always someone there for anyone who needs someone. Read more.

www.samaritans.org

But remember this, the folk you feel you cannot talk to often are the folk you can. It's your old school conditioning that's speaking to you, not the reality.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm a shrug the shoulders and say 'whatever' kind of bloke. If I become more laid back, I would fall over. I don't have problem with my mental state. My eldest daughter does. Her symptoms range from super happy to wanting to leave this world, she's still in the being diagnosed stage, but a chemical imbalance could be hereditary(wifes side, mad as a bag of frogs). Years ago, it was just put down as a 'womans problem', as in being emotional and over reacting.
More research needs to go into this, but a correctional medication has been prescribed for my daughter, but finding the right dosage is not something that happens overnight.
My point is, if you feel overwhelmed, seek out help. Don't just 'deal with it'. The sooner you get support, the easier it is. Life doesn't get better, you do.

Women’s problems - even the word hysteria comes from the medical term for womb. Hormones blamed for everythin, and doctors diagnosing every ailment as ‘it’s your age’.
Using an expression like mad as a box of frogs, doesn’t help. I’m sorry your daughter is struggling and I hope she can find the right balance of medication.

 

[Eric the meek]

@Bozza, you started this thread. How are you? Are you OK?

 

[Coldeanseagull]

Women’s problems - even the word hysteria comes from the medical term for womb. Hormones blamed for everythin, and doctors diagnosing every ailment as ‘it’s your age’.
Using an expression like mad as a box of frogs, doesn’t help. I’m sorry your daughter is struggling and I hope she can find the right balance of medication.

I actually said bag, not box....but point taken on my utterances

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Brilliant video. Essentially, blokes (especially) need to talk more. Not even about any specific issues or problems, just chatting in general. It really helps.

Even engaging with complete strangers on here has helped a lot of NSC posters. It's one of the MANY great things about the board.

 

[Eric the meek]

Brilliant video. Essentially, blokes (especially) need to talk more. Not even about any specific issues or problems, just chatting in general. It really helps.

Even engaging with complete strangers on here has helped a lot of NSC posters. It's one of the MANY great things about the board.

It's well known that blokes don't talk enough. A mate of mine has cancer (lung, bowel, lymph nodes and probably other places he hasn't told me about). His bladder and prostate have also been removed, and he's now got a bag for life. He only talks about it superficially, but it's only the back channel between our two wives that reveals the scale of the worry and pain he is in. He is incredibly stoic, but keeps all the grumbling for his wife, which isn't ideal.

It hasn't been mentioned on here as far as I know, but just as men don't talk enough, I do wonder if women talk too much*, in that his wife and my wife seem to talk about it all the time. Sometimes, you just need some time off.

*Apologies if that sounds bad - it isn't meant to !

 

[Bozza]

@Bozza, you started this thread. How are you? Are you OK?

Yeah, I think so, and thank you for asking.

I had a bad spell a few weeks ago though. I've tried to get myself, and keep myself, fit over the last few years. Out with the dog for a few miles several times a day and Id been for a run every day since January 30th 2020. Then, out of nowhere, I had a heart issue come up and I was told to stop running immediately. And stop drinking too. Two of my favourite things. Thankfully no ban on the Albion!

The first couple of weeks were a struggle. Running was such a big part of my life. Whatever was going on, I made time for a run, and a reasonable run too - I averaged 8 miles a day over the course of that "run streak". So having that taken away, and the headspace going out for a run gave me, was a real blow. Beyond that, there was the worry that I've now got a heart issue. I'm not a young man, but I feel too young to have a heart concern!

But, now I've come to terms with it. Blood tests and a chest x-ray haven't shown anything, so I'm still waiting for my "urgent" cardiologist appointment nearly six weeks on to find out what happens next.

I'm trying to do more walking to offset the lack of running, eating a bit healthier than I was and I'm still being a good boy and not drinking, and I think they'll all combine to give me a better chance of a healthy mind.

 

[Brovion]

Thank you but what is the alternative? To not take him out to ride his board?

Actually, I gave serious thought to refusing to take him, and watch the football instead. But I'm glad I made the right decision, even when he changed the starting point from Henfield to Bexhill, completely ruling out any chance of getting back for the football. Family comes first.

No, he has no idea of the sacrifice I made.

Seriously, fair play to you, you're a great Dad.

I'm always incredibly impressed and humbled when these type of threads come up and people open up about what they're going through. I've had my ups and downs with both myself and family issues, but they're nothing compared to what some of you go through.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Yeah, I think so, and thank you for asking.

I had a bad spell a few weeks ago though. I've tried to get myself, and keep myself, fit over the last few years. Out with the dog for a few miles several times a day and Id been for a run every day since January 30th 2020. Then, out of nowhere, I had a heart issue come up and I was told to stop running immediately. And stop drinking too. Two of my favourite things. Thankfully no ban on the Albion!

The first couple of weeks were a struggle. Running was such a big part of my life. Whatever was going on, I made time for a run, and a reasonable run too - I averaged 8 miles a day over the course of that "run streak". So having that taken away, and the headspace going out for a run gave me, was a real blow. Beyond that, there was the worry that I've now got a heart issue. I'm not a young man, but I feel too young to have a heart concern!

But, now I've come to terms with it. Blood tests and a chest x-ray haven't shown anything, so I'm still waiting for my "urgent" cardiologist appointment nearly six weeks on to find out what happens next.

I'm trying to do more walking to offset the lack of running, eating a bit healthier than I was and I'm still being a good boy and not drinking, and I think they'll all combine to give me a better chance of a healthy mind.

I didn't realise the running had stopped completely? That's shite news – I know what I'm like if I haven't been out for a run for a few days – it really gets to me. But walking is a good substitute.