Hope admin allows this be great to start a thread on mental health and suicide awareness

I suffer from depression. Thank God I am doing well , Pieta House is very good as are a lot of other charities .

If allowed up I will put up some of my experiences to help others and break the stigma .

Regards
Dellboy

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 07/06/2016 22:12:16    1863275

http://www.meathchronicle.ie//sport/roundup/articles/2014/12/05/4034344-nelis-reveals-battle-with-depression/print


Have a read of my article

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 07/06/2016 22:27:15    1863292

Fairplay Dellboy. Great idea.

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 07/06/2016 22:30:29    1863299

Dell if you're happy to link some of the stories from when you went public a couple of years ago it'd be a great start. Fair play on everything.

Potential for a great thread here.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3685 - 07/06/2016 22:30:54    1863301

Great idea and very unselfish.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 07/06/2016 22:37:44    1863309

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 07/06/2016 22:42:02    1863313

http://www.tv3.ie/3player/

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 07/06/2016 22:55:57    1863324

If yous Google my name and Ireland am you will get the interview with them somehow I can't link it to here so far

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 07/06/2016 22:58:50    1863327

Hello Dell, glad to hear you on are on the mend. It takes a brave person to not only admit they are depressed but to place it in the public domain. You used to be a very regular poster, and I always enjoyed your posts, but there was a while when you didn't post so much. I realise now that you were going through a tough time.
It's the illness that dare not speak it's name. Many, many people are battling mental afflictions and most are doing it silently. Some drink, some bottle it up and others just put on a brave face but underneath are in bits. I am in my 40"s now and some days I just don't want to get up, other days I feel I could walk over mountains.
I was born as the Troubles kicked off and Queens University did a study that found many children born just before or during the conflict are now having a lot of mental and physical illnesses as they hit their 40's and 50's. There has been an awful lot of suicides in my peer group in North and West Belfast and the voluntary groups that deal with the fallout are struggling to cope. Mental illness is a very lonely condition. You can have the best family and friends and still feel very vulnerable and isolated. Your mind can be your best friend or worst enemy. It's a long process but it can be dealt with. I hope you continue to get better and achieve peace of mind. It's all most of us ultimately want. Take care mate.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9696 - 07/06/2016 23:04:34    1863330

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=979430472085955&id=257558294273180

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 07/06/2016 23:10:07    1863332

Thanks admin for starting this thread!

Jackeen (Dublin) - Posts: 4097 - 08/06/2016 07:50:04    1863360

Oh one more thing though....is there a way of pinning this threas to the top so it's always visible?

Jackeen (Dublin) - Posts: 4097 - 08/06/2016 07:51:56    1863361

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 08/06/2016 09:33:12    1863394

Nobody is alone. The great Bruce Springsteen has suffered from depression all his life. It effect's the rich, poor, famous and everyday man or woman. Stay strong Dell and good to hear from you on these pages again.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 08/06/2016 09:45:05    1863406

Del
Massive massive credit to you my friend. We have been acquaintances here for many years, and I have the greatest of respect for you on reading that article.
It takes a very brave man to put himself out there like that on a public forum and I commend you, applaud you and salute you.
While never suffering from depression, I do unfortunately have a daily battle with anxiety. Its something that I have come to live with but at times it can be absolutely crippling.
But, I am acutely aware that it could be worse. So much worse. I have lost 2 friends to suicide and have one of my best friends since childhood currently suffering in a bad way, so much so that last weekend was in part spent with him until all hours of the morning, just the 2 of us,following some terrible texts after a day long session. All resolved for now currently.
Del, well done my friend, I am delighted to such honesty and bravery. God be with you.

ps - i cant believe your a ref! I hope u never get to IC level as youd be a disaster for the poor Dubs!!!!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 08/06/2016 09:57:51    1863414

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 08/06/2016 10:00:46    1863417

Fair play to you Del (and anyone else "coming out" on this thread. It's not the easiest subject. Particularly when many who don't suffer from depression and/or anxiety tend to trivialise it with lines like "well we all have bad days don't we".

It's been on the male side of my family for a couple of generations (my dad had his first suicide attempt in 67 so well before I came along but also again in 95 just before my 18th) and I've always struggled to stay on the positive side. Been on Mirtazapine for almost 4 years which has been a great help and for the first time in my adult life I'm managing to get a proper night's sleep.

MedwayIrish (Wexford) - Posts: 2324 - 08/06/2016 10:16:02    1863430

I think that you're immensely courageous to raise your issues publicly, Dellboy, fair play to you.

I struggle with similar issues myself, though I think not to the same extent. Thought the GAA is doing a lot of good work with regard to mental health issues, popular perceptions remain. A lot of people seldom look at you in the same way when you admit that you're in trouble, because it's hard for them to conceptualise what that is like. For that reason I have usually been selective about who I confide in.

Also, I believe that while the various initiatives to get people (especially men) to talk about these things are welcome per se, they tend to cover up deeper issues such as cuts to mental health services. It boiled my blood to see FG cut €12 million from the national budget for mental health.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 08/06/2016 10:23:05    1863436

I know what you mean about the budget cuts Gleebo, they're everywhere. In my area, the Medway Towns, you have an urban population of approx. 300,000, plus outlying districts served by the main hospital in Gillingham, probably adding up to 400,000 in total. No wards in that hospital are dedicated to mental health issues. Haven't been for well over 10-12 years.

MedwayIrish (Wexford) - Posts: 2324 - 08/06/2016 10:57:47    1863463

Fair play delboy and the rest of ye, I swim in the dark waters a little myself, this is all good and positive, fair play :)

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 08/06/2016 12:26:52    1863535