There have been surprisingly healthy discussion about mental health around these forums and I think it is time for some sort of mega thread where we can have some offtopic chatter about it.
Mental issues - for all kinds of people, races, backgrounds, genders, professions - has been very difficult topic because of how we approach it. We often despise our own weaknesses and we don't love to see them in other people. We think we struggle alone and that if we can't deal with that, it makes failed as human beings.
This stigma and struggling alone have made me quite a damaged person with very strange couping mechanisms. There's no denial about that. What's done, done. What's important to talk about with somebody, not only yourself, find healthy ways to deal with it, and seek help if situation becomes critical.
I have struggled with mild depression for as long as I can remember now - for so long I don't even remember what 'feeling normal' really means, it is all ups and downs for me. I throw myself between deep end of lazyiness and apathy and gold rush of activity, self-pity and self-loathing, not wanting to go anywhere and wanting to run away. I have never seek help because I have always thought that is is part of me, something I can't really change - and that might be partially true - but I only start to figure out small ways to improve my life only recently. I am still struggling and it is steep uphill process, but I feel I at least have a shot of having better life conditions set by my own.
So how I am dealing with it? Physical activities can help huge deal, especially if you are office worker. They need to be planned, they need to be both high activity and low activity (like walking). They do work for some time and create positive feedback loop which helps a great deal. Gaming is another topic. I don't need to find confirmation of my skills in game, I know what I can and what I can't do. Challenge is part of appeal and beating some obstacles make me feel better, but I mostly find myself playing them just to chill. Amazingly, ED works really well in that regard, but also Civilization V/VI, Team Fortess 2 and other games have given me relief.
Another, much difficult, yet still effective way to fight this is set smaller goals and beat them. They might sound trivial, but sometimes it is only way I can move forward.
Mental issues - for all kinds of people, races, backgrounds, genders, professions - has been very difficult topic because of how we approach it. We often despise our own weaknesses and we don't love to see them in other people. We think we struggle alone and that if we can't deal with that, it makes failed as human beings.
This stigma and struggling alone have made me quite a damaged person with very strange couping mechanisms. There's no denial about that. What's done, done. What's important to talk about with somebody, not only yourself, find healthy ways to deal with it, and seek help if situation becomes critical.
I have struggled with mild depression for as long as I can remember now - for so long I don't even remember what 'feeling normal' really means, it is all ups and downs for me. I throw myself between deep end of lazyiness and apathy and gold rush of activity, self-pity and self-loathing, not wanting to go anywhere and wanting to run away. I have never seek help because I have always thought that is is part of me, something I can't really change - and that might be partially true - but I only start to figure out small ways to improve my life only recently. I am still struggling and it is steep uphill process, but I feel I at least have a shot of having better life conditions set by my own.
So how I am dealing with it? Physical activities can help huge deal, especially if you are office worker. They need to be planned, they need to be both high activity and low activity (like walking). They do work for some time and create positive feedback loop which helps a great deal. Gaming is another topic. I don't need to find confirmation of my skills in game, I know what I can and what I can't do. Challenge is part of appeal and beating some obstacles make me feel better, but I mostly find myself playing them just to chill. Amazingly, ED works really well in that regard, but also Civilization V/VI, Team Fortess 2 and other games have given me relief.
Another, much difficult, yet still effective way to fight this is set smaller goals and beat them. They might sound trivial, but sometimes it is only way I can move forward.
