Gypsy Ram

What the **** is wrong with the world that we live in that it does this to so many of us? Are any of us truly happy? Christ sakes...
I know it's brain chemistry, I know it's not as simple as life is ****, but what are we all doing wrong fundamentally that puts us like this? I just can't accept that this mental health crisis is just the way things are. There must be something we can change.
Is it our diets? Lack of sunlight? Technology? Aliens with a depression ray?
There's more of us than you think, and it's bittersweet to think that. On one hand, we're not alone. On the other hand, how and why is it this way?
P.S. Politely, don't ask me to share my story, because I haven't got one. I'm just miserable as **** and everything is useless and pointless, same as the rest of you. I'm just looking to see if anyone knows what the **** is happening? Seriously? Why are we all ****** up?

Do you feel you've had it too easy maybe, and don't deserve the success you've had so far?
If so, you're wrong, after all you wouldn't be in this situation unless others felt you were more than capable.
You sound like you're in a rut of routine, doing the same things every day which at any age soon wears you down.
Do you run the business in exactly the way your dad did?
If so, you'll not challenge and stretch yourself, are there areas you'd wish to change, if so look into changing things.
You say you've been blessed, and have nothing to moan about, but it's a heavy burden to be responsible for other people's employment at your age.
One easy thing I've used to cope with routine, choose a different way to work and home every day, you'd be amazed the difference it makes seeing different things on your everyday journey!
Hope things turn for you soon.

yes, it sounds like a too familiar problem mate, over thinking is a major problem and with life zipping by at 100mph I believe we are losing out on things that should be our priority, spending time with your girlfriend and family and going on holiday and just relaxing, forget the business, leave your phone at home and just chill and reflect.
someone I was talking to at the school gates a few month ago decided that he wasn't happy with life and went to Malawi, he helped out at an orphanage and lived a real basic existence, he didn't contact anyone for three months and came back a new man, he lost a few stone, he was more motivated and less depressed than at any other point of his life.
the tips I would give is this:
1.always leave your business at the doors of your business, never bring it home and don't even think about it, 9-5 is business time, not before or after.
2. always structure your day, get up at a set time and go to bed at a set time.
3. always take care with your appearance and never let things slip, your running a business, shape up.
4. boredom is a killer, when you get work in the morning work out your tasks for the day and write it down, try and work through it and if not delegate to others to complete it.
5.walk, yep its a utopian ideology, go and take a lovely long walk and enjoy this country we are fortunate to have.
6. change what you have been doing and set a new path, something is clearly not right and unfortunately depression can do some serious damage to your health and ultimately put you in a tailspin without a return ticket.
7. go to America and stay a bit longer, it is probably not the country you think it is (especially under the Trumpmeister lol)
8. go and have a ******* laugh you miserable ****, laughter is the best tonic and you cant buy it.
 

Sleep Paralysis. Used to have them a lot and now less and less. I'm assuming you are over 30? Which is odd to get at later ages and more common to get in late teens and early 20's. I used to be plagued by it and I still get it but not as often.
 
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/sleep-paralysis#1

Glad that worked out for you. I had them for years struggling and too afraid to tell people about it. But by chance I came across an article, and as soon as I knew what it was they decreased by about 80 percent. They still happen, but the panic wasn't there anymore. After a while, and this might sound strange, you can have some fun with them, proper Inception stuff. However, there is an underlining issue with them, and that is either depression, anxiety or exhaustion.

Glad that worked out for you. I had them for years struggling and too afraid to tell people about it. But by chance I came across an article, and as soon as I knew what it was they decreased by about 80 percent. They still happen, but the panic wasn't there anymore. After a while, and this might sound strange, you can have some fun with them, proper Inception stuff. However, there is an underlining issue with them, and that is either depression, anxiety or exhaustion.

I'm at work right now but due to handing my role over to someone else I've got literally nothing to do for the next four hours so thought I'd share my experience in the hope it helps anyone at all.
 
