Mental Health Thread 2

[Smoggy]

The Not So Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: 10 Years On

A decade on from when Stephen Fry spoke about manic depression in his award-winning series, this film returns to the subject to understand where he and others with bipolar are now.

• Full description
• The Not So Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: 10 Years OnProgramme website
• Credits

First shown: 15 Feb 2016

Available for 24 days Why? Duration60 mins

 

 

 

 

A decade on from Stephen Fry's ground braking programme he goes back and re visits it.

 

Watching it on the iplayer now, should be available elsewhere soon for those without a vpn or whatever. The original programme 10 years ago very good indeed.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07187tc/the-not-so-secret-life-of-the-manic-depressive-10-years-on

Edited February 21, 2016 by WSWBoro

[Guest BlackSpy]

"It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgement"

[Neverbloom]

i swore i would never post in this thread again however i am having huge problems with a horrible sleeping pattern, i didnt sleep last night i spent most of the time on the bus and train sleeping, i dont think i am sleeping tonight either i dont know, honestly before i met my partner i was plagued with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, sleeping issues however most of that has gone now but the sleeping issues still remain, i struggle to stay awake between 4 pm to 8 pm and then i am up at 4 am, normally i wouldnt care i am used to having almost no energy most of the time, living off a few hours sleep however it is affecting how much time i can spend with her and that is something i cant stand, i just dont know what to do anymore, i am just sick of going to bed at ******* 4 am and getting almost zero sleep, i sometimes just cant stay awake during important moments and i have no clue how to sleep when i am meant to or stay awake when i need to and no matter what i try its the same **** over and over, i have had good sleeping patterns before but they are rare 

 

today i want to stay up all night, travel to campbelltown on the train without falling asleep, then getting back to windsor about 5 hours later without falling asleep and it feels impossible, i cant go to bed now because that is only 3 hours sleep and if i go to bed i wont wake up in time so basically i am ****ed, i need to get this **** sorted 

[Guest BlackSpy]

Sleep is overrated Goat.

 

You'll be right.

 

You'll get through.

[Neverbloom]

Sleep is overrated Goat.

 

You'll be right.

 

You'll get through.

lol thank you as long as i can stay awake for today that is all that matters, i am happy to operate on zero sleep as long as i can stay awake 

[Guest BlackSpy]

 

Sleep is overrated Goat.

You'll be right.

You'll get through.

 

lol thank you as long as i can stay awake for today that is all that matters, i am happy to operate on zero sleep as long as i can stay awake

What's the longest you've ever stayed up?

 

I've always been a terrible sleeper. 2-4 hours a night most of my life. Nowadays I manage around 5-6.

 

Once stayed up for 4 days "unassisted".

 

With...."assistance", I got up to 7 or 8 (can't remember).

 

Apparently if you stay awake for 10 days, you do permanent damage to your brain.

 

I tried really really hard, but fell short of the mark.

 

You know.........

 

Allegedly.....

[Neverbloom]

 

 

Sleep is overrated Goat.

You'll be right.

You'll get through.

lol thank you as long as i can stay awake for today that is all that matters, i am happy to operate on zero sleep as long as i can stay awake

What's the longest you've ever stayed up?

 

I've always been a terrible sleeper. 2-4 hours a night most of my life. Nowadays I manage around 5-6.

 

Once stayed up for 4 days "unassisted".

 

With...."assistance", I got up to 7 or 8 (can't remember).

 

Apparently if you stay awake for 10 days, you do permanent damage to your brain.

 

I tried really really hard, but fell short of the mark.

 

You know.........

 

Allegedly.....

 

its not fun being a terrible sleeper,for me once i stayed up between 3 to 5 days without sleep once, when i was about 13 it was so exhausting i do not even remember if it was 3 or 5 but now i cant even pull an all nighter, mostly at the moment i sleep on public transport which cant be too safe but often i find it impossible to stay awake on public transport apart from once i always wake up just because i reach my destination though, the problems mostly for me are when i actually am with my partner and no matter what i cant stay awake but i am up at 4 am with youtube as company, its something that has not really bothered me too much till recently but it leaves me feeling tired most of the time and unable to keep my eyes open, i wouldnt say i suffer from insomnia but i dont know what it is 

 

sorry i may sound stupid but what is assistance? 

