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OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

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Old 01-25-2017, 11:58 PM   #1
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OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

Been holding off on it all day hoping there'd be a sign(or more specifically a message) from anyone saying to start up this type of thread. But I really wanted to get one started up before a day like today ended(if there is a problem with it,I'll delete it)

In Canada today it was "Bell Lets Talk" day, which is an annual event where once a year people can do things like tweet, text among other things #BellLetsTalk and each time it happens, 5 cents gets donated towards mental health initiatives(by Bell). I think in general,over $6M might have been raised this year alone(getting backed by many celebrities,even big name ones in USA like Ellen).

Now onto the reason I made this thread. Seeing some of the posts people have made on these forums throughout the time I've been on here, and even today specifically seeing some posts from family/friends I have on Facebook who were actually using the "Bell Lets Talk" day to talk about their own anxieties/depression(some of which are some of the more outgoing people I even know, which made me surprised by it), I figured people really could use this type of thread. Now of course, if it's an extreme/emergency type of situation then this might not be the best/most appropriate place for you.

I'll get it started briefly then and just say that there's a reason I'm on this forum as often as I am and why at times I do get annoyed at some posts on here. I just come here mostly to just chat/vent about completely random topics just cause it helps clear my head. Even posting this thread now does that and I hope for others it can help them out alot too because on the internet especially, even moreso for those using screennames, it might be easier to talk about stuff with nobody really knowing who you are so you don't have to be as worried about being judged.

So if you just want somewhere to talk/vent or just want to share your stories/help others/seek advice, I hope this thread can be almost like a "safe space" for people. I want this to be a nice thread where people can feel free to be open about anything and not have to worry about people bashing them or making fun of them for anything.

Last edited by Majingir; 01-26-2017 at 12:02 AM.
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Old 01-27-2017, 06:52 AM   #2
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Re: OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

I hope people take advantage of OS for just this reason.

Some of you may know the troubles I have gone thru for the last 4+ years and even now I still struggle with anxiety and depression. But I can honestly say if it were not for OS, I would be in a much worse state of mind.

There have been a lot of great folks who have always been supportive and just a friend to me on here. Sometimes that is all that is needed to make it thru a day, that simple fact that someone will listen or care that I am here.

So for anybody struggling, I am here if you need someone to listen. There are people here who can help get thru a day. Really there are. So just reach out, you will be surprised what this online community of "sports gamers" can do.

Peace to you all.
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Old 01-28-2017, 11:11 AM   #3
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Re: OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bullit
I hope people take advantage of OS for just this reason.

Some of you may know the troubles I have gone thru for the last 4+ years and even now I still struggle with anxiety and depression. But I can honestly say if it were not for OS, I would be in a much worse state of mind.

There have been a lot of great folks who have always been supportive and just a friend to me on here. Sometimes that is all that is needed to make it thru a day, that simple fact that someone will listen or care that I am here.

So for anybody struggling, I am here if you need someone to listen. There are people here who can help get thru a day. Really there are. So just reach out, you will be surprised what this online community of "sports gamers" can do.

Peace to you all.
Ya, this site does help fairly often. Just a nice place to vent at times about the silliest little things that might bother me at times.

In real life, most people I know, it's more on a serious level with conversation being about important things. Even family, it's mostly just about major important things in life or chatting about sports. It's nice to come here and post about random things I don't really talk to people in real life about. Sure, many times people just skip over it or wonder why I even posted in the first place, but I don't care at times.

Hopefully this thread does get more active cause I know OS Neighborhood has become much less active each year, but would be nice if we could get even a simple thread like this going.
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Old 02-05-2017, 12:36 PM   #4
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Re: OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, because having a place to vent and/or believe people are listening can be important. I would just warn people about giving advice if they're not actual mental health professionals. I'm sure everyone will post here hoping to help, but without knowing each other personally and having a legitimate therapeutic relationship, you may end up causing more harm than good.

Anyway, I hope people find whatever it is they're looking for from this thread. I always suggest when people post legitimate problems that they should seek actual professional help, if at all possible. If there is anyone in the Denver area that needs assistance with that, feel free to PM me as I have a lot of connections in the mental health field out here.
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Old 02-05-2017, 01:12 PM   #5
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Re: OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jr.
I hope this isn't taken the wrong way, because having a place to vent and/or believe people are listening can be important. I would just warn people about giving advice if they're not actual mental health professionals. I'm sure everyone will post here hoping to help, but without knowing each other personally and having a legitimate therapeutic relationship, you may end up causing more harm than good.