Much like David and several people here, I suffer from anxiety. Bit of a backstory, I had it in my teens and wasn't sure what it was, I would experience that stomach gnawing fear at random situations that I couldn't understand at the time. I would become terrified at the idea of eating in front of people outside of my family. I was terrified of buses, I wasn't diving into buses as the 5:43 to Ripley rolled by but the idea of being on one made me feel horribly sick. I also had the classic social anxiety for major events, I could be out with friends doing whatever and be quite happy but roll up a big party that I wasn't sure of the location/exits of and my stomach couldn't handle it, particularly going up town on a night. I understand now that it was a social anxiety revolving around a lack of control, the fear of being sick especially worried me which caused the bus and eating fear, I couldn't create an exit for these situations and so my brain couldn't cope.
 
I missed out on a lot in my teens and I'm frustrated to not have challenged it more at the time. I did challenge it, I had to get on buses for the princes trust meetings I had six years ago, I tried to eat in any situation that set me off and I went out wherever I could manage it. Sometimes it was a success, others I looked so pale and shakey that people thought I was legitimately ill, ironically giving me an exit and stopping any real embarrassment.
 
I dealt with that myself and managed to generally beat it, or so I thought. At the end of 2014 I suffered a massive anxiety attack that put me in bed for a week and took away my ability to speak for days. I was locked in my own head with a level of fear I've never had before and don't wish to experience again. It was caused by my health and created a spiral of health anxiety which continues in a very lower level to this day, though now I do have it under lock and key most of the time.

I tremor. when I turn my hands they shake, I've generally got an almost imperceptible shake to my hands when they act that you won't notice unless you focus on it or I stress it in some way. This goes for my legs, joints and back too. I worked as a Poker Dealer for over six months and the focus you have on your hands in that line of work, and the focus others have on your hands, raised a few comments at how 'nervous' I must be etc when I was quite calm and happy. I started to notice it too and kept an eye on it. Unfortunately I decided to google it one morning when I was pouring milk into a cup of tea and couldn't keep the bottle steady. I took one look at the 3 causes of tremor and what I can only describe as a hammer blow came down on my senses. It was sheer panic.

The only three causes of action tremor like mine, unless it's a minute chance of some rare and wonderful tropical disease, are a benign tremor, MS or MND. I either had a tremor that may advance in difficulty over life very slowly or quickly (no bother), I had MS and my career which I'd just spent 2 years running towards would be over, I'd be in a wheelchair in ten years. Or the ever fun MND/ALS. I'd be dead within 5.

Metaphorically speaking, I **** it. I absolutely **** it.

I basically collapsed onto my girlfriend's bed. I lay there shaking and had to be talked round from inside my head over 3 hours as I played over the fear of losing everything I had. I've mentioned it once or twice but just shy of four years ago I realised what I wanted to do with my life was to work alongside the UN Peacekeepers, off saving the world with logistics and diplomacy. If not with them then I'll be there alongside them and people like them in some aspect. It's what I want to spend my life, literally if need be. I'm very passionate about the field and it took me 3-4 years before starting out to get there to fully understand that's what I wanted. The idea of that being taken away was horrifying, genuinely. I don't fear dying, that scared me, what I felt/feel is my life's work being ripped away? I couldn't process it.
 
I lost my speech for a week and even now I talk too quickly, before I managed to slow it down it was rapid, then when I made mistakes I would think I had a brain tumour, that I had muscle weakness in my cheeks etc. My stomach went to pieces over the coming weeks and months, the anxiety attack itself gave me IBS and has upped my acid production, I now suffer from acid far more and I've been hit by gastritis 3 times in a year. My attention span can be distracted quite easily and at its worse made studying anything pointless, I couldn't take things in. The worst was the muscle tension. As well as the obvious stomach issues I'd tense everything all day, create permanent aches and pains for weeks and not understand why. It was only every now and again I'd notice myself tensing my head (if you know what I mean?), my arms, legs, back, stomach. I'd permanently be fully tensed up which created pain, that in turn created fear. it was a self-fulfilling cycle.

It took a year of tests to understand what was going on with me, all the time of which anxiety mimicked MS symptoms. The pins and needles all over, the vision blur and so on. Very fortunately I don't have MS. I was diagnosed with benign essential tremor which creates its own problems but is absolutely nothing in comparison. In fact, at the rate my tremor has increased, it won't be a problem for me whatsoever until my late life, by which point there's medication to slow it. It's also dulled by alcohol so I have a medicinal reason to be drinking at any given time, a nice perk.