[Guest BlackSpy]

Oooooo

 

I dunno, everyones different. What 'works' for me wont work for you necessarily, you know?

 

I don't really think about it for a start, it doesn't really worry me. Everyone has an ideal amount that occurs naturally, but see I don't wake to an alarm, so I wake up naturally every day, you know?

 

Im pretty scheduled these days. It might be an age thing. You get a regular job, settle down with your sweety, and do what you gotta do, you see.

 

So I goto bed roughly the same time every night, try that, and if you can, make it early so you don't have to get up at the latest possible time, rush rush rush when you first wake up is not good. Brain hasn't warmed up yet. Try and get up even an hour or two before you 'have to'. Breakfast, coffee, cigarette, whatever your thing is, some light reading maybe, potter around then get ready and take off, you know?

 

Silence is no good for me either. Makes the brain kick into overdrive. Like Johnny 5 "need input" , so I always have some kind of audio stimulation, not music though. Like sports chatter or podcasts or whatever, whatever topix float your boat, not loud, so you can only just hear it.

 

Really dark room, like pitch black. I don't like the heat. I sleep in a room set permanently to fridge setting. Like 18 degrees. Might be too cold for most but whatever is comfortable, or just ever so slighty chillier. I think its easier to sleep when its cold.

 

Probably wont help, dunno, hope it does, but youll find your own rythym in life man. Everyones got one. It might just be a little different, that's all.

 

TLDR - Don't stress too much. Stick at it and youll eventually find your groove.

 

alright then?

 

[Neverbloom]

Oooooo

 

I dunno, everyones different. What 'works' for me wont work for you necessarily, you know?

 

I don't really think about it for a start, it doesn't really worry me. Everyone has an ideal amount that occurs naturally, but see I don't wake to an alarm, so I wake up naturally every day, you know?

 

Im pretty scheduled these days. It might be an age thing. You get a regular job, settle down with your sweety, and do what you gotta do, you see.

 

So I goto bed roughly the same time every night, try that, and if you can, make it early so you don't have to get up at the latest possible time, rush rush rush when you first wake up is not good. Brain hasn't warmed up yet. Try and get up even an hour or two before you 'have to'. Breakfast, coffee, cigarette, whatever your thing is, some light reading maybe, potter around then get ready and take off, you know?

 

Silence is no good for me either. Makes the brain kick into overdrive. Like Johnny 5 "need input" , so I always have some kind of audio stimulation, not music though. Like sports chatter or podcasts or whatever, whatever topix float your boat, not loud, so you can only just hear it.

 

Really dark room, like pitch black. I don't like the heat. I sleep in a room set permanently to fridge setting. Like 18 degrees. Might be too cold for most but whatever is comfortable, or just ever so slighty chillier. I think its easier to sleep when its cold.

 

Probably wont help, dunno, hope it does, but youll find your own rythym in life man. Everyones got one. It might just be a little different, that's all.

 

TLDR - Don't stress too much. Stick at it and youll eventually find your groove.

 

alright then?

 

thank you very much for the help, i find with when i want to sleep even in winter i tend to use the fan, i put a quilt on and then i put the fan on, i am not sure why but i seem to need some kind of moving air to be able to sleep. i dont know why, sleeping on public transport is easy too another thing that confuses me, i tend to find it easier to sleep if there is a bit of noise, i know with age you do not need as much sleep at least that is what i have heard, feels like i need more sleep than i needed when i was 14 so i dont know.

 

 

i will try to do that, i hate rushing and i always find it much more enjoyable when i actually have a lot of time to relax and not just rush all the time, my sleeping pattern is very chaotic but at the same time its always the same which is not fun, thank you for the help i will focus on staying awake for today and then sleeping at a decent time tomorrow night if i can, no red bull though, red bull sucks 

[marron]

That's some good advice.

I've only ever had a bit of trouble at one point but a few things I found

 

Screens keep you awake. They might make your eyes tired but it's not the same thing. Ditch the YouTube. For me, sitting in bed, low light, reading a book does it.

