From 8th-15th of October Laois Connects run a mental health awareness programme in the county. I'm sure other such events are taking place nationwide. Just a reminder, as the dark evenings come in, that there is help out there and you are not alone. Lately i have found some of my peers say they are tired of mental health being discussed and people in the media talking about their depression. Sorry, but it needs to be talked about, if we save one life that is a success. I'm a sufferer myself but doing well and receiving treatment for over 20 years. 7 years ago on 3rd October 2010 we lost a great footballer due to mental health issues. Here's a clip of the man in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVvUBfYeNVc

Unfortunately he is but one of many. If you're feeling low, worthless or life has no meaning for you please talk to someone. A problem shared is truly a problem halved. We all engage in discussion on these boards and posters like myself get wound up and go over the top. It can be hard to put ourselves in another's shoes and see that the 'obstinate' poster you are engaging with may not be a true reflection of that person but the comments a symptom of how they may be suffering. I'm a hypocrite myself, i started a thread a few weeks ago describing an ex gaa player's behaviour as bizarre. No one else thought so and more importantly from my point of view i was judging a person on a few minutes of tv appearance without any knowledge of their life. But you can't beat yourself up over mistakes, just move on a try and do better the next time.

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 29/09/2017 15:41:18    2051730

Fair play your not alone on the site , many a lad has opened up here .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 29/09/2017 16:02:55    2051736

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2987 - 29/09/2017 16:05:41    2051738

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 875 - 29/09/2017 16:10:31    2051739

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 29/09/2017 16:43:59    2051752

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 29/09/2017 20:28:50    2051798

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 29/09/2017 21:26:54    2051807

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 1898 - 29/09/2017 23:39:45    2051839

Laois76 (Laois) -agree with you totally. We have a health system where most of the funding goes into administration and mental health is totally neglected. Hope everything goes well with you.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 30/09/2017 02:47:20    2051849

Well done on having the courage to speak out. It's not easy to fight the hardest battle of all, that is, the everyday fight to stay alive, and it's even harder in our society to be open about it.

I too opened up about my troubles just over a year ago now, and it was an amazingly liberating thing. People who I would never have thought of as troubled-people who seemed to have everything going for them- got in touch to tell me about their struggles. It's amazing how widespread maladies of the mind are, actually.

The most important thing is to remember that we are never alone, there will always be somewhere out there willing to listen.

Go n-eiri an t-adh leat.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 30/09/2017 06:30:51    2051851

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes and i wish you all the best of health.

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 30/09/2017 11:18:00    2051894

18 months ago my wife of 24 years begged me to go to my GP , cut a long story short I take one pill a day and my glass has been half full for over a year now . I have very close friends who would have witnessed things , I opened up told them the story , being Irish with a savage sense of humour I was away with them for our 10th golf weekend abroad and they rode me savage about my happy pills , point being it was liberating I took it in the morning at breakfast as I do every day in front of the lads , everyone of them has at one time or another come to me on their own to shake my hand .hardest thing is admitting the problem nearly equally as hard is making the decision to be open about it or keep stum

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 30/09/2017 12:47:30    2051911

Are tablets the answer to this lads? all I have read on it are first thing is exercise diet and proper sleep, I haven't big faith in doctors, they are ok in my opinion for something obvious,
I battle away myself but it's not easy alot of the time.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2738 - 30/09/2017 14:01:42    2051923

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 30/09/2017 15:21:21    2051934

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 30/09/2017 15:35:49    2051938

Are tablets the answer to this lads? all I have read on it are first thing is exercise diet and proper sleep, I haven't big faith in doctors, they are ok in my opinion for something obvious,
I battle away myself but it's not easy alot of the time.
Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts:180 - 30/09/2017 14:01:42 You are correct in that exercise, diet and proper sleep all play a big role but quite often medication is needed as lifestyle changes like above are simply not enough. Battling away yourself is great but you must work/talk with others BE that family, your friends as well as your GP and other medical professionals.

I'm not a doctor, tablet one a day works for me, my issues were there in my 20s when I was very very fit and looked after myself.
Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts:4582 - 30/09/2017 15:21:21 All too often it is people that young as they "appear" to have "everything" but inner turmoil can be too much for all too many people. Like for me my social anxiety can be very bad at times and it makes me do things in a very certain manner that can be very bad for me at times....
Like it drives me nuts that you put space between the last letter of a word and the full stop or comma that follows a word and i will correct it each time i quote one of your posts

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 30/09/2017 17:50:27    2051969

Thanks lads,I suppose we all try and do whatever works best, it's not easy sometimes and life seems a bit pointless at times, if I thought there was a pill a day you could take to give you a boost I'd take it as long as there weren't any bad side effects. You always look around and see people that have real problems and you say to yourself to cop on it could be a lot worse but things just keep annoying you all the same. Also it seems to me that everyone else is having a great time of it but I know that's not the case, facebook or fakebook as I call it makes out everyone is having this perfect life.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2738 - 30/09/2017 20:40:20    2052005

I became ill around my 20th birthday. I was playing on 7 different teams, studying fairly hard, farming at weekends. I totally burned myself out. I went from a fit young man to someone who shook all over going to the local shop.

I took a year out of college whereby i only had energy to sit up for 3 hrs a day. I remember chewing meat was even tiring. I was 6ft 3in and a fit 15 stone. I lost 4 stone. All sorts of anti depressant combinations were tried until i hit on the right one. It took me a few years to recover. When i was really ill i never felt like i wouldn't pull through. I had a strong faith and it helped. I fell ill in March and Stephen's night was my first night out in the local pub. The glass of orange 7up was shaking in my hand and one look at my face and you could see i was struggling. But bit by bit i improved. Got my exams, work, returned to sport. I've had episodes every 4 or 5 years since, never as bad. I wouldn't be able to exercise when ill. Just physically couldn't do it. But TG i've always remained positive and i'm lucky in that i never had suicidal thoughts.

But these things put sport in perspective!! You just go into survival mode.

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 30/09/2017 20:42:36    2052006

I became ill around my 20th birthday. I was playing on 7 different teams, studying fairly hard, farming at weekends. I totally burned myself out. I went from a fit young man to someone who shook all over going to the local shop.

I took a year out of college whereby i only had energy to sit up for 3 hrs a day. I remember chewing meat was even tiring. I was 6ft 3in and a fit 15 stone. I lost 4 stone. All sorts of anti depressant combinations were tried until i hit on the right one. It took me a few years to recover. When i was really ill i never felt like i wouldn't pull through. I had a strong faith and it helped. I fell ill in March and Stephen's night was my first night out in the local pub. The glass of orange 7up was shaking in my hand and one look at my face and you could see i was struggling. But bit by bit i improved. Got my exams, work, returned to sport. I've had episodes every 4 or 5 years since, never as bad. I wouldn't be able to exercise when ill. Just physically couldn't do it. But TG i've always remained positive and i'm lucky in that i never had suicidal thoughts.

But these things put sport in perspective!! You just go into survival mode.

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 30/09/2017 20:42:55    2052008

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 30/09/2017 20:53:46    2052012