Depression, anxiety, stress and other related issues

[JaguarRam]

OCD is a strange illness. You do the compulsions and rituals to prevent the anxiety of the intrusive thoughts. My therapy involved not ignoring the thoughts or avoiding the activities which caused the anxiety but instead doing them and thinking them without performing the rituals and compulsions. It is amazing how the avoidance and the rituals increase our anxiety while actually doing the activities and letting the thoughts happen reduces the anxiety. Hard process but worth it. 

A good example is when I went on the podcast for the first time. Every part of my brain said don't do it and avoid. But I have learnt to ignore the part of my brain that is registering the danger. It is wrong. Like a faulty thermostat. If one person has done it I can too and the anxiety eventually fades. If I had avoided then the anxiety would continue. 

I am just working on leaving the house and checking the door once now. Simple things that cause a lot of anxiety with OCD. 

[Alph]

On 30/06/2016 at 02:01, reveldevil said:

My mother in law passed away yesterday evening, when it's less raw I'll maybe post more on the subject of end of life care, and the frankly shocking way some doctors treated her towards the end.

One thing I will say, the care and support shown by the nursing staff at the hospital, not just to her, but the family has made a difficult time so much easier.

I've heard them called angels many times in the past, but having witnessed the care they provide first hand, it's an appropriate tag.

Truly a credit to the NHS, each and every one of them .

Sorry to hear this revel

All the best dude. 

[Alph]

On 14/06/2016 at 15:08, Animal is a Ram said:

Sorry if this upsets anyone, but I just felt I had to get it down somewhere and this felt the best place for it. I was also wondering if there was anyone else who had been through similar, who could share their experience of the big C.

It's been a tough month.

My girlfriend's dad was diagnosed with lung cancer about a month ago. Since then its been setbacks and balls ups all over.

Monday, he was due to have his lung removed, after a bronchoscopy, at Nottingham City Hospital. They then had to refill a lengthy consent form out because the original one was for a child, anaesthetist needed him to have an echocardiogram at short notice, thus turning a 8.00am procedure start into a 12.30pm start.

At about 6, we then had the news that they couldn't remove the lung, as the size and location made it more risky than they first thought. Quite why this didn't show on the bronchoscopy, or any of the numerous CT/PET is beyond my knowledge. He will now be referred back to the Derby oncologist for a chemo/radiotherapy to shrink the tumour, to then have a second attempt at removing the lung.

To make matters worse, having already incised from shoulder to hip on his back, they then got his pain relieving epidural wrong.

We are gutted, confused, angry, and losing heart. Fortunately, he isn't, bless him.

 

How's everyone getting on Animal?

[Animal is a Ram]

4 hours ago, Alpha said:

How's everyone getting on Animal?

Wasn't expecting it to be easy, but certainly wasn't expecting it to be this difficult.

He's been in and out of Royal Derby, mostly due to post-chemo infections, but they finally seem to have the right blend of painkillers and anti-emetics for him.

It just seems to be that it looks like he's turning a corner, then something else trips him up. 

Him losing heart and fight is starting to take its toll, not helped by poor 'customer service' by RDH.

[GboroRam]

1 hour ago, Animal is a Ram said:

Wasn't expecting it to be easy, but certainly wasn't expecting it to be this difficult.

He's been in and out of Royal Derby, mostly due to post-chemo infections, but they finally seem to have the right blend of painkillers and anti-emetics for him.

It just seems to be that it looks like he's turning a corner, then something else trips him up. 

Him losing heart and fight is starting to take its toll, not helped by poor 'customer service' by RDH.

Much as I love our health service and the obvious commitment many of the staff show, I believethat the cuts have ripped the heart and soul out of it. It's no longer a world class service.

[Alph]

6 hours ago, Animal is a Ram said:

Wasn't expecting it to be easy, but certainly wasn't expecting it to be this difficult.

He's been in and out of Royal Derby, mostly due to post-chemo infections, but they finally seem to have the right blend of painkillers and anti-emetics for him.

