I know that most here are an 'up' bunch. But just in case I would like to add this link.
May I also say "don't struggle alone," "find someone to talk to."
I know I struggle alone sometimes and I have to break out of it. Have to admit I may use seabreeze for that purpose sometimes. cheers

www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/men/depression-in-men

Thanks Ant! Well said.
I've noticed some government ads recently.
This link could also be useful.
www.mantherapy.org.au (actually I think this might be an initiative from Beyond Blue?)

Well said Anthony - hope you have a nice Easter.

Great idea, and thanks for sharing Anthony.

Keep the chin up Ant .... liking ya work in here brother

Hey AG..thanks for the post..too often blokes are not "talking" to their friends & family about whatever..and shizz piles up...hope you have a someone you can talk to easily.

Happy Easter to you...and try to enjoy our Blue ocean this Easter.

We all feel down at times, some more than others. That is a good site mate & doctors can prescribe meds to help also.

I've been getting treatment for depression, anxiety etc since January. Did not even know / admit there was anything wrong with me.
Taking drugs and getting pschology.
Under orders to get in the water every morning.
I'd forgotten what it was like to feel good!
Seeing the doctor big first step but worth it

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Nozza said..Under orders to get in the water every morning.

good advice eh!?

If the doctor says so, who's to argue?

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MickPC said..We all feel down at times, some more than others.

Usually I can pull myself out of any kind of bog I'm in, but lately I have been struggling. Looking at that beyondblue website gave me some incentive to address whatever it is that's dragging me down. Also I wanted to share it for any other guys out there, who may also feel alone, but acting like everything is ok.

Good stuff I've spent the past 3 hours talking to a old mate who dropped in and is a suffering , I told him to write down 12 things that pushing him over the edge, 5 things he has control over, so his mission is to take positive action and address , the remaining 7, my advice was to let go of course this is not easy and not possible for all , now he has joined us in our Good Friday fish and chips on the point .

two doctors paddled from brisbane to sydney at christmas time to raise money for beyond blue.


one of those doctors i met 4 weeks after my 'turn' at a supsa do i got asked to go to. man my leg blow up from just standing around. it was the one that had a vein removed


anyway it turned out he was one of the many that worked on my emergency quadruple bypass.

these people that do this type of work- dedicated helping others - absolutely blows me away.


the black dog is amongst us, let's care and help others


cheers

To right LL...Depression is a bugger and it takes you places you don't often want to go..sadly.
More and more research goes into it on helping.
Having a business that is linked to the health and well being of others, this topic crosses my desk with regularity.
Depression is triggered by many things and needs to be "treated" (an I do dislike the word as it infers there is something "wrong" with the person and there is simply not....they just need help to cope, with changed circumstances often... nothing wrong with that).

Depression can be triggered by nutrition deficiency, circumstance change (eg loss), physical change etc...nothing to do with disease (allthough that can alter physical / mental state) and yet we (to often the medical world) choose to often the drug path. Yes, anti depressants have a place, for sure, but so to, community reach, spiritual reach, nutritional reach and physical (exercise) reach. We need to treat the whole person as the whole person is affected.

Macaha, love your reach out...awesome stuff.....Nozza...bloody brilliant advice from you GP.

Ant G..have a look at this guy. He is researcher and PHD type guy, (also a business assoc,and friend I have in my network.) Some very good advice that often does not make the light of day, due to our "medical" was of treating.
http://www.drdingle.com/blog/

Beyond Blue is great and and wonderful and there is so much more we can learn and do

Hope this helps

cheers
Gmac

Lots of good participation and advice here AG..seems like you opened Pandoras box..not that ther'es anything wrong with that ..it might be why we find solitude in what we all share..

Must be the night for confessions.
I was diagnosed with Chronic Depression 18 years ago.
Brought on by genes and a hideous situation I found myself in. It is often funny when people say " just pull yourself out of it".
Anyone who has suffered from depression knows that this is not possible at times.
There are some good pointers here but the one I like best and the one that works for me is Nozza's. Get in the water.
I have been on and off medication for years generally with very positive benefits but I have found that the thing that works best is it exercise.
It doesn't have to be a marathon or something extraordinary a walk on the beach helps but a surf or a paddle is where I get my best results.
I took up SUPping 8 years ago so that I could still get in the water when there was no surf. So surf or not I can still get out on the ocean or in a lake or river or whatever.
My advice to anyone suffering at any level is to talk to people you know and let them know your situation, this will allow them to adjust their ideas of how to treat you and also allow them to keep an eye out for you.
Exercise, surf, walk, paddle, jog whatever just make sure you do it regularly and get outside as often as you can.
Stay away from excess alcohol and recreational drugs they don't help.

Good luck to any one out there who is suffering at times. If anyone needs someone to talk things through send me a pm and I will make myself available for a phone hook up.
I am not a medico but I am 60 this year and do have life experiences and I can probably relate to you.
I make this offer to anyone that needs someone to talk to and has no one or can't talk to family.

