I’d also add that this time last year I opened up about mentally struggling with work, life, kids, lack of fitness, lack of time etc and was feeling very, very low and depressed…not to the point where I would do anything drastic but when someone asked me the question, I broke down in tears. In January I contacted a GP and self referred to get mental health support, resulting in a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Simply giving it a name validated the maelstrom of negative thoughts in my head and helped me plan a way to manage it. I can feel myself slipping back now so am trying to arrest the fall.
Stay strong people, get help if and when you need it and remember that ‘this too shall pass’…
Interesting reading a few of the posts above and it got me thinking about this that I was reading over Christmas.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/dec/30/the-healthy-guide-to-being-selfish?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
That need to recharge with "do something for my own benefit".
Many of us are parents, carers, under pressure at work etc. Finding a little "me" in that can be quite hard ime.
We had a busy and very sociable Christmas but there was almost no quiet time, which I find tough after a few days. The large chunk of the 3+ hour drive home on NYE when everyone else nodded off or stuck their face in their phone was oddly refreshing.
To those feeling down, anxious, overwhelmed my sympathies. Christmas/NY is a time of a lot of artificial pressure and I'm pretty sure consumerism and mandatory merriment has the opposite effect on many.
Really hope the coming year is better for all you suffering at the moment.
All the best for the new year.
Well 2024 is starting out as a continuation of the shit I had through the last 1/3 of 2023.
Spent all last night in the local A&E after suffering a rather large anxiety attack. Severe chest pain, shortness of breath and nausea meant I had no choice but to go there. Had all the usual checks to rule out a heart attack and finally got sent home this morning with strict instructions to get a GP appointment and that they would leave a message with my surgery to make sure I got one. Phoned up earlier today and have got one for tomorrow morning, earliest they could do. Hopefully I'll be put back on the 'Happy Pills' but I have to be careful as some of them are on the list of Notifiable Medications that means I can't drive a HGV while on them and seeing as I need to find a job (most likely going back on agency) in the next week or two I really don't want to jeopardise that. Will have to discuss that with the doctor at the time though as I didn't have that worry last time I was on medication. About to jump on Zwift and just aimlessly pedal to try and take my mind off things, would go for a walk but it's wet and windy outside.