It just seems to be that it looks like he's turning a corner, then something else trips him up. 

Him losing heart and fight is starting to take its toll, not helped by poor 'customer service' by RDH.

don't know what to say Animal but keep grinding on, mate. 

Easier said than done but you have to keep plugging away. 

I thought we had a great health service. But there's no room for "poor customer service" in that game. It's not on mate. Hope you guys get a break from somewhere. There's still some saints working there I'm sure. You need some good luck ffs

[Sith Happens]

54 minutes ago, Alpha said:

don't know what to say Animal but keep grinding on, mate. 

Easier said than done but you have to keep plugging away. 

I thought we had a great health service. But there's no room for "poor customer service" in that game. It's not on mate. Hope you guys get a break from somewhere. There's still some saints working there I'm sure. You need some good luck ffs

I think a lot of the health care system is down to pure luck. I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer 3 years ago, the treatment and care i have had from the Royal Derby has been superb. My consultant battled to get me a drug only available on the cancer drugs fund, I feel very lucky to have had the treatment i have had, especially when i know others do not.

My sister on the other hand has the same rare blood cancer (not hereditary just bad luck) and her treatment has not been so good, her consultant even refused to sign her free prescription form claiming that what she has is not a cancer (they are rare conditions that the WHO classified as a cancer in 2008). I had the same with my GP, he also refused to acknowledge that they are.

Whlst i accept funding cuts are responsible for a lot of the poor service, i dont beleive any amount of funding can make up for the face that people in the medical profession cannot be bothered to educate themselves on a condition they are treating a patient for, i accept they cannot know everything but if they have someone under their care they should be at least familiar with the condition at a high level.

 

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Read through lots of this thread and some of you guys are really inspirational and it's been a privilege and a revelation that you have been proud to and able to share all this. Without going into great detail (which is a first for me ) I also know what it's like to live with both physical and mental difficulties so I can empathise with a lot of you. I really wanted to comment on the quality of care I received both now and in the past. My GP, without wanting to sound harsh to the bloke, is ******* useless and whenever I get to see a locum or another GP they take me seriously and take direct action to try and address the problem. Also i'd like to praise Chesterfield Royal Hospital. From the birth of my kid to going in for eye problems and even an emergency A&E job they have always been immense and I can't fault the place or the staff.

Just read Paul71's post and just want to say hope you are well and that things improve buddy.

[Sith Happens]

11 hours ago, Tony Le Mesmer said:

Read through lots of this thread and some of you guys are really inspirational and it's been a privilege and a revelation that you have been proud to and able to share all this. Without going into great detail (which is a first for me ) I also know what it's like to live with both physical and mental difficulties so I can empathise with a lot of you. I really wanted to comment on the quality of care I received both now and in the past. My GP, without wanting to sound harsh to the bloke, is ******* useless and whenever I get to see a locum or another GP they take me seriously and take direct action to try and address the problem. Also i'd like to praise Chesterfield Royal Hospital. From the birth of my kid to going in for eye problems and even an emergency A&E job they have always been immense and I can't fault the place or the staff.

Just read Paul71's post and just want to say hope you are well and that things improve buddy.

Cheers, my situation is probably as good as it will be unless they find a cure. I dont rule this out as they have made massive advances (the drug i am on for one) so hopefully one day.

To be fair unless i told you you wouldnt know i was ill right now, in fact i had my well man check a couple of months ago and they rated me really low chance of developing diabetes or having a heart attack anytime soon. The good thing with my type of cancer is it doesnt spread to other parts of the body, it can deteoriate of course but if i am monitored and hopefully dont deteriorate then i could live to a ripe old age.

It really is a mixed bag out there, sounds like you had similiar with your GP to mine, when i pointed out to him my conditions was classifed by the WHO as a cancer, he just said well im old school and in my book it isnt.

 

[Animal is a Ram]

17 hours ago, Alpha said:

don't know what to say Animal but keep grinding on, mate. 