That was 3 years ago. I still get over the odds nerves before big events, I'll trip over my speech if I've not handled those nerves and I tense up without realising all the time (just writing this post I've given myself a headache, I didn't realise I was doing it) but otherwise I'm in total control of it. I understand the flares, I fight them with the logical counters and I'm lucky enough to not have my life affected by it. I deal with the nerves and I train myself to speak more effectively, I look at speech tutors and talks from impressive speakers to pick up their delivery, slow my own and so on.

The long term effects of IBS and the acid are highly annoying and definitely affect my enjoyment of food in life but I'm already coeliac, that had been ruined for me anyway so at this point my body is just flogging a dead horse in its attempt to spoil things for me.

I have to look after my partner frequently as she suffers from a number of mental health issues, all worse than mine and all requiring degrees of understanding. Anyone who looks after or is in a relationship somehow with someone with mental health knows that some days you're going to be snapped at, have to reassure them all night, to handle things when they're dazed and can't think, along with the scarier results of some illnesses. I'm grateful that these days I can do that, take that toll and deal with our other responsibilities without having to worry that I might panic myself. I'm very grateful that I reached that stage (and have stayed there) for two years now during very stressful home and career lives. I know that some people take years just to get our of the house or slow down their worst symptoms, I feel very lucky that I came through it for the better so quickly.

My tips for coping: Podcasts as others have said, nothing too taxing, I use XFM recordings of Gervais/Merchant/Pilkington and 6 Music recordings of Russell Howard and Jon Richardson. They're both excellent shows that require no thought, there's a ton of each on youtube, especially xfm. It's a distracting monologue, anywhere those are to be found is good. As others have also said, phone games or games that take a second to launch, three seconds to learn and you get lost. If you can still manage tactical games then fair play but I found engrossing myself in stats and numbers didn't work initially, even in my favourite genres. The Binding of Isaac helped me a ton, if you're a gamer who needs distraction, head for that. The biggest one is tied to these two and it's the need for an exit. You need to have your exit, however that exists. Need to get off a bus? Keep extra change in case you need to jump off for ten minutes and buy the trip again. Out in town? Find a taxi number, keep some cash back, have a friend in on it with an excuse. At work? Bathroom break, anything. If you have an out you don't need to fear a situation as you can leave it. Always try and have someone in on it, even if it means faking phone calls for a bit if you don't feel comfortable fully explaining why you're leaving a room etc.

If you do have mental health issues and you need somewhere to turn, tell a loved one, a boss or someone you respect. Sit them down and talk about it. The support, advice and general kind words you'll get from fellow sufferers often eclipse those of your local doctor. No-one is immune, I say that as one of the most self confident people I know, reduced to a shivering wreck by a bus trip aged 19 and rendered mute for a week by a Google page with a shaky right hand aged 23.

