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[Nugett]

Just checking up and seeing how people are going. With the pandemic, where people have lost jobs, having to self isolate ect it’s even more important to reenforce the importance of our mental well being.

 

[Ando727]

Just checking up and seeing how people are going. With the pandemic, where people have lost jobs, having to self isolate ect it’s even more important to reenforce the importance of our mental well being.

My job is on indefinite hiatus. Even though we have it pretty good in Tassie, people are just not in the headspace to have music lessons at the moment. The social distancing has become seemingly permanent for the time being. I literally can't get people to show up in the current climate, and I don't expect that to change for some time, maybe even a year. I'm channeling my energies into home-improvements. I've installed a vanity into our main toilet - which was quite involved because I did all the plumbing, drains, tiling and fixtures myself. It looks really good and adds a lot of functionality to the house. Next up, I'm redoing an ensuite bathroom, which will be much more involved (shower, windows, toilet, tiling, vanity, plumbing). I think it's important to have something to focus on. I'm a bit skint on money (not eligible for job keeper or anything like that), but I have the advantage of having paid off my house recently so at least I'm not having to scrape up the mortgage payments anymore. That's a huge relief. I really feel for people who are having to come up with rent/mortage, living expenses etc in these circumstances. It's a really tough time, just gotta hope it doesn't drag on for too long.

How about you, Nugett? How's things? And everyone else?

 

[Demontim275]

Might not be the right thread for this, apologies if not

but I try to do a run for mental health charity once a year, get friendS and family to donate, match it from my business etc.

I’ve been trying to find some smaller more underfunded Mental health providers if anyone knows any. Did the black dog institute last year

any recommendations would be awesome. Trying to give back to an area that I’ve taken my share of help from.

 

[Deliverance]

My life is fine. WFH in a secure job with less pressure, great wife and kids. The thing that's draining on me is stories I hear of other people's suffering. Particularly those that are disadvantaged. Whether it's from family, friends or just on the news. As an example, my neighbour's husband was taken away by police and she's home alone with two toddlers. Never would've predicted it from them, but lockdowns are harsh on people. I hope regardless of the case numbers we never go back to stage 4 after September.

 

[mxett]

Just checking up and seeing how people are going. With the pandemic, where people have lost jobs, having to self isolate ect it’s even more important to reenforce the importance of our mental well being.

good stuff mate

Work is busier than ever for me which is hardly surprising given I work for a major metro hospital in Melbourne. SO many changes in procedure have been required to keep us, our patients, and the public safe. But I know how lucky I am to have a secure job I enjoy. I find it helpful to catch up with colleagues at work rather than working at home on my own.

Isolation during time off has actually been a bit tougher to be honest. I'm so used to being up and about, playing golf, going to cafe's, shopping, diving into hobbies, visiting friends etc. Sitting at home with not much to do leads to an overactive mind for me, and anxiety is more likely to raise it's familiar head. One thing that keeps me level is knowing I am one of many thousands who at times are feeling anxious or down during these times. It's actually pretty understandable. I just let it be the best I can and it passes soon enough.

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Updates would be great

 

[Aeglos]

Might not be the right thread for this, apologies if not

but I try to do a run for mental health charity once a year, get friendS and family to donate, match it from my business etc.

I’ve been trying to find some smaller more underfunded Mental health providers if anyone knows any. Did the black dog institute last year

any recommendations would be awesome. Trying to give back to an area that I’ve taken my share of help from.

you could get in touch with Neil Milton from Child Safe/Positive T Shirts.

 

[Nugett]

My job is on indefinite hiatus. Even though we have it pretty good in Tassie, people are just not in the headspace to have music lessons at the moment. The social distancing has become seemingly permanent for the time being. I literally can't get people to show up in the current climate, and I don't expect that to change for some time, maybe even a year. I'm channeling my energies into home-improvements. I've installed a vanity into our main toilet - which was quite involved because I did all the plumbing, drains, tiling and fixtures myself. It looks really good and adds a lot of functionality to the house. Next up, I'm redoing an ensuite bathroom, which will be much more involved (shower, windows, toilet, tiling, vanity, plumbing). I think it's important to have something to focus on. I'm a bit skint on money (not eligible for job keeper or anything like that), but I have the advantage of having paid off my house recently so at least I'm not having to scrape up the mortgage payments anymore. That's a huge relief. I really feel for people who are having to come up with rent/mortage, living expenses etc in these circumstances. It's a really tough time, just gotta hope it doesn't drag on for too long.