 

Check out what you are eating and drinking too.

 

Routine as well. Trick your body basically so it goes, oh, I know this, I'll take it from here.

[dmixtaaa]

Regular sleeping patterns are very important for your mental health. I find what works for me is a very regimented lifestyle, medications same time each day, mealtimes same times each day,  bedtime and rise time same time each day. I also have difficulty sleeping sometimes but you have to work at it.

 

I believe excercise after work, a walk in Parra Park does it for me, helps wind down the brain as does not eat anything at all after dinner except maybe a piece of fruit if need be or a cup of chammomile tea with honey.

 

A good night's sleep is very beneficial and the rewards of not being tired during the day is what I strive for. I don't always get it but I definately notice the difference when I do. 

[CaptainJess]

I love sleep but I'm a terrible sleeper at times. I can't function on less than 6 hours so I've tried a lot of different things and found some things that have worked for me.

 

A few things Spy and Marron suggested already are great.

 

- Don't use a screen before going to bed. This is a big one. The backing lights affect the sleep cycle in the brain.

 

- Having the room as dark as possible or simply wearing an eyemask helps. I have to wear an eyemask because my room never gets dark enough.

 

- You guys talked about the fan. I'm exactly the same. I need to have the fan on or otherwise I can't sleep. I've discovered this is probably more about white noise rather than the temperature (although it is some of the time). A friend of mine invested in a white noise machine and she swears it's the best thing she ever bought. Maybe look into one.

 

- Routine like marron said is huge as well. You've got yourself into a bad pattern. You have to break that. You're most likely going to have to force yourself into a routine and eventually the body will realise that's what it needs to do. You have to make sure you stick to the routine though. The body will just go back to the old way if you let it.

 

My contribution - Look into some natural sleep aids. Especially when you're trying to get into a routine.

 

They're not heavy medications, just a lot of natural remedies. Some things will work for you some might not. You might have to test them out.

 

I have used Valerian tablets before. You can buy them from any pharmacy. It's a natural root and I found it worked really well. I think I used the Blackmore's brand.

 

I have also used lavender oil. Lavendar encourages sleep. I diffused it but you can put some on a cloth near your bed or rub a little bit on your chest.

 

I've also tried chamomile tea. Drink it right before you go bed. You can also try warm milk too.

 

For you though Goat, maybe try some Saint John's Wort. It's given to help with depression but has sleep properties too. I've never tried it but I've read About it's benefits from several different sources.

 

Here's a website I just found after a quick Google search with a bunch of different remedies. Maybe have a read and give some a go. They can't hurt and a lot are quite cheap and easy to do ie. Tea and lavender.

 

http://everydayroots.com/sleep-remedies

 

Good luck Goat. It sounds like you really want to fix the problem. It won't happen straight away but if you keep at it, you will see improvement.

 

If nothing is still working, see your doctor. They deal with this all the time.

 

EDIT: Dmixtaa's suggestion of exercise is a big one too. I completely forgot about it. Exercise does wonders. As he said, even a walk works.

[mack]

 

 

It's a natural root

 

Who doesn't love a natural root.

[CaptainJess]

 

It's a natural root

Who doesn't love a natural root.

[dmixtaaa]

 

 

It's a natural root

Who doesn't love a natural root.

 

I was wandering how long it was going to take to pick that up, great to see mack didn't disappoint. All jokes aside sex really is the the best cure for insomnia. I also have used body scan meditation which you can find by the hundreds on YouTube. 

[CaptainJess]

 

 

 

 

It's a natural root

Who doesn't love a natural root.

I was wandering how long it was going to take to pick that up, great to see mack didn't disappoint. All jokes aside sex really is the the best cure for insomnia. I also have used body scan meditation which you can find by the hundreds on YouTube.

Sigh. I really don't want to agree with this but it's true. Better exercise than walking (and more fun )

[Guest BlackSpy]

i will try to do that

No problemo.