Room for another?
Was diagnosed with IBS today, one of those not really real new conditions they diagnose yet don't really know anything about it other than anxiety/stress is apparently why a lot of people have it.
Doesn't really surprise me, been a rough couple months. Quick back story, suffered from severe anxiety, was pre scribed anti depressants, told the doctor where to stick em, did it myself. Was fine for a couple years until August I go and swallow my partial denture.
Not going to lie, thought I was going to die at the time, couldn't breathe, full on choking. Had vivid dying nightmares, flashbacks the lot for a few weeks. Friends, family kind of laugh it off but honestly, really knocked me sideways.
Spent 2 weeks solid barely getting out of bed, stomach cramps, everything, I was a complete mess. Pulled myself around, got back out there and whilst my stomach was still causing issues it wasn't stopping me getting to games and the pub.
October went to see the doctor, still wasn't out, needed sorting, put a urgent colonoscopy referral in to the hospital that day, didn't get the appointment until the end of January.
Backtracking quickly, start of November ish I was getting pretty down with it, toilet visits all over the place, each time nothing there was another kick in the balls. By December pretty much distanced myself from the missus, mates and that, felt so low just wanted to curl up all day and sleep.
Mid December, asked the missus to pick up some sweets, sucking helps with anxiety, pro tip right there. Asked for sugar free, look after the old teeth and that. Didn't put 2+2 together but the toilet visits had become a bit violent which anxiety attacks followed, by now I was sofa ridden, hot water bottle on the stomach trying to ease the pain. 
Anyone with anxiety will tell you it's the not knowing that does you, with these toilet visits came blood, not every visit but one there was fair bit, with what I had swallowed major panic set in. Was pretty close to calling 999 first time ever
Late on Xmas day which was a complete write off on reaching for another box of these sweets I just out of boredom flipped the box around and saw the warning, too many of this will have a laxative effect. I laughed, almost cried, Googled them and loads of people were writing horror stories online about avoiding these things like the plague. Horror stories after one box, I was having a box or two a day for a week.
Stopped sucking them, straight in the bin.
Was slowly improving until the hospital letter arrived early January, date for my hospital visit, knocked me sideways again. Grimsby hospital is horrendous, getting a English speaking doctor that knows what he's doing is a needle in the haystack.
Whole of January I was nervous but excited, hate hospitals. Missed this out but since August the pain was that bad went to A&E a couple times and shown the door with a pat on the back, come back when you can't walk you're in that much pain and we'll know you've perforated your bowel, until then happy shitting. Cheers doc!
Couple days before the appointment, told myself not to do this but I googled the process, found you have laxatives before which having just experienced the laxative effect was not looking forward to. Also there was a list of what to eat before, clean food basically. My hospital letter mentioned none of this.
Appointment day came round, last Friday it was, by now this was maybe the second time being out the house since November, nervous as my anxiety before kept me in the house for a long time, wasn't sure what to expect.
Made it fine, waiting area was empty even better, just me and the missus there. 45 minutes later after my appointment was due we get called into a room right down the corridor, pretty far from the exit.
Pause my story here, I always like to suss out the nearest exit, the escape route. You know what I'm talking about fellow anxietyers, what makes us so "special".
Was a standard doctors room, no camera up bum equipment to be seen, explained my situation to him and requested we move to a room a little further up the corridor so I felt comfortable. Looked at me gone out, then asked me to leave if I'm here to waste his time.
Tried to explain further but it appeared to have never heard of anxiety before in his life. Told him where it stick his medical certificate and walked out, the nurse collared me before I could leave, pushed me into a side room and asked what had happened.
Fast forward, he moved down to a room closer, I resisted the urge to lamp him one and allowed him to examine me. There was never going to be a colonoscopy that day, just the initial examination, wants to do a MRI scan, now bare in mind my fears of being able to escape I told him there's no chance in getting me in that tube.
Nodded and said he wouldn't anyway until I go back to the doctors and sort my anxiety out. Until he's seen that I have on my records he won't put me through one.
Frustrating day pretty much, got home, had the big talk to the missus how if I have to go on tablets it won't feel like I've beat it, I was beating it, all because of this denture I'm 5 steps back. Took its toll on her these past few months, seen it destroy one relationship, didn't want it to destroy another so agreed to take anything the doctor prescribes.
Doctors appointment was today, best doctor I've ever seen, must have had 30/40 minutes with him, even understood my anxiety, let us go outside for fresh air when I felt a little trapped. Whole life story downloaded on to him, first anxiety attack the lot. 
Always had a fear of tablets made worse by swallowing the denture whilst having a multi vitamin, stopped me there and said I'm not prescribing you any tablets, instead referring me for CBT. 
Now I'm a bit of a dick when it comes to these things, my first bout of severe anxiety I read a lot, like 15 books on it. I know a lot. The first time they tried to put me through this I was educating the "therapist", I had 2 or 3 appointments and stopped as I felt like I should be charging her tuition fees.
Fresh out of Uni with her flashy degree having never experienced any anxiety or even panic attack in her life.
Problem I have is thinking clear, understanding this is nothing but anxiety. Putting into action what I know, not cures but methods that help you relax. I'm **** at it. Was kind of hoping for the magic pill but I know there isn't one that will fix it.
What the doctor did was kick a load of confidence back in me, could have been flirting but he could see I knew what was what, could see how much it means if you can beat this without medication. 
Bowel problems, all classic symptoms of IBS, no tests needed as the starting point came after swallowing the denture. Could prescribe something for the stomach spasms but until you sort the anxiety they will keep coming back. No magic cure for IBS it's treat the anxiety and stress. Peppermint oil apparently will help.
Walked out the doctors, felt good. Managed to stay out, haircut, shopping, round a mates. Normal day. Unthinkable just a few weeks ago where the only distance I moved was sofa to toilet. Was fearful the anxiety took hold, made me fearful of being out but nothing at all, was back to pre August David.
Task now which is hard whilst working from home but to keep getting out, even in pain getting out there if only to the corner shop. Feel like I've had a lucky escape, if it wasn't for the initial hospital appointment I may be still on the sofa having not moved.
Bowels still not great, constipated one day followed by a full empty the next, feeling bloated constantly and farting like a trooper, don't imagine that will change overnight, been rough for 6 months now. 
CBT appointment next week, don't want to do it, don't feel like it will help at all but I'm off, will stay open minded and be grateful the doctor didn't try and turn me into a zombie.
Skipping the MRI, probably not wise, that not knowing might keep eating away. Just feel like it's time to really try and forget it, stop worrying, worse happens call 999, they'll have it out that day and released the next.
Funny thing is it may already be out. 
Oh, it's not all bad, lost 2 stone in weight during all this, was becoming a bit of a fat **** so the timing was perfect, dodgy bowel made me cut the alcohol, slightly smaller portions, the extra bag of crisps cut out, looking a lot better. 12lb off target weight now. 
Anxiety is seriously no fun, don't think of us as weirdos, nutcases, we just like to worry and plan ahead. Daily tasks come laced with a what if, we cover all bases and make sure nothing can go wrong. Other than that we're normal folk, just trying to get by in our own little unique way