Anyway, I hope people find whatever it is they're looking for from this thread. I always suggest when people post legitimate problems that they should seek actual professional help, if at all possible. If there is anyone in the Denver area that needs assistance with that, feel free to PM me as I have a lot of connections in the mental health field out here.
That's why I said in the op that "extreme circumstances" should be dealt with elsewhere. If it's just little things where people want to vent then it's fine. If it's serious life crisis type stuff then obviously this isn't the best place to go.

And by "mental health", it doesn't just mean something like depression or anger management or anything like that, it can also be things like anxiety/nerves and other things. Stuff like that for example people might feel easier talking about by hiding behind a screen name.
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Old 02-09-2017, 01:00 AM   #6
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Re: OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

So I've reverted to being more of a lurker around here for the last couple years, but I wanted to chime in here because it feels good to vent sometimes. That and I think it's nice to ignore the stigmas around mental health issues.

Thanks to some bad genetics, I wound up with the depression and anxiety my mom & sister have. I didn't really realize it until 2006, I think (I was 20 then). Over the years I've gotten to the point where I've become very aware of my issues and when they flare up, which is a blessing and a curse. I've been on and off medication, I've been hospitalized (voluntarily) twice, and over time, realized that I was probably dealing with this as a child, but I just wasn't aware of it or didn't know what it was.

Lately, however, I've become increasingly scared about what my concussion history is doing to my brain. Between the ages of 14-28, I suffered at least 8 concussions that I'm aware of. It's been gradual, but I've noticed myself going downhill mentally over time. I was a 4.0 student in HS and got a lot of scholarship offers. Move ahead 5 or 6 years and I dropped out of college. I can't focus long enough to read anything longer than a basic article on a website. My short term memory is terrible. I've dealt with a handful of different issues with my head (cluster headaches, dizziness, etc). Worst of all (in my opinion) is the new levels of depression & anxiety hit.

I've actually gotten to the point where I consider what I'm dealing with now to be totally different from my depression & anxiety because it doesn't seem to work in correlation with either of them. The first part of it is just that little voice in my head telling me to hurt/kill myself. I can be perfectly fine, and actually be in a decent mood, but in my head, this dark thought keeps popping up. Honestly at this point, I don't freak out when I get suicidal thoughts because I'm used to them, but the randomness of these one wear me down over the course of a day or two and cause me to eventually have a breakdown. It's a new "demon" for me that I haven't learned how to handle yet, so it's frustrating.

The second part that freaks me out are the thoughts I have of hurting other people. I'm a big teddy bear and not one to enjoy violence. Hell, I've only ever thrown 2 punches in my life (and both were damn good, might I add). But with this latest "demon", I'll occasionally start thinking about just beating the living hell out of various people, or worse if I were to get really suicidal. These thoughts really bug me cause it's just not who I am. This is the blessing part about being self aware because I know that I could never do something like this, but I just can't stop the thoughts from popping up.

This is all why I get freaked out when you hear about athletes that have had CTE that have committed suicide, and the handful that have snapped and tried to hurt others before killing themselves. I see the similarities in what happened to them and what I feel is starting to creep into my head. I can't tell you how many times I've just wanted to run off and leave my wife and my family so they don't have to see me go downhill. I have a doctor's appointment on Friday and I know I want to bring up CTE and I want to have him send me to a neurologist, but there's a large part of me that thinks I probably won't go see my doctor and I'll put off seeing the neurologist some more because I don't want to find out that I'm more broken than I already am. It sucks. It honestly does. And I know I have had an easier life than a lot of people, and I should be happy, but with genetics and everything else, it all becomes relative.

If you made it this far, and you're still worried about talking to people about your issues, always remember what one of my psychologists said: Anxiety & depression are illnesses. People talk about other health issues freely all the time, so you shouldn't treat mental health any differently. The more people you talk to, the more you'll realize have issues similar to yours.

Sorry for the long post
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Old 02-15-2017, 01:44 PM   #7
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Re: OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

Well this place has helped me out a lot, especially with my drinking issues I had. There's a thread out there somewhere and it's lengthy.
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Old 01-31-2018, 10:10 PM   #8
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Re: OS Lets Talk (Mental Health Thread)

Thought I'd bump this. Should've like 20 hours ago since today is the annual "let's talk" day, but obviously this can be used for any time of year people see fit. It obviously impacts all kinds of people, everyone from unknowns to pro athletes. Even saw pieces done recently on some players and how their careers were cut short basically because of mental health issues.

It's a mainstream reminder each year about just how big of an issue it is and how difficult it is for people. Some might never admit it(for various personal reasons), and everyone has their own ways(healthy or not) with dealing with it.

But like I said last year too, at least having a thread like this, hopefully some can use this way if it helps. Clear your head, get it off your chest, use this anonymity to your advantage, and hopefully if needed, others here could help by simply just listening(technically reading) and/or responding.

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