How about you, Nugett? How's things? And everyone else?

good stuff mate

Work is busier than ever for me which is hardly surprising given I work for a major metro hospital in Melbourne. SO many changes in procedure have been required to keep us, our patients, and the public safe. But I know how lucky I am to have a secure job I enjoy. I find it helpful to catch up with colleagues at work rather than working at home on my own.

Isolation during time off has actually been a bit tougher to be honest. I'm so used to being up and about, playing golf, going to cafe's, shopping, diving into hobbies, visiting friends etc. Sitting at home with not much to do leads to an overactive mind for me, and anxiety is more likely to raise it's familiar head. One thing that keeps me level is knowing I am one of many thousands who at times are feeling anxious or down during these times. It's actually pretty understandable. I just let it be the best I can and it passes soon enough.

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Updates would be great

I was one of the lucky ones that was working during the lockdowns in Queensland, as I was working for a pharmaceutical company, supplying the hospitals and home care patients with supplies. Managed to meet Some one, where we are looking at moving in together soon. At the moment she is trying to get into mental health as a nurse, for she has been working rehab for a while. I’m also studying, doing a cert 3 in aged care.

with things starting to open up again in Queensland it has been good, especially the National Parks, as we both enjoy nature and going for walks, that we have decided we both need to get bush walking fit again, as we are planning on doing the Stinson walk next year.

so for me this year despite its hardships, hasn’t been a bad year for me personally.

It’s great to see that you have settled in tassie Ando, I was planning on going down there at Xmas time to see family, with the current climate However I don’t think it’s possible, so hopefully next year, when things have calmed down a little bit more. Your plans for the en-suite sounds rather ambitious, But as you say, it’s about keeping yourself busy.

working in a hospital in Melbourne at the moment would be pretty full on, stay safe, and hopefully things change soon for the better, where the Vic government can start re opening things again so you can catch up on your golf game.

 

[Lemma]

Living in Melbourne is so shit atm, I feel like a prisoner looking at the rest of the country living in freedom, at one point we were the butt of their jokes- now it's just pity. Just feels like there is no light at the end of this tunnel. What do we have to look forward to?
I'm trying to get a job interstate so I can GTFO

I'm starting to forget what it was like to go to the gym, cafes, have friends over- it is messing with my head.

Anyway just needed to vent, thanks for reading- hope everyone is coping OK

 

[SacksonvilleJags]

Really struggling but I don’t want to talk to someone on the phone.... are there any msging services??

 

[Deliverance]

Really struggling but I don’t want to talk to someone on the phone.... are there any msging services??

Lifeline Crisis Text Service | Lifeline Australia

Text with a Lifeline crisis supporter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

www.lifeline.org.au

 

[sherb]

 

[Shane Heard]

This is a great video...worth the watch right through

 

[The_Wookie]

My job is on indefinite hiatus. Even though we have it pretty good in Tassie, people are just not in the headspace to have music lessons at the moment. The social distancing has become seemingly permanent for the time being. I literally can't get people to show up in the current climate, and I don't expect that to change for some time, maybe even a year. I'm channeling my energies into home-improvements. I've installed a vanity into our main toilet - which was quite involved because I did all the plumbing, drains, tiling and fixtures myself. It looks really good and adds a lot of functionality to the house. Next up, I'm redoing an ensuite bathroom, which will be much more involved (shower, windows, toilet, tiling, vanity, plumbing). I think it's important to have something to focus on. I'm a bit skint on money (not eligible for job keeper or anything like that), but I have the advantage of having paid off my house recently so at least I'm not having to scrape up the mortgage payments anymore. That's a huge relief. I really feel for people who are having to come up with rent/mortage, living expenses etc in these circumstances. It's a really tough time, just gotta hope it doesn't drag on for too long.

How about you, Nugett? How's things? And everyone else?

Mate if your ever near the bar in Scamander, Ive got a beer with your name on it. Offer applicable to anyone in this thread.

 

[Ando727]

Mate if your ever near the bar in Scamander, Ive got a beer with your name on it. Offer applicable to anyone in this thread.

Funny you should mention that, might be coming up that way towards Christmas. Will take you up on that offer!

 

[Glacier]

Happy Father’s Day
To all the dads who just do the best they can

 

[mxett]

Happy Father’s Day
To all the dads who just do the best they can

good to hear from you. Hope you're doing well

 

[Glacier]

good to hear from you. Hope you're doing well

Thank you mate
I’m chugging along

 

[John Who]

Just would like to share a thought with the regulars on here:
Mental illness isn’t about you being weak. To me, mental illness is about accepting your brain is suffering in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Keep your chins up lads and ladies! There are a lot of suffering right now, and if anything, this pandemic brings us more closer, and to better sympathise to those with mental illnesses.