Hi Norman
I'm just over twice your age but just like you I am hesitating about whether to press the send button or not because I am in no way qualified to express an opinion about you or what you describe - I don't know you or your circumstances or the people around you. I do know however how courageous you and Loughborough and Tony and everyone else is on this thread who are sharing their innermost feelings to a bunch of strangers on a forum. I come from a generation and a family who largely don't do that. So thank you for pressing send. Your way is much better than my way.
 The bad news is that one of the things that I have learnt over the years is that life is repetitive and routine. Each of us take the same journeys, do the same jobs, follow the same football team, go to the same way to matches, eat the same food, go to the same pub, drink the same beer, shop in the same shops, listen to the same music, watch the same films, develop particular interests, do similar things day in day out. Every day, every week, every month and at certain times, every year. Life is routine whether you are the most glamorous person you can think of, or whether you're me. That's life.
But
Life is not pointless. You have a brilliant missus and a great dad. They probably think the same about you. That's not pointless, that's important. You have a decent job. That's not pointless. Whatever it is that you do you will be interacting with others - colleagues, customers, suppliers - people you affect through whatever it is you do. People who will be grateful for what you do and how you do it. That's not pointless, that's important. You have friends. They're friends because they care about you. That's not pointless, that's something to be valued and nurtured. It's important.
And, it seems to me that you have some of the answers that you might be looking for. What's wrong with being in your garage for two hours in silence? I walk on Ilkley Moor every day with my dogs. I talk to them but mainly I talk to myself. I don't want anyone else with me. I want to be on my own. What's wrong with that? It does me good. Be kind to yourself and do what makes you feel good, never mind what you think anyone else might think. It has taken me many years to realise that I'm important to me.
But you also say that you struggle with day to day life and that you feel intense feelings of sadness and we are the only ones who know, and you hit the send button. I'm not qualified to help you, but you know what, if one of my friends said those things to me I would say find some help, someone who is qualified to assist - a GP, a counsellor, a friend. Not because what you are feeling and doing is pointless or wrong, but because you are important.
Good luck.

Glad you hit the button Norman, and l hope you feel better for doing so. Not sure l can give any great words of wisdom here but I am comforted by the details of your fifth paragraph. A chat or two with a good Counsellor l am sure will help with tackling the sadness and anxieties that you are experiencing. Best wishes.

This week marks the 2nd anniversary of a very close mate going missing and eventually being found in a river. The intervening period has been tough for so many reasons and I've never really aired my true feelings until recently. 

