Depression, Anxiety

[shedcoupe]

I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then .... ;-)

[buggerlugs]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Can agree with that, there is no judging or emotional baggage with a dog either. They just love. While there has been some heartache along the way, he is my best friend and sometimes partner in crime, there is nothing I would not do for him.

He follows me to the door everyday, and meets me there at the end of it. He helps me sleep better and keeps me company while work. Someone asked me a while ago if I find it annoying having to deal with his array of quirks. No, it's all part of the deal of loving someone. Just like mental health, the good with the bad.

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I love this shot of us sitting after I got home from work, a faithful friend sitting with his master.

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Also, watching this cutie grow up with the guidance of her big brother last year was a delightful distraction to all that was wrong with the world.

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Hearing ya......

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then .... ;-)

Its a "yes" but its a very educated yes,
I had no idea why I was like I was, I was a very driven person, but I knew there was something wrong with me since childhood, turns out that at aged 60 years old I was diagnosed with " the most severe case of untreated ADHD" the psychologist had come across, he was 74 yrs old!

He took me on for an entirely different reason, the ADHD come up in my first session, numerous tests proved it!

He said Billy, you should be dead or in jail, and write a book about your life experiences and leave nothing out but names, change the names a n d places and dates.
It was a shock to me, but it explained everything about me and my life, so since I was 6 yrs old, so one session aged 60 yrs explained my whole life!

I refused treatment, he wanted me to take Dexadrine, a stimulant, a form of "speed", I told him I needed that when I was 6 yrs old, too late to change who I am now!

But I am very happy with who I am, happy within myself, am laid back, very relaxed and easygoing, and I seem to attract damaged people, most of it garbage and too far gone for help, some are in their late teens, they have no idea what life is, or how important it is to work, make a wage, get a little self esteem back!....it's bloody sad mate, work is what keeps you sane, filling that 8 hrs with stuff that is anothers business to stew over not your own!


Cheers Billy.

[shedcoupe]

At least you stayed off the nutmeg.
During the great Hedland mull drought of September ‘84 I had a go at a rollie made of Drum and nutmeg - it wasn’t good.

Looking forward to your book btw.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Yesterday was a rest day in The Pushup Challenge.

We're back into it today.

Today's mental health fact will be music to Coupe's ears

You are what you eat
Day 14 – 130 push-ups
1.3 Bacteria for every Human Cell: Researchers estimate that for every human cell in the body, there are 1.3 bacterial cells. The majority of these bacteria live in our intestines, and the more we learn about them, the more we realise what a huge impact they have on our mental health.

There is a complex communication system between our live-in gut bacteria and our minds. For example, if you take the gut bacteria of a human with depression, and you use them to colonise the gut of a mouse, the mouse starts to show depressive behaviours. It won’t be as adventurous or as motivated, and it will have less of a survival instinct.

We don’t yet have a full handle on how we can harness our gut bacteria to improve mental health, but suggestions include eating more pro-biotic and pre-biotic foods. Probiotic foods are fermented foods like yogurt, miso or kimchi, that contain high numbers of helpful bacteria. Prebiotic are high-fibre foods that good bacteria use as fuel, such as legumes and nuts.

Of course, everything should be eaten in moderation.

You can find a blog article on how diet impacts mental health here:

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.a...by-what-we-eat

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

At least you stayed off the nutmeg.
During the great Hedland mull drought of September ‘84 I had a go at a rollie made of Drum and nutmeg - it wasn’t good.

Looking forward to your book btw.

No nutmeg, we used tea leaves and birdseed, so it popped as we smoked!



Cheers King Billy

[blueoval]

+1 for the dog walks.

Took me old mate to Kuitpo Forest yesterday for a 2hr walk with some friends. Made a big difference to my energy and mentality for the day.

I tend to take the dog for a walk everyday regardless of weather and current mood. It has certainly lifted me mentally.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by blueoval

+1 for the dog walks.

Took me old mate to Kuitpo Forest yesterday for a 2hr walk with some friends. Made a big difference to my energy and mentality for the day.

I tend to take the dog for a walk everyday regardless of weather and current mood. It has certainly lifted me mentally.