 

[bresker]

R U OK day. I hope you are Ok.


---------------------
Hi, I’m Stuart, I’m someone who has spent a long but successful battle against poker machine addiction. Here’s my story:
As you can tell from my accent, I’m not from Australia. I grew up in a town in Northern Ireland called Bangor. Gambling wasn’t in any way a major part of life growing up. My dad didn’t gamble at all and my mum had a yearly bet on the Grand National, the equivalent of the Melbourne Cup. Bookmakers shops, SP offices, our TABS, were unwelcoming, seedy dark places tucked away in side streets and alleyways. Pubs often had a ‘fruit machine,’ a very basic version of a poker machine in the corner. They took low denomination coins & had low payouts. My brother was fond of these but I never bothered with them…..
I emigrated to Australia in 1999. I initially came for a year long backpacking holiday but as often happens I met a girl, fell in love and our daughter came along shortly afterwards. We settled in the western suburbs of Melbourne. I knew nothing of the pokies until one fateful afternoon when I was out with a group of friends at a pub in the city. It must have been around 2003. We were having a few drinks when someone said “lets play the pokies!” I honestly had no idea what she was talking about but I was intrigued. I followed her into a separate room of the pub. It felt like going into a completely different establishment; a dark secret world, a private club.


She put $5 into a machine and much to her excitement she won $300. We took her jackpot back to our party in the pub where she shared her good news. I wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t won the jackpot….would my story have taken a much different turn….. I was later to learn that winning $300 with a $5 bet was a real fluke. A statistical outlier. A lucky win for her - but an unlucky one for me.
I didn’t play the pokies that day but shortly afterwards I was walking past the St Albans Hotel. This was on the walk back from my daughter’s childcare centre. I hadn’t paid any attention to the venue previously and hadn’t consciously meant to gamble after my recent day at the pub, but something drew me in. I stuck $50 a machine called 3 Dragons. I played for just a few minutes and suddenly the machine rocketed up to payout $800. Excitedly I took the jackpot and walked out, my feet in the clouds. My wife was a student and I was working in a call centre so $800 was a lot of money. I didn’t tell my wife about the jackpot; gambling was to remain something I’d try to keep hidden over the ensuing years.
I started gambling regularly at the St Albans Hotel on the way home from childcare. Not every day, and not in huge amounts. I’ve always been pretty careful with money and I didn’t want to put a dent in our meagre bank account, so it was just a $20 here or a $50. I can’t honestly remember if I won much but if I did I probably put it back in the machine.

Shortly afterwards, we moved to Cobram in Northern Victoria, on the banks of the Murray River so I could complete a teaching degree in Shepparton. Cobram didn’t have any pokies hotels but across the river there was a large establishment called “Barooga Sports Complex’ known as the Sporties. Back in the day Victoria didn’t have pokies, so many little towns in NSW along the Murray have these big casino-like pokies barns to lure Victorians across. I didn’t have a car so I stayed away from the place most days. However, on Friday night they offered a big raffle to lure in the punters, and a courtesy bus every half hour took people from Cobram over the border. I continued to play weekly , telling myself I was just there for the raffle. Still small amounts but enough to keep the addiction smouldering…..

After I completed my degree our young family moved back to the Western Suburbs, in Sunshine. Until now, I hadn’t consciously realised that my gambling was a problem. I was annoyed when I lost money, but that annoyance was turn to bouts of shame and anger as I played the machines more and more. I had a bit more money now as I was teaching. I was also drinking heavily and taking amphetimines as my marriage began to fail. Alcohol and drug use have always fuelled my pokies use. There isn’t much to do in Sunshine; all the pubs are pokies joints. I started gambling more frequently at the Sunshine Hotel, a dangerous place where wild men swore and kicked machines and people hung around the machines begging for coins if you had a win. I also started playing when I went to the footy; I was an remain a big fan of the Western Bulldogs. Back then the Docklands venue had a big venue on Level 2.
I still rarely gambled huge amounts and was mostly able to hide my gambling from my wife. One exception to this was when I got blind drunk at the footy and completely emptied our bank account into the machines. I had to shamefacedly confess my sins; my father-in-law lent us some money for groceries and rent.

Shortly after this I went on a speed binge and went the Sunshine Hotel. Speed has a hypnotic effect on the pokies; it dials the addictive quality right up to 12. I gambled big and won big, racking up thousands of dollars on the machine in credits. I wanted to cash in and leave but I was like a zombie, pushing the buttons as my thousands of dollars trickled down to a few hundred. Eventually my wife arrived with our infant daughter and had to literally push me off the machines. The security guards chucked us all out as kids aren’t allowed in the pokies rooms. I went home with my couple of hundred bucks and a very angry partner.