To put it into perspective I caught the school bus with this guy every day for 7 years, played football and cricket together even after we finished school, went to gigs together and went on many nights out together - even born on the same day in QMC would you believe it. He introduced me to my then girlfriend and we were always kind of close. Then one January morning in 2015 I get back from a lecture to my missus sat on my bed telling me she has some news and I'll need to take a seat. Even though I knew what was coming, nothing ever prepares you for that news. Obviously this rocked me quite a bit having never really had anything like this happen to me before but over the next few months I kind of managed to get a grip on it. 

That autumn I moved to Germany for 6 months on a placement for my course at uni and this is where things began to get difficult. Earning very little it was hard to properly get out and about, especially when you're in a massive country where you literally know nobody. This was the beginning of my depression - nothing to this day quite compares to the loneliness I experienced and it was during this time, when I was alone with my thoughts that I began to think more and more of my friend. I was lucky in that I had a caring girlfriend who'd Skype me every night but once those calls ended I was alone again and even during the calls I began to feel like she wasn't there and that she was just on a screen and that I was hundreds of miles from anyone I knew and loved. I got through those months by telling myself that it would be over soon and I'd be home in a couple of months and it would all be ok. Wrong.
Once back in the UK I had another internship lined up - unpaid except my expenses, meaning I had to work a second job to earn some sort of income. This meant long days leaving the house at 7am and getting home at 1am with 30 minutes to get ready for my evening shift. I also worked weekends as it was a busy pub/restaurant which meant I had no real free time. It began to put a strain on relationship with my long term girlfriend and after 4 happy years together, stress drove me to ending it. At the time I guess I didn't realise the state I was in but looking back I can recognise how empty and soulless I had become. Again I got through this period thinking it would be fine and I'd be back at uni soon and I'll be able to relax. Once more I was wrong.
I pretty much immediately realised I had made a mistake ending things with my ex (who is also the same uni as me) and tried to reconcile things after she had spend a good 2 months trying to change my mind but I was too stubborn at the time. Unfortunately so much time had elapsed that she was no longer interested, despite my best efforts. She insisted on wanting to be friends but claimed to not want a relationship at the time, meaning we spent loads of time together on what I feel was false pretenses in many ways. This wasn't helped by my issues of inferiority and self confidence (its fair to say I was punching with this girl) which was one of the causes of me ending things as I was convinced that sooner or later she'd sack me off for someone else. All this at the same time as trying to handle an insane workload on my course which is notoriously heavy in terms of the workload dragged me further down into a pit of despair.
It was a this stage that I began to realise I was at my lowest point. I was failing assignments or behind in some aspect and began to have really negative thoughts. I'm a fairly rational guy and always manage to find reason which prevents me from doing something daft but there has been a couple of times when I've quite literally been peering over the edge. I decided to get help and see someone (this was in November) through my university counselling service but they couldn't sort me out until the new year. I ended up having the worst Christmas ever, I just felt so alien and lonely even though I was with my family etc I just felt like I didn't want to be there. I came home between Christmas and New Year (being half Danish we spent Christmas in over there) and hoped I'd maybe be happier but nope, still felt awful and alone.
I'vended up having to take a break from my studies to get my head straight as the way I was going I'd have wasted my degree and most definitely found myself in a darker place than I am currently. Loneliness is such a killer, no one really seems to understand how it truly feels - the same goes for depression. People seem to think it's just a phase and that it'll pass but it doesn't work like that. Two years ago before my friend passed, I was an upbeat and optimistic person in every aspect whereas now I rarely manage to see the positives in many things. At that time I would've laughed anyone out of town who suggested I'd be in the situation I'm now in because I was so naive when it came to stuff like this.
Sorry for the essay just needed to get that off my chest.

3 pounds a pint! Clearly that's not in London.

3 pounds a pint! Clearly that's not in London.

3 pounds a pint! Clearly that's not in London.

Double header tonight folks, stay poised for updates ?
 