I have a park not 20 metres from my unit, I walk my Tabby cat everyday, weather permitting of course, its a leash only dog park, but 99% of dog owners are blind I think, but they really are amazed to see me walking with an off leash cat?...
And by the way blueoval its for mine and the cats benefit, we both enjoy it too!
I tried to teach him to throw and catch small sticks, he mostly comes back 10 mins later, covered in grass and plant roots, but always with a live "rat"



Cheers King Billy

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Find out what support you can access

Day 15 – 200 push-ups
20 Sessions with Medicare Support: Under the Better Access scheme, Australians with a mental illness could receive Medicare rebates for up to 10 psychological therapy sessions in a calendar year.

In recognition of the substantial impact the COVID 19 pandemic has had upon the mental health of Australians, this program has been expanded to support up to 20 sessions for those experiencing additional mental health impacts as a result of the pandemic, and the restrictions it has imposed on our lives.

This expansion is currently available until the 30th of June 2022. In order to access this rebate, you’ll need to see your GP.

You can find a blog article of ours below on accessing services:

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.a...gical-services

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Conversations about mental health are important

Day 16 – 130 push-ups

More than 1/10 Australians will consider ending their life: Over a lifetime, around 13% of Australians between the ages of 16-85 will seriously consider suicide. 4% of people will make a plan, and just over 3% will make an attempt.

Suicidality is the term used to describe the state of thinking about, planning, or attempting suicide. It affects more than 1/10 Australians, so it’s not uncommon. We know that suicidality is a strong risk factor for completing suicide, so it’s important that people experiencing suicidality receive assistance.

Even though it can be tough, the evidence suggests that asking someone about whether they are experiencing suicidality, including plans or attempts, does not increase the likelihood of them completing suicide. Asking your friends and loved ones about what is going on for them can identify those at risk and increase the chances that the person gets help.

You can get some advice on how to have a conversation about suicide here:
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-fa...-worried-about

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Stress levels have increased of late

Day 17 – 214 push-ups

COVID-19 has impacted our mental health: A survey of the mental wellbeing of Australians during the COVID-19 lockdowns last year found that 21.4% (1/5) of Aussies were experiencing stress levels that were moderate to severe. That’s about three times the normal rate.

People living with a mental illness were at even higher risk, reporting negative emotion scores about 5.5 times higher than expected. These kinds of results have been replicated across the world as our lives have been altered by fears and restrictions associated with the novel coronavirus.

Beyond Blue have developed a digital mental health platform for those whose mental health has been impacted by the pandemic. You can access these resources here:
https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au

We also have a blog article on how movement can help with stress. Check it out below.
https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.a...response-cycle

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

Stress levels have increased of late

Day 17 – 214 push-ups

COVID-19 has impacted our mental health: A survey of the mental wellbeing of Australians during the COVID-19 lockdowns last year found that 21.4% (1/5) of Aussies were experiencing stress levels that were moderate to severe. That’s about three times the normal rate.

People living with a mental illness were at even higher risk, reporting negative emotion scores about 5.5 times higher than expected. These kinds of results have been replicated across the world as our lives have been altered by fears and restrictions associated with the novel coronavirus.

Beyond Blue have developed a digital mental health platform for those whose mental health has been impacted by the pandemic. You can access these resources here:
https://coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au

We also have a blog article on how movement can help with stress. Check it out below.
https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.a...response-cycle

I found that my mental health was very poor at the beginning to 2019 when Covid first hit. Looking back, I think it had a lot to do with having my eyes glued to the tv and ears pinned to the radio on everything to do with Covid. The long long lock down during middle of 2020 didn't help either.

From about the end of 2020 I feel as though my mental health has improved, in fact, I think its now been better than it has for a very very long time. The universe has a funny way of re-balancing things. The covid situation stopped me from hanging out with people that I shouldn't be, and also stopped me from being destructive on weekends. I have also been more appreciative of the outdoors, so have been spending an enormous amount of time cruising into remote areas and going for long hikes (when we are not in lock down ).

The only thing that really gets me down these days is not being able to see my nephew and niece. They live in the US, and have had their flights to Melb cancelled a couple of times due to the covid situation. But we still skype often, they are healthy, so all is not bad.