I was gambling on the horses too, I'd put a bet on each of the races at Melbourne every Saturday. It was only small amounts, but when I realised I wasn't winning but doubling up to chase my losses on the last race, I quit. I don't why the horses were so much easier to toss than the pokies......
Shortly after this my marriage ended & I returned to Ireland. I ditched the speed habit and the pokies; as I said there are no machines back home. I missed my daughter terribly and returned to Melbourne after a few years in the wilderness. I moved to Brunswick and then after I met Alice, my wife, we settled in Preston where I currently live. I didn’t mean to start playing the pokies again but their hold on me was still strong. I have 3 venues within an easy five minute walk from my house, so I didn’t have to search for them. Soon I was sneaking out of the house late at night to gamble.
Although I wasn’t taking (illegal) drugs, my wife & I were heavy drinkers. I’d tell myself that I was just leaving the house for a sneaky late night beer, but I’d always head to one of the nearby pubs and play in the wee hours.
I’d try to keep this hidden from Alice but my shame meant I’d confess to her, often a few days later. She was bemused but supportive; she’s never been a gambler.

I admitted I had a serious addiction and started attending weekly meetings with Gamblers Help.I went into alcohol rehab and gave up drinking for a year. I banned myself from all the local venues with the Hotel Association’s self-exclusion scheme. This worked for a year from the thought of the shame from being found out by venue staff. But one day I wandered in on my way home from shopping, expecting to be caught…..but I wasn’t. I started sneaking out of the house in the wee hours. My wife had a furious row with the manager of the Darebin RSL asking why they kept letting me in when I was excluded….but he said they had too many self-excluders on the books and couldn’t monitor us all.

I started gambling on the way home from work on a Friday or after a doctor’s appointment. I don’t really gamble when I’m miserable or depressed; my mind seems to use it as a reward. I continued losing small amounts and felt awful afterwards, guilty and ashamed at my inability to stop. But I kept trying. Sometimes I’d stop more months at a time, then let my guard down and start again. I was attending weekly sessions with my Gambler’s Help counsellor and at one meeting we both agreed that we’d come as far as could on the journey. We’d done a lot of cognitive behaviour therapy, and examined my childhood and talked about the reasons I might gamble but I was still doing it. Sporadically. Then and there I decided we had done all the talking and I needed to stop. So I did. I walked out of the session and didn’t play the pokies again…..


That could have been the end of the story, but then the major event of my life happened. This is another story in itself. Years passed by and I stayed away from the venues. I went on to have two more kids, Arlo and Josie. When Josie was two weeks old she had a massive heart attack and nearly died. She spent a long time recovering in the Children’s Hospital and was very, very seriously ill. I turned to alcohol and prescribed tranquilizers to cope with this event, and yes I did start gambling at the pokies again. But only a few times, and I lost only a little money, and when she recovered I stopped. I suppose I’d put in all the yard hards recovering for years myself, and I wasn’t going to go down that path again.

Recovery is like strength training for the mind. The more you resist temptation, the more you add meaning & richness to your life, the easier it is to resist the pernicious machines. One of the ways I’ve found this meaning is by using my story to fight back against the gambling industry. I’ve joined a wonderful organisation called the Alliance for Gambling Reform where we campaign for better regulation of machines & venues. I’ve successfully campaigned for the Western Bulldogs to rid themselves of pokies, and I helped stop the Darebin RSL from adding extra machines to their venue. Giving you this story helps me to fight back.

And I’m free -free from the shame, and self-loathing, and guilt that comes with gambling. It’s been a hard won freedom but I draw meaning and purpose from it, and will use my story to campaign for what’s true, right and fair.

The ReSPIN Program - Banyule Community Health

ReSPIN is a FREE, state wide service funded by the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. Our volunteer community educators speak about their personal experiences of gambling harm and recovery to community…

bchs.org.au

 

[bresker]

R U OK Day: Facebook isn't reality, it's not your authentic self. It's a projection of your ideal self; or what you believe others want to see in you.
Every time you get a 'like' you get a little hit of dopamine deep inside your brain. It's like gambling. Every time you don't get a like, you feel a bit sad and left out. So unconsciously you start sharing stories you think others will like, just for that hit. Facebook utilises the same brain receptors fired up by a line cocaine. You're on a drug up to 12 hours a day. Maybe more.


I have made a conscious decision to only log in once a week, and that's mainly to share Josie's jokes. That's not because I want you to think how great my daughter is amazing (OK There's a bit of that because she is AMAZING) ..... but because Josie & I want to cheer you up in a tough year. I still check for weekly 'likes' from her jokes. Because that's what I'm programmed to do.