I enjoyed a few Leffe's yesterday with crackers, cheese and cottage delight sweet apple chutney.
I enjoy the Guiness craft lager stuff and I'm also someone that can swing both ways, enjoy the light, enjoy the dark I say.
If any of you wonderful folk are ever up this way check out 6 Degrees North Belgium pub in Aberdeen, Stonehaven, which has now also opened up in Glasgow and Edinburgh and looking to open up in England etc. Absolutely far better than the very overrated Brew Dog, a lot of that stuff tastes like home made perfume, what kids made out of petals when they were 5, not that I drunk many pints of kids perfume when I was 5 or now, but I think you'll get my drift. Plus you have to have a silly beard and gel your hair back and wear lumberjack shirts and think you look cool to drink the overrated pish!
The owner of 6 D N, a lovely man, gave us a box of various beers when my youngest lad was born, lovely stuff.
6 Degrees North
http://sixdnorth.co.uk/
 

My brother had a load of their stuff when I went round to his at Christmas, very nice.  He also gave me some raspberry beer and some blackcurrant beer that were an acquired taste.......
He is trying to stock some in Elrick.
 

3 pounds a pint! Clearly that's not in London.

With @froggg @Davram @sage not forgetting @Coconut and frogggs mate from bonny Scotland (lives down sarf, obvs)

I can feel eddie and 2tups and their Brewdog posse fizzing at my home made perfume comments, maybe the stuff needs a bit of mud in it to give it some umph!
uttoxram75 sing em ya mud classic to cheer em up!

Back on the old favourite tonight.
Scarborough Fair IPA brewed in one of my old haunts, the village of Wold Newton near Hunmanby, Filey by Wold Top in the Yorkshire Wolds.
Gluten free and 6% vol.
Mmmmmmmm. nice
As the bloke from the Fast Show Jazz Club used to say.
If anyone could find a stock photo and stick it up it would be great!

In Brunny

It's Bedlam in Belper.

I've kept away from posting on this thread for about 9 months but I always read the new posts with interest. Its such an amazing thread with cyber strangers opening up about their fears and life problems, uniquely heartwarming I find it - and proof that a lot of us 'normal' folk do have issues that feel good to share once the courage has been raised to do so. 
With the talk being about therapy I thought I'd add my positive experience to maybe help persuade anybody thinking about it to take the plunge and go for it.  
I went through counseling for PTSD, some of it was with the NHS and the bulk of it privately (i was fortunate enough to have it funded through insurance). They both helped, but in my experience the private therapy was more focused on my requirements. 
Its good to talk to a stranger, let it all out, they won't judge you, they will see the root cause of your problem and offer practical self help to resolve it. There is no magic wand, you've got to want to overcome your issue and have some determination to succeed. Experienced therapist's will have probably come across your problem with other patients and have numerous techniques to help you overcome them. The CBT helped for me, its a circular way of addressing your issues and slowly reprogramming the brain and thought processes to help you overcome the issue.
I learnt some good, simple coping techniques to help me combat my anxieties, basic stuff like breathing techniques, take slow deep breath's in through the nose and breathe out slowly through the mouth. Sounds daft but it helped me. When I was anxious or getting agitated composing myself and breathing correctly really helped. I was still bricking it about the cause but as @Tony Le Mesmer pointed out the more you put yourself through the cause of your anxiety the less difficult it becomes. Sometimes for me things went wrong and it left me a nervous wreck and set me back a few days or weeks but you have to persevere to get past the anxiety.  Or take the easy way out and avoid the situations that cause the anxiety. I did this for ages but as my fear was traveling in vehicles the excuses for not going anywhere where wearing thin. At the start I couldn't get to the end of our street without throwing up or having cold sweats and feeling faint, but over time and with sympathetic driving from whomever was driving me around (I was unable to drive at the time due to various broken bones, plaster casts and metal bolts/wires hanging out of me) my situation improved. Its still not perfect, I don't think it will ever return to my pre-accident level, but at least I'm able to travel around again and not make excuses.
If anybody is looking for a therapist make sure they have a good armoury of skills, some will have one or two techniques and they might not be the right ones for you - go to one that covers all aspects, unless you know the specific one you need.
I saw a therapist in Derby that had as long a list of BSC's and diploma's as your likely to see, she is in her mid fifties so has plenty of experience, she covered everything even hypnosis!