[CoupeKing]

In terms of your diet, I would be throwing the following in the trash. Well maybe do it overtime, readjust so to speak. I'm not a sweet tooth and we all know how addictive sugar is.

Anything related to even moderate amounts of sugar/fructose or high fructose corn syrup. So Soda/cordial/ice cream/sports drinks etc. That alone is 1/3 of your supermarket, and I'm just starting.

Vegetable oils, seed oils and any form of margarine. Some of the most poisonous things people are consuming and thinking they're healthy. For example, a vegan using Nutlex or someone using a salad dressing with vegetable oil in it....

MSG - so most of your condiments, Maggi/MasterFood/Kantong/Sriracha etc. All synthetic crap that will *&^& most of your organs.

Artificial sweeteners. There's 1 or 2 good ones, but most of them are poison.

Highly refined or processed GMO grains. So no Bread/rolls/crumpets/wraps/salata's/muffins/pasta/noodles/breakfast cereal's/pastry/dough/biscuits/pies etc.

Now taking all that crap out of your body, the crud we never consumed for hundreds of thousand of years alone would be beneficial in itself. Now imagine replacing it with nutrient-dense clean foods?

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Sorry, I missed yesterday's mental health fact, so today is a double dose.

Support LGBTQIA+ youth
Day 18 – 160 push-ups
An estimated 16% of young, LGBTIQA+ Australians have made a non-fatal suicide attempt at some point in their lives. Among trans people, that number rises to almost 50%. The driving factors behind these devastating rates of suicidality amongst LGBTIQA+ Australians are not well studied. However, we do know that LGBTIQA+ people continue to face high rates of discrimination and stigma from a young age.

About 60% of LGBTIQA+ young people report experiencing verbal homophobic abuse, and about 80% of this abuse occurs at school. Living with discrimination and stigma has a substantial impact on levels of psychological distress and can make it harder to seek help when it’s needed.

Check out this powerful blog from Matthew Goss.
https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.a...le-ears-listen

Mental health resources for LGBTQIA+ young people can be found here:
http://www.headtohealth.gov.au//supp...der-expression

The leading cause of years of lost life
Day 19 – 115 push-ups
115 000 years lost: Compared to other leading causes of death, Australians who pass away from suicide are, on average, very young. In fact, the median age of someone who dies by suicide is only 43.9. Because suicide affects young Australians, it has an extremely high cost in Years of Potential Life Lost, which estimates how many more years of life an individual would have been expected to live based upon life expectancy data.

By this measure, suicide ranks number one in Australia, costing Australians about 115 000 Years of Potential Life annually. For comparison, heart disease as a cause of death is more than five times more common, but accounts for far less total years lost. This makes suicide prevention strategies of the utmost importance - they could help give people back a large number of years.

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My charity is the local headspace here in Sale (despite what it says on the donation page), so I appreciate that some may not necessarily want to donate to such a specific location, but if anyone is still motivated to donate, you can do so via this link: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/pushuperer/127050

I am extremely grateful for any donations made.

************************************************** ****

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

In terms of your diet, I would be throwing the following in the trash. Well maybe do it overtime, readjust so to speak. I'm not a sweet tooth and we all know how addictive sugar is.

Anything related to even moderate amounts of sugar/fructose or high fructose corn syrup. So Soda/cordial/ice cream/sports drinks etc. That alone is 1/3 of your supermarket, and I'm just starting.

Vegetable oils, seed oils and any form of margarine. Some of the most poisonous things people are consuming and thinking they're healthy. For example, a vegan using Nutlex or someone using a salad dressing with vegetable oil in it....

MSG - so most of your condiments, Maggi/MasterFood/Kantong/Sriracha etc. All synthetic crap that will *&^& most of your organs.

Artificial sweeteners. There's 1 or 2 good ones, but most of them are poison.

Highly refined or processed GMO grains. So no Bread/rolls/crumpets/wraps/salata's/muffins/pasta/noodles/breakfast cereal's/pastry/dough/biscuits/pies etc.

Now taking all that crap out of your body, the crud we never consumed for hundreds of thousand of years alone would be beneficial in itself. Now imagine replacing it with nutrient-dense clean foods?

Pete Evans, is that you?

[T3rminator]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Pete Evans, is that you?