Hang in there guys there are more good days than bad days.

Get wet.

ET.

Champion post ET.

Great post ET

Super post ET!

Great subject . I suffer anxiety real bad. Spoken to a couple of doctors and get the try yoga, if that doesn't work I'll give you pills. Avoided so far. Nothing like loosing control off you breathing till your hands go numb. Had a lot going on in life at the time. Made a few changes and much better now. I learnt to ask people if they are OK from that episode.
Really nice to know I'm not alone.

My GP got me on drugs straight away as a short term fix. 2000 years of medicine is not to be ignored.
Still on some, but off the addictive ****.
Sent me to a shrink who told me a whole lot of stuff, that should be bloody obvious to blokes our age.
Main thing was to get out every day, and do stuff (surf, paddle, whatever, AND FOCUS ON DOING IT. caps lock was an accident.
You blokes that get out and surf every morning are probaly doing the right thing already.
You need to do stuff just for yourself, and focus on the present / now.
I stessed myself in to oblivion by work - self employed, no end to the working day, 18 stubbies to knock myself down at night, 6 coffees to get myself up in the morning.
Turning point was admitting there was no shame in saying "I have ****ed up my life", and going to the GP and saying "I need help"
Still stress too much / drink too much / etc., but I am aware of it and why, and have tools to cope with it.
Going and talking to a total stanger every week (the same one each time) about how I feel is a great help - there are things you don't want to tell mates / family that you can get off your chest, comfortable that it will all be over at the end of the hour.
Main thing is go see your GP - I skipped about 20 years that would have helped my general health and mental health. Even if you think there are no pboblems, go once a year.
Sermon over.
Get in the water!
Daily!!!!

i have lost mates to depression. good men, strong men.
i have known all my life how this affects people
as i lost my farther to suicide when i was only seven years old.

thanks AnthonyG

Weiry, the worry is not that they are good men or strong men - I will argue I am gooder and stronger than anyone.
But you catch yourself contemplating the endless paddle in to the wide blue yonder.
And that is scary as you can get.
The more this is talked about the better

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Nozza said..

Weiry, the worry is not that they are good men or strong men - I will argue I am gooder and stronger than anyone.
But you catch yourself contemplating the endless paddle in to the wide blue yonder.
And that is scary as you can get.
The more this is talked about the better

sorry to hear that you have contemplated that mate.
just remember you have family and friends that love and need you.

its a topic thats needs to be talked about and is one of those things that affects so many people
and families.
I've seen this topic addressed in the general and was upset by some naive and pathetic comments
please dont let this happen in the long room.

Nothing drains stress away like an early morning duck dive I reckon. The salt air just puts me into relaxed mode even if the surfs average.

Not any more and not here.
In the water, every morning, and marvel at how wonderful the world is!
PS the good morning thread is great, even if I never post I read.
And get a mango up you Pup

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AnthonyG said..

MickPC said..We all feel down at times, some more than others.

Usually I can pull myself out of any kind of bog I'm in, but lately I have been struggling. Looking at that beyondblue website gave me some incentive to address whatever it is that's dragging me down. Also I wanted to share it for any other guys out there, who may also feel alone, but acting like everything is ok.

Well done mate, seeking help is the 1st step to recovery. Try & identify the problem, then deal with it as best possible. Seeing Dr wouldn't hurt either.

Hope you all don't mind me adding another 2 links.

www.beyondblue.org.au/who-does-it-affect/men

I'm having a bad day today.

Easter Sunday without my daughter who is having her day with my ex-wife's new partner's family.

.....hurts like hell. She should be with her Dad and not another man and his family who are not her family.

Thought I'd read the latest happenings in the LB room and instead I've realised that I'm not alone with my issues at this moment and it might just get me through a dark patch which I fight through from time to time.

Thanks guys, your honesty has made a difference.



Thought I'd share my morning this morning with you while i'm at it....thanks again. Chris.

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supanimal said..

I'm having a bad day today.

Easter Sunday without my daughter who is having her day with my ex-wife's new partner's family.

.....hurts like hell. She should be with her Dad and not another man and his family who are not her family.

Thought I'd read the latest happenings in the LB room and instead I've realised that I'm not alone with my issues at this moment and it might just get me through a dark patch which I fight through from time to time.

Thanks guys, your honesty has made a difference.



Thought I'd share my morning this morning with you while i'm at it....thanks again. Chris.

Geez brother that is just crap - I hope you get to see her tonight or very soon regardless , hang in there mate

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thePup said..

Geez brother that is just crap - I hope you get to see her tonight or very soon regardless , hang in there mate

+ 1 well said Pup.

Thanks for the pics SA - Ours almost looked enticing in a few of those shots Did you paddle out ?