Wrong! The picture below was taken on the morning after the night of my last drink. I don’t know what you see. But I see a broken man. A man who has ran out of options. The eyes no longer mask the shame. It is clear that the inside of that man is troubled. Desperate.Continue reading “Nine years, no drink, no drugs… Dull right?”
Tag Archives: mental health
Another day in paradise…
Yesterday was a beautiful day. A cool breeze like a rousing slap that forces engagement within the moment. The sun magnified the vibrant colours of autumn. I don’t think anyone has a greater palette to select from than nature. And if they do, no one uses it as well. It’s so simple yet so elegant.Continue reading “Another day in paradise…”
As the dust settles…
The chaos of life stirs up the dust. It clouds the rooms and blinds us to the bigger picture. Consumed within the moment. The air becomes restricted. Suffocating. This is life. It is busy. It is tough. But a lot of the chaos is unnecessary. Busyness in place of progress. Busyness to be doing something.Continue reading “As the dust settles…”
Poor Diet and Mental Health…
Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you who you are Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin Over the years, I have experienced varying extremes of diets due to mental health issues. On one side was gluttony. Anything that changed my state of mind in a small amount must work better if I had MORE. More takeaways.Continue reading “Poor Diet and Mental Health…”
Exercise and Mental Health…
The last year has been overwhelming for many people. There is a growing mental health epidemic. Young and old are experiencing depression, anxiety, loneliness and despair at high levels. I have been negatively affected over the last year. Depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts plagued a large part of my life. It was hard to keep going.Continue reading “Exercise and Mental Health…”
Worriers Anonymous
Worry is a chain of thoughts and images, negatively affect-laden and relatively uncontrollable. I’ve cracked it. I have solved the problem. The previous worry that led me down the rabbit hole of despair has been dismissed. The pressure has been released. A moment of calm descends upon me. It feels nice. It feels natural. IContinue reading “Worriers Anonymous”
The Dangers of Self-Reflection
Someone once said to me “The problem is you have started asking questions you shouldn’t have started asking. You have opened Pandora’s box!” I didn’t understand at the time. I would often wonder about the intricacies of life and the direction I was taking. Was I enjoying the things I did or was I doingContinue reading “The Dangers of Self-Reflection”
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle…
My weight crept up on me. Until one day my clothes stopped fitting properly. I didn’t really notice until it became an issue. The same with mental health. If I stop doing the things that keep me balanced and well, then slowly I begin to descend downwards. My thinking gets a little derailed. Eventually, itContinue reading “Maintaining a healthy lifestyle…”
Feeling lost…
For the last couple of months, I have felt lost. A sense of trying to find something amongst the chaos of uncertainty. My mind has been buffeted by possibilities yet I end up chasing threads that lead nowhere. Paralysis by analysis. I have struggled to write. Creativity has been pushed aside by anxiety. There areContinue reading “Feeling lost…”
Lessons from depression…
In 2008, I suffered a debilitating dark depression that kept me, prisoner, for most of the year. Being a working-class man, depression wasn’t something I knew about. The thought of reaching out was debilitating. The illusionary image of strength was the enemy of my recovery. It restricted me from reaching out sooner. It kept meContinue reading “Lessons from depression…”
Barstool to the Beach 