 

[Prydzopolis]

Goat, never feel bad or feel that you shouldn't post in here anymore especially if you are having problems. As shown by all the responses above, this is the one thing that I love about the Western Sydney community, we all have each other's back & can all offer our own bit of advice based on our own experience

 

Some fantastic advice above & the only advice that I will give to you on the above, is that everyone is different. Everyone operates on different amounts of sleep & different things work for different people. Give the above advice a try one at a time, if it doesn't work don't stress. There is always something else to try.

 

I have also been told about an online course which you can take which is a cognitive behavioural program/therapy which will give you (non-medicinal) strategies to help you get your sleep under control.

 

I will just give you a bit of my story & take/pick out of it what will benefit you most

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I suffer from a chronic pain condition & the resulting depression is very much linked together. One important aspect to me functioning & keeping my depression under control is making sure that I have my sleep cycles & sleep hygiene set. One thing that I have been taught by my team that look after me, is that sleep is just one component that I need to get right otherwise I find it hard to function/operate.

 

In my really bad periods I was going to bed after midnight & waking up in the afternoon. I was doing all the wrong things like using electronic devices at night, not eating/drinking the right things, not going to bed/waking up at the same time, etc etc. The only thing that really worked for me was melatonin tablets which need to be prescribed by your GP. They are a step above the over the counter medication that CaptJess has mentioned but work really well especially short term if you want to get your sleep cycles back into a normal rhythm.

 

Since I have had the pain condition, I find that I need 12 hours of rest otherwise my pain can be very bad & my mood is off. This is what I need & despite going to bed quite early, I find that by 6-7pm I can very tired. The only way I can keep awake is if I'm doing something, whether it be a walk, watering the garden, chores, keeping my mind/body active. If I'm watching TV or browsing the forum, then I find that I start dozing off. Warning: Avoid very intense exercise as it can often have oppositie effect & may make it even more difficult to fall asleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not sure what hours of rest per night you need but everyone is different, one thing that I will suggest is making this a priority in your life. Try the suggestions above & see how it goes. If that doesn't work, go & see your GP to try to work out the best strategies to fix it for you, don't struggle in silence.

 

Good luck Goat Well done forumites on all on your fantastic contributions above

 

[btron3000]

Even the experts can't agree Goat (see link below), need to find the thing that suits you. Read some ideas, think what seems right for you, and then try them out. Be positive about it too, it seems that overthinking and worrying about sleep are a couple of the things that most people agree make it harder.

 

The tablet/computer one is pretty much universal too. If I'm posting on this damn website at midnight, rest assured I'm not asleep until about 2 at least. But if I read a book, or even a kindle paperwhite that has a subtle light, I'm gone in 15 minutes.

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jan/31/putting-sleep-myths-to-bed-experts-on-insomnia

[Alexander]

Hey Goat, sorry to hear you're struggling with sleep. It's generally a challenge for me also. All the advice above is great, although St John's Wart shouldn't be taken if you're on any other medication without checking with a GP. I can't remember of the top of my head what medications can be affected by it, but your GP will know.

 

We talk all about it quite a bit at work. Here's a couple of worksheets that are useful. We use the second one in one of our groups. Some of the exercises - breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation - are also super effective if you are having issues with anxiety. Some of these suggested techniques might not work first time, but I suggest you give them a few go's before dismissing them. In theory, they will become more effective the more you use them.

 

- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072504/

- http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/docs/Info-sleep%20hygiene.pdf

Edited February 23, 2016 by Alexander

[CaptainJess]

All the advice above is great, although St John's Wart shouldn't be taken if you're on any other medication without checking with a GP. I can't remember of the top of my head what medications can be affected by it, but your GP will know.

I didn't know that. Thanks for clarifying. As I said, I haven't taken it but seen it mentioned in plenty of sources. Do you know much about its effectiveness?

 

Probably best Goat speaks to his GP before taking anything.

[dmixtaaa]

 

All the advice above is great, although St John's Wart shouldn't be taken if you're on any other medication without checking with a GP. I can't remember of the top of my head what medications can be affected by it, but your GP will know.

I didn't know that. Thanks for clarifying. As I said, I haven't taken it but seen it mentioned in plenty of sources. Do you know much about its effectiveness?

