Mental Health Thread • Page 392

It’s never too late to try, I would just pick one or two things that would be easy to start or are most important to you. Start there and and go on to other things once you have those down. Gradual progress more realistic than an overnight change in my experience

 

And yes, therapy and/or medication might give you the extra support needed as well 100%

 

My antidepressants do nothing for my depression, they just make me less anxious. I wish it wasn't such a giant crapshoot every time you take a new medication.

 

Might need to switch it up, as much as that part does suck. Maybe talking it out more in therapy would help? I also know, personally, that I just have to get a point where enough is enough and I can’t take anymore. Weight loss, addiction, etc. I get to a point and turn it on and kick it into gear. My last year and some change was basically me using so I could kick the can down the road with everything I need to do in order to move forward in life. Work, personal relationships, taking care of my body, etc., but I couldn’t stand being stuck anymore. I know it’s not that “easy” for everyone, though, so I would think talking is the best start/bet. Wish I had better advice, but I know the feeling and hang in there.

 

I've tried everything, maybe I'm just permanently fucked up and too lazy.

 

Been really hard to keep my head up lately. Feeling lonely a lot. Also I feel like I’m slowly becoming less social than normal in terms of speaking, I spend more time being quiet and not wanting to talk.

 

I've been feeling really depressed and self conscious about my weight. In the past year I've gone from 200 lbs to 265 lbs. Stretch marks are insane and I need a new wardrobe. I've just gotten so depressed that I stopped all physical activity and mainly just watch TV and eat junk food all day. My doctor asked me what changed and I told him I honestly don't know. My depression has just gotten worse with no real reason that I can think of. I get winded doing the most basic tasks, I'm embarrassed.

 

I don't have a ton to add but I went thru something similar during covid. It was hard cause I had been going to the gym consistently pre-covid but everything closed with covid and we couldn't really go anywhere or do anything except like watch TV and get takeout and be depressed. I was so ashamed for quarantine to end and everyone to see my weight gain. I would sometimes just burst into tears because I felt like it was all my fault and I lacked discipline. I dreaded going to the doctor and having them reference me now being overweight. Then I felt ashamed for feeling shallow and caring so much and not feeling as body positive as I thought I was.

I did end up figuring it out eventually. It's ongoing maintenance but I'm maintaining so far. Everyone is different but it's so important to just find what you like. The best lifestyle changes are ones you'll keep up. I'm now in the best shape I've ever been (though not the lightest I've ever weighed in my adult life, i am the most active and muscular ive ever been. I do think the distinction is important). I had to do a lot of trial and error to find excercises and foods I liked. For me like 95% of the issue was psychological and trying to work through lots of toxic and unhealthy ideas I had in my head about food and exercise.

Being kind to yourself is v important. Shame and negativity never really leads to positive change. Your body has gotten you through so much and does a lot for you! I hope things get better for you soon.

 

Thank you so much that all means a lot to me. Yeah I really need to be more positive with myself and my new doctor has given me some advice on slow next steps to pace myself, it's just a matter of getting myself to do it. He says he doesn't want me to focus on my binge eating yet since that's an addiction but wants me to just start going on short walks and getting sunlight

 

At work we get these inspiration Ted talks or books and they’re mostly fluffy better-yourself type stuff that I half listen to. But the video we had to watch was talking about fear of vulnerability which at its root being fear of shame. To combat that, most just tamp down those feelings but she made the point that tamping down negative feelings also does the same to positive ones.

and it hit me how little I laugh, smile, chuckle or even just genuinely enjoy anything anymore. I love my wife and cat more than anything in the world but I’ve felt like a shell of myself for years now without realizing it. I definitely need to get the ball rolling on a therapist after we move.

 

I get this. People have been telling me to smile more. I feel like I have to make an effort to think of what makes me happy and partake in that thing. It doesn’t come naturally to me.

 

I relate to this very much.

 

I am in the process of changing what I eat and how active I am and I can confirm, if you can just convince yourself to do it that first time, nothing beats a walk outside in a sunny day with a pair of headphones. Start small, get comfortable, and just challenge yourself little by little!

 

I’m trying to start walking at least 4 times a week. I did for about 45 minutes today and it felt great. Plus I got to pet 2 dogs.

 

Thanks! That's exactly what I'm planning to do, I think I can do it if I have some good headphones on. He said it doesn't even have to be anything crazy right now, just 10 minutes every day. Just hard to be motivated when it's freezing cold out haha. I told him I'd rather just do the stairs in my apartment building to stay warm but he really wants me getting sunlight.

 

Doesn't help with the sunlight thing but in a pinch youtube has some decent walking videos. I like Taylor swift and they have a few taylor ones where they just have you do different kinds of steps to the beat of her music and it's low impact but great when it's cold or rainy out. They also have non taylor ones lol. Fitness Blender also has great free videos. Not everyone's cup of tea but there's lots of great workout dance videos on YouTube also. Any type of workout you'd want is on there for free which is great. That was one big benefit to covid is people really stepped up their YouTube excercise channel game and now there are tons of options. I live on the third floor so apartment friendly workout videos are my jam. I got into running by doing a zombie couch to 5k type app where you are in a zombie apocalypse and go on "missions" where they have you walk and gradually increase the amount you're jogging from zombies. I remember when running a minute straight seemed impossible and I hated it and now i run almost every day

Anyway don't mind me I just found when I viewed movement and excercise as lots of options and possibilities it felt freer and funner than like some loathsome obligation

 

Brene Brown ted talk I’m assuming?


Also I can echo the weight gain shame in here as well. Gained 20lb after my hernia surgery and adding Lexapro to my meds makes me crave everything in sight and I snack late at night and it’s only made things worse. I’ve been exercising more and more and I’m still maintaining all my weight. I talked to my doc last week and he’s got me on Wellbutrin now so I’m hoping that’ll help with the cravings and weight retention because it’s frustrating doing so much and getting no results and it makes my self image so lousy.

I’ll echo what @Kiana said tho and hope we can be kind to ourselves.

 

Something just fucking happened to my right eye randomly in the darkness. It happened very suddenly. It was fine with my phone screen on, but once I turned it off the eye became faded and harder to see out of.

I'm really worried and I fucking hate this body and life. I don't understand this shit. Why does it have to happen? Why does this always keep happening?

 

Been talking about exactly this and the inability for me to deal with/sit in discomfort at therapy.

 

Weird, my therapist actually sent me two Brene Brown videos last week:

Listening to Shame:
Listening to shame

The Power of Vulnerability:
The power of vulnerability

 

I have tons of health issues and serious body/medical anxiety from it, which then causes your body to do more weird things or you overreact to the littlest of things. Either way, hope it wasn’t anything serious, just always make sure to get lingering issues or real worries checked out ASAP.

 

I'm just so fucking scared. I don't want to die. I never want that to happen.

I'm so sorry.

 

No need to apologize, same and I’ve been there a lot.

 

Yep! It was a Brent brown video.

100% the power of vulnerability is the one that my work assigned to us.

 

@bigmike ❤️