Easier said than done but you have to keep plugging away. 

I thought we had a great health service. But there's no room for "poor customer service" in that game. It's not on mate. Hope you guys get a break from somewhere. There's still some saints working there I'm sure. You need some good luck ffs

Cheers mate.

I hasten to add its not the day to day nursing staff, on the whole they've been excellent, putting up with his sense of humour. There was a lovely lad who stayed and chatted to him about the football for a good 10 or so minutes.

Its mostly the doctors. There must be a shortage, which is no surprise when its being stripped from the inside out. The latest one yesterday they sent up from oncology, apparently wasn't in a position to make a decision about the treatment. What use is that? They'd completely missed him the other day, he had to go to the ward desk and effectively chase one down...

It's just so exasperating.

[KBB]

Think I'm going to quit teaching as it's making me ill. Anxiety, stress, lack of confidence, emotional wreck. That's the story of my life at the moment.

[LesterRam]

11 minutes ago, KBB said:

Think I'm going to quit teaching as it's making me ill. Anxiety, stress, lack of confidence, emotional wreck. That's the story of my life at the moment.

yes my missus is the same mate, she started confident and full of life and now takes 8 sleeping pills to nod off.

[KBB]

25 minutes ago, LesterRam said:

yes my missus is the same mate, she started confident and full of life and now takes 8 sleeping pills to nod off.

Me too

.beta blockers for anxiety, sleeping pills to sleep, putting on a "brave face" every minute of every day.

havent got a clue what I might do when I leave.

ive had jobs in football in the past, which was my dream, but got to a point where I couldn't progress any further because I'm not an ex player with loads of mates in the game.

at a cross roads really.

[WhiteHorseRam]

KBB and LesterRam .... I have 'liked' what you said as there isn't a 'support' button to click.  

Good Luck with whatever you and your Mrs decide to do.

[BondJovi]

2 hours ago, KBB said:

Think I'm going to quit teaching as it's making me ill. Anxiety, stress, lack of confidence, emotional wreck. That's the story of my life at the moment.

I quit teacher training for the same reasons. Took on things with less responsibility and things that have allowed me to have a social life and regain that confidence and belief in myself. Tomorrow I hope is the start of getting to do what I really want to do without spending every night thinking I haven't done something.

[dog]

The problem is that teaching isn't teaching.  At the start of this term our uber head spent an hour showing his analysis of our exam data. No reference to the fact that many of our children are carers or malnourished or chronically poor and that many of us spend our own money on providing food for them.

Just the data.

[Ewetube]

8 hours ago, dog said:

The problem is that teaching isn't teaching.  At the start of this term our uber head spent an hour showing his analysis of our exam data. No reference to the fact that many of our children are carers or malnourished or chronically poor and that many of us spend our own money on providing food for them.

Just the data.

That's so sad.

I loved my time at school, I had some very charismatic teachers who inspired, entertained and educated. My memories of school are of a joyful place that I truly enjoyed attending.

My wife and one of my sons work in a school and the picture they paint is of a joyless statistic factory.

[KBB]

Just been to the doctors and been given new meds for anxiety and depression. He was concerned about the influence of work on my life.

[Mostyn6]

1 hour ago, KBB said:

Just been to the doctors and been given new meds for anxiety and depression. He was concerned about the influence of work on my life.

as the poster kicking off this thread, it goes without saying that one man's cure/relief has no effect on an another. I sincerely hope the new meds have a positive impact.

[SillyBilly]

On 08/09/2016 at 22:34, dog said:

The problem is that teaching isn't teaching.  At the start of this term our uber head spent an hour showing his analysis of our exam data. No reference to the fact that many of our children are carers or malnourished or chronically poor and that many of us spend our own money on providing food for them.

Just the data.

I sympathise, I really do. Unfortunately it is not too much better (probably worse) in the private sector. The human elements of management seem to fast be disappearing in favour of hard data and spreadsheets. It can be quite dehumanising.

I have sisters who teach, I cannot believe what they have to do these days.