Because I'm a FB addict like you, I change my password to something I can't remember. It's easy to hit the 'forgot password' button on your account. But I remain strong. I've beaten other addictions.

Facebook is increasingly run by artificial intelligence bots. Computer algorithms. These choose what you see and what you don't. It's based on your previous story shares. It relies on what your friends share, and even from word frequency tallies in your status updates.
My news feed is often full of stories about climate change. These stories don't make me feel happy. Climate change is real, but a constant stream of negative climate news is overwhelming and anxiety provoking. I prefer to get my climate change info once a day from Radio National on the ABC. It's more nuanced. That way I'm more in control of the media and its intrusiveness.

Facebook is making you unhappy. And disconnected. It adds little meaning to your life. I'm not anti-internet. What happened to email? Human connection can be achieved through other means.

 

[Punts]

Im still able to work and get out which im lucky compared to many but Victoria is hard to live in atm

 

[Niggles]

I opened up months ago on here after a loss (just a pet but was the final straw in a shit 5 year patch) and have steadily gotten worse since. I've been crying out for help from my highly recommended doctor (useless, everything is in the too hard basket) but thankfully, my partner and kids don't want to just brush it all aside and pretend I'll get better like that incompetent doctor.

Anyway, I've applied for a stint in rehab totally off my own back without any help to hopefully get over my recent alcohol dependence to just get by. But... As seems to be the usual way in which all these things go, it's been an absolute joke, with nobody ever returning calls or following up on these very simple tasks they assure me they will. Most of these issues are with so called professionals in the field just not giving 2 shits about what they constantly promise.

I can totally understand why many people just give up trying at all with such incompetent support out there and basically no real help. Its just a simple paying bloody job to most of these so called professionals living their happy lives without a care in the world.

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

I opened up months ago on here after a loss (just a pet but was the final straw in a sh*t 5 year patch) and have steadily gotten worse since. I've been crying out for help from my highly recommended doctor (useless, everything is in the too hard basket) but thankfully, my partner and kids don't want to just brush it all aside and pretend I'll get better like that incompetent doctor.

Anyway, I've applied for a stint in rehab totally off my own back without any help to hopefully get over my recent alcohol dependence to just get by. But... As seems to be the usual way in which all these things go, it's been an absolute joke, with nobody ever returning calls or following up on these very simple tasks they assure me they will. Most of these issues are with so called professionals in the field just not giving 2 shits about what they constantly promise.

I can totally understand why many people just give up trying at all with such incompetent support out there and basically no real help. Its just a simple paying bloody job to most of these so called professionals living their happy lives without a care in the world.

So sorry to read this. Don’t give up. You are lucky to have family support. Try another doctor, there are good ones out there. Good luck in rehab, give it your best shot.

 

[sherb]

I opened up months ago on here after a loss (just a pet but was the final straw in a sh*t 5 year patch) and have steadily gotten worse since. I've been crying out for help from my highly recommended doctor (useless, everything is in the too hard basket) but thankfully, my partner and kids don't want to just brush it all aside and pretend I'll get better like that incompetent doctor.

Anyway, I've applied for a stint in rehab totally off my own back without any help to hopefully get over my recent alcohol dependence to just get by. But... As seems to be the usual way in which all these things go, it's been an absolute joke, with nobody ever returning calls or following up on these very simple tasks they assure me they will. Most of these issues are with so called professionals in the field just not giving 2 shits about what they constantly promise.

I can totally understand why many people just give up trying at all with such incompetent support out there and basically no real help. Its just a simple paying bloody job to most of these so called professionals living their happy lives without a care in the world.

Re the bolded, you don't need to explain (to me at least) the devastating effect the loss of a pet can have on you, especially when you are already dealing with mental health battles. They are loving and loved family members and their passing leaves an enormous hole in your heart and your life.

I could offer the usual platitudes regarding your battles in trying to find the right support, but I know it may not help a lot. However, I have found from personal experience that persistence does eventually pay off in getting the right professional people in your life.

Take care mate. You may feel alone but, in reality, you aren't. Please remember that. I'm so pleased that you have family support.

 

[sherb]

I battle with a particularly difficult form of depression. It took my own research to actually work it out too, despite having professional help. So it is an ongoing battle for me.

I found this site (run by a couple of Aussies I believe), I'm going to give the "A Strategy A Day To Overcome Depression" thing a go (click under "Services"). It's worth a try.

The Depression Project

People with depression deserve more understanding, support and access to help - which is what we're here for.

thedepressionproject.com