A lot of it has merits, but I can't imagine life without ice cream, chocolate, KFC etc. It would probably make me angry and depressed.

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by GasoLane

Pete Evans, is that you?

Nah, I'm a Proctologist, self-taught.

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by T3rminator

It would probably make me angry and depressed.

Eating those foods regularly could cause or trigger what you just mentioned, and then some. Packed with toxins and no nutritional value whatsoever. You gotta abstain but treat yourself at the same time. Not every hour but let's say once or twice a week.

I eat 14 meals per week, and usually 13 of them are good. A treat for me is pasta, or hot chips, but I don't snack.

I skip breakfast and just have lunch and dinner. My eating period is between 12:00 pm and no later than 5:00 pm, and besides when I have beer (low carb) I don't consume any carbs or calories outside of that window.

[T3rminator]

Have been meaning to share this for a while but keep forgetting. A lot has been mentioned about exercise and benefits to mental health, and a few of us seem to be keen hikers.

There is a website (and an app) called Alltrails - https://www.alltrails.com/

Its a really great site / app where people have listed and rated various hikes across Australia. You can apply filters e.g. dog friendly, mountain biking, rail trails etc to short list places you would like to go.

I use this quite often when we can't decide where to go. Usually filter it by 4* plus + dog friendly, then randomly pick one. People do post photos, so you can preview to see if its worth the trouble

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

Nah, I'm a Proctologist, self-taught.

I suppose that would make you a " Rear Admiral " then!..lol..hahaha



Cheers King Billy

[Syndrome]

In this half year of my life I've come to realise the root cause of my mental health issues - my father. He has been the cause of most of the angst in my life and I rarely talk to him these days. He madr me the quivering mess that I am.

[slowsnake]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

In this half year of my life I've come to realise the root cause of my mental health issues - my father. He has been the cause of most of the angst in my life and I rarely talk to him these days. He madr me the quivering mess that I am.

Same, but different gender, for some reason only known to my mother, I was her "sounding out" person?....
Five kids and I was "the most evil son a mother could have"....I could not see her unless I had a drink in my hand.

She was a God Botherer, and I was the wrong person to payout on, and I admit I was a free spirited type, a Blythe spirit, done my own thing!
She died in 2015, I didn't go to the funeral, didn't and still don't care what the family think, not my problem really, its theirs, and I am still the same happy go lucky person I have been all my life.

I do hope you can pick up what's left with ya life Syndrome and run with it mate, some parents don't know the damage they cause, but some do, try get on with your life mate!...



Cheers King Billy

[DFB FGXR6]

It took me a very long time to move on with my own life and stop wasting energy on my parents problems, especially my mother. My happiness should not revolve around what is dragging her down.

I feel awful for saying and thinking that, but at the end of the day, I have done all I can to help her and it's ultimately her decision to make the necessary steps. My sister is now in that process of letting go and moving on with her own life too. Again, she is feeling lost and upset about not having a healthy relationship with mum, and again she has done all she can to help. I'm three years older than my sister, for once in our relationship, I am the one who is imparting the guidance. I guess I crossed the bridge of acceptance and moving on long before it occurred for her to do the same.

Life can be so cruel and sad at times. A person can only reach out and offer help so many times before giving up. I'm ashamed to type this, but I have given up on mum. She is a caring, compassionate and loving person who has fallen into to a cycle over many years that she just can't break.

[slowsnake]

I too felt sorry for my mum, on reflection my post earlier made me sound like a uncaring pratt and my mother a very gnarly and stubborn thing!
She was very stubborn, set in her own ways, she still lived in Victorian times in her head!
But stubbornness is enemy number one to an older woman, and you cannot change anyone else's outlook!...sad, sad, sad.

But you have your own life to live, your own family to think about, and its your mother not your wifes!...and that too causes issues, I know that first hand.
Good luck mate!


Cheers King Billy

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Yesterday was a rest day in the Challenge. We're now back into it, in our last week.

Another food based fact today.

Eating for mood
Day 21 – 125 push-ups
Eating for mood: The glycaemic index is a value assigned to foods based on how slowly or how quickly those foods cause increases in blood sugar levels. There is some evidence low GI foods, which give us more stable blood sugar levels, can be useful for moderating our moods. In one example of a trial investigating the link between diet and mood, participants who stuck to a low-GI diet, with a glycaemic load of less than 125 per day, reported lower mood disturbance, fewer depressive-type symptoms, and lower levels of fatigue. Some examples of low-GI foods include sweet potatoes, multigrain bread, and basmati rice.

