Your Mental Health

I think I read your OP wrong. 🙂 I thought you were asking which is better, a trained counsellor who has never experienced the trauma, or an ordinary person who has experienced trauma.

I read it that way as I have known of people getting advice from people who have experienced stuff and giving their tuppence worth. Which of course may not be great advice in the end.

Good question though.
 
I think I read your OP wrong. 🙂 I thought you were asking which is better, a trained counsellor who has never experienced the trauma, or an ordinary person who has experienced trauma.

I read it that way as I have known of people getting advice from people who have experienced stuff and giving their tuppence worth. Which of course may not be great advice in the end.

Good question though.
Basically that yes.
The conversation took different paths as they do on here.😂
 
The mid life crisis has truly kicked in. I keep thinking about the times when I was most happy - when I was going out in Cork around 1995 to 2002. Those days were truly magical. Every night out was an adventure. There was a buzz anytime you went out that had nothing to do with drugs (although drugs sometimes a factor). You'd go out and end up at some party afterwards with a load of gay guys. I keep looking up all the characters I used hang around with back then on Facebook and linkedin to see what they're up to.

Round about 2003 everything seemed to change. The drink started affecting me really badly. Tolerance went and one pint just went straight to my head. I went back to college in October 2003 and actually started taking it seriously. So the carefree days with nothing to worry about ended. I started taking anti-depressants around then too which I don't think were good for me in the long term. Then my mother died suddenly in 2005 and I was just never the same.

So I think 1995 to 2002 I probably burnt the candle at both ends a bit too much. Messed myself up on gatt and drugs and ended up on anti-depressants. But was it worth it? Yes I think so.
 
My mother's death affected me too badly. That's when the drink took hold and I ended up sick though not from booze.
Just keeping away from it now anyway. My Dad doesn't listen to me but he means well. Doesn't help he won't get a hearing aid. I don't think I'll manage at all when he passes. Doesn't bear thinking about
 
The mid life crisis has truly kicked in. I keep thinking about the times when I was most happy - when I was going out in Cork around 1995 to 2002. Those days were truly magical. Every night out was an adventure. There was a buzz anytime you went out that had nothing to do with drugs (although drugs sometimes a factor). You'd go out and end up at some party afterwards with a load of gay guys. I keep looking up all the characters I used hang around with back then on Facebook and linkedin to see what they're up to.

Round about 2003 everything seemed to change. The drink started affecting me really badly. Tolerance went and one pint just went straight to my head. I went back to college in October 2003 and actually started taking it seriously. So the carefree days with nothing to worry about ended. I started taking anti-depressants around then too which I don't think were good for me in the long term. Then my mother died suddenly in 2005 and I was just never the same.

So I think 1995 to 2002 I probably burnt the candle at both ends a bit too much. Messed myself up on gatt and drugs and ended up on anti-depressants. But was it worth it? Yes I think so.

I like that saying 'Everything in moderation, even moderation'

Going a bit bananas is part of growing up, and going too far is part of that, we all did it.. and living like a monk is no craic. The trick seems to be to figure out where the lines are and skirt between the two so you enjoy life but not to the point that it is damaging I suppose.

I kinda like the idea that you go through phases of life and then leave them behind, for better or for worse.
 
These days:
Have my own apartment
Full time stable job
Plenty of money
Exercise Daily
Am in actually very good shape

- But I don't feel happy.

Made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow and I think I'll have to ask him for a script for anti-depressants. I quit them last August. I did it properly. Weened myself off them over many months. First couple of months off them was plain sailing. I felt great. But the depression started creeping back in slowly. Now I'm at the point where I might have to start taking them again. The side effects are fucking crazy though. Last pill I was on Lexapro. Works like a charm for depression. But I have restless legs syndrome and it make sit much much worse. It also kills your sex drive completely. Now I wasn't riding anyone, but I couldn't even have an occasional Hilary Swank. It also made my concentration levels go to pot. Couldn't really watch movies, couldn't read in bed.
So I obviously don't want to go back on that fucking shit. They're basically doctor prescribed narcotics. Like MDMA they work by overloading serotonin in your brain, artificially. And like MDAMA etc they're addictive, they come with side effects, they cause long term damage, and they're a nightmare coming off.
 
Anti depressants are not addictive. You can be dependent on them but unlikely to be addicted. Benzos are a different story
Xanax have an almost immediate relaxing effect so you can see why people get hooked on them as part of their self medicating "routine" whereas SSRI meds take weeks to build up in your system, initial side effects could make you feel worse ironically.
 
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