 

Probably best Goat speaks to his GP before taking anything.

 

Just like he has in the past you reckon... 

[Alexander]

 

After All the advice above is great, although St John's Wart shouldn't be taken if you're on any other medication without checking with a GP. I can't remember of the top of my head what medications can be affected by it, but your GP will know.

I didn't know that. Thanks for clarifying. As I said, I haven't taken it but seen it mentioned in plenty of sources. Do you know much about its effectiveness?

 

Probably best Goat speaks to his GP before taking anything.

 

 

I'm certainly not an expert on it. I have spoken to people who had said they find it useful, however I haven't read any research papers on its effectiveness

Edited February 23, 2016 by Alexander

[btron3000]

Medication should be the last resort for anything. Nothing you take comes without side effects.

 

Without being an expert, and I don't mean to oversimplify this, but I think the place to start is here:

 

i struggle to stay awake between 4 pm to 8 pm

 

You simply have to force yourself to stay awake. Whether you exercise, work out somewhere to go that should keep you awake (bet you don't fall asleep when you're at Wanderers games for example), or even cook and eat dinner during that period. Something. Once you get through to 8pm, it SHOULD be easier to fall asleep later and get a good night sleep.

 

Once you get through that 4 hour period without sleeping, if you still can't sleep then you look at the possible reasons for that. At the moment, by falling asleep between 4 and 8, you are not giving yourself a chance.

[Cynth]

Goat, sounds really tough. Sleep is so important. Lots of awesome advice on here. In the end, you need to find what works for you and retrain your brain to sleep. It's actually quite a skill to fall asleep and heaps of things can get us out of sync.Sounds like you've overcome a heap of things and sleep is the last thing on the list to sort out.

 

In the end if these strategies don't work, I think talking to the GP about some melatonin or something else can be a good short term solution to re-calibrating your body to sleep at the right times. Sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture. Don't underestimate the importance of your sleeping problem, it makes anyone distressed to have poor sleep.

 

Good luck. :-)

[wendybr]

I wish you all the best in tackling this issue, Goat!

 

Cynth, re the Melatonin...that's available from Health Food shops and Chemists over the counter, is it (I thought it was)?? Or do you need to get a script?

 

MANY of the International kids I teach REALLY struggle with sleep issues. Anxiety and insomnia are rife amongst them.

 

Melatonin is something I've heard is useful....which I've started to tell them about...but I'm not too sure about it. I always advise them to see their GP also. Most of them end up so dysfunctional, if it really takes hold, that they do seek medical advice.

[dmixtaaa]

International students seem to have so much expectation and pressure to perform, it's no wonder they suffer anxiety and insomnia. They could probably do with some stress relief, yoga, Tai Chi and or relaxation and breathing exercises, if they can get their heads out of a book long enough.

[Cynth]

I wish you all the best in tackling this issue, Goat!

Cynth, re the Melatonin...that's available from Health Food shops and Chemists over the counter, is it (I thought it was)?? Or do you need to get a script?

MANY of the International kids I teach REALLY struggle with sleep issues. Anxiety and insomnia are rife amongst them.

Melatonin is something I've heard is useful....which I've started to tell them about...but I'm not too sure about it. I always advise them to see their GP also. Most of them end up so dysfunctional, if it really takes hold, that they do seek medical advice.

I'm not sure about whether it's available over the counter. I think, either way, the GP can be helpful with taking the right dose and the pattern of taking it (sometimes it can be taken every second day etc). A good GP is a real treasure to have. :-)

[wendybr]

To address Dmix's comment

 

Lol...yes this stereotype rings true.....for a proportion of them.

 

MANY MANY of them, though, are nothing at all like this. MANY of them (an increasing number I think) are sadly at the opposite end of the academic spectrum to the stereotypical International student, and have not met parental expectations back home.

 

If they didn't make the grade over there, they're in for an excruciating time learning in a foreign language, often living in Homestay arrangements with strangers...and separated from family and friends.

 

Far from having their noses in books, some retreat into the internet with their phones...or will quite often, retreat into sleep...in the middle of a class.

[Legionista]

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