You can find out more about the GI index and access a GI calculator here:

http://www.glycemicindex.com/

https://www.gisymbol.com/

************************************************** ****

My charity is the local headspace here in Sale (despite what it says on the donation page), so I appreciate that some may not necessarily want to donate to such a specific location, but if anyone is still motivated to donate, you can do so via this link: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/pushuperer/127050

I am extremely grateful for any donations made.

************************************************** ****

[T3rminator]

Parenting and mental health, interesting topic. Of the 3 or 4 different mental health professionals I've seen over the last 10 or so years, everyone of them has gone exploring the relationship with parents and grand parents.

I love my parents to bits and appreciate the huge sacrifices they have made to get me to where I am today, so its always a very confronting conversation to have with a stranger when they try to pick apart the relationship. It wasn't until the last bloke I saw, a hypnotherapist, who gave me light bulb moments.

I believe 99% of parents do what they genuinely think is best for their child, but few are armed with the skills to understand how their every day words and actions affect their kids.

I will be taking the learnings, and applying it when the time comes to have littlelings.

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Five kids and I was "the most evil son a mother could have"....I could not see her unless I had a drink in my hand.

I grew up in a household with 10+ kids (cousins). The competition was intense. I was the little black sheep who always got into trouble, and my parents and grand parents sure let me know it The way I was compared has definitely shaped how I now behave and respond in certain situations. Good and bad.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Biggest day today in the Challenge.

The price of mental ill health
Day 22 – 220 push-ups

“These are large numbers”: The cost of mental illness to the Australian economy is mind-boggling. While previous estimates have quantified the direct costs, such as healthcare spending and number of sick days, a new report from the Productivity Commission took a broader approach that included the decreased health and life expectancy of those living with mental illness.

The report came to the following conclusion: “These are large numbers. In total, mental illness, on a conservative basis, is costing Australia about $200-220 billion per year. To put that in context, this is just over one-tenth of the size of Australia’s entire economic production in 2019.”

************************************************** ****

My charity is the local headspace here in Sale (despite what it says on the donation page), so I appreciate that some may not necessarily want to donate to such a specific location, but if anyone is still motivated to donate, you can do so via this link: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/pushuperer/127050

I am extremely grateful for any donations made.

************************************************** ****

[sneaky]

I have been plodding along ok recently, managing work, kids, pets, life, a new partner.

I spoke to my counsellor a week or two ago after she messaged me to see how I was doing. It was good to have a more positive call instead of unloading the usual drama.

I've recently been told I need a cpap machine, so I've used that for a few nights now. seems to work for me when I can stand having the thing on all night. waking up better and less reliant on energy drinks through the day.

turns out I still have some lingering issues and callbacks from when I was on jury duty earlier this year.. I thought it was all behind me, but a random comment from either my kid or myself over the weekend brought the case back into my mind.. Certain words and phrases were repeated over and over during the 2 weeks of the trial, those phrases still get my attention from time to time.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0

Biggest day today in the Challenge.

The price of mental ill health
Day 22 – 220 push-ups

“These are large numbers”: The cost of mental illness to the Australian economy is mind-boggling. While previous estimates have quantified the direct costs, such as healthcare spending and number of sick days, a new report from the Productivity Commission took a broader approach that included the decreased health and life expectancy of those living with mental illness.

The report came to the following conclusion: “These are large numbers. In total, mental illness, on a conservative basis, is costing Australia about $200-220 billion per year. To put that in context, this is just over one-tenth of the size of Australia’s entire economic production in 2019.”

************************************************** ****

My charity is the local headspace here in Sale (despite what it says on the donation page), so I appreciate that some may not necessarily want to donate to such a specific location, but if anyone is still motivated to donate, you can do so via this link: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/pushuperer/127050

I am extremely grateful for any donations made.

************************************************** ****

Thanks for posting these every day, I don't know about others, but I am finding them very informative.

I also made a donation towards your goal.

[CoupeKing]