OT: Mental Health Checkup How you holding up?
Hey gang,
Just wondering how everyone is holding up during these crazy days?
Anyone doing anything different or trying to learn new skills? I'm trying to teach myself how to play guitar but right now I'm a turd
Probably smoking too much weed but that's not really new.
How are you holding up?
August 26th, 2020 at 7:59 PM ^
OK, and thanks for asking.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:02 PM ^
Everything is fine.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:28 PM ^
Oh NoOoOo
(loud fart sounds after)
August 26th, 2020 at 8:05 PM ^
Hard to say. Finally getting that solid 8 hours of sleep every night now that commuting no longer requires pants. Turns out I've been lying for all these years about how much more I'd accomplish with more free time.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:06 PM ^
In the northeast, things are pretty good. Cases are down and staying down. People are decent about wearing masks and dining is only outdoors. Gyms are opening next week which will hopefully be ok and good for a lot of people's mental health. I'm worried about what is going to happen to small businesses once it gets colder though and outdoor dining isn't an option and people aren't out as much. I'm also just mentally exhausted. Covid, the economic downturn, the racial tensions, and the election coming up have all just taken a mental toll on me and there's just not that much right now to take my mind off it. There's just so many more things to worry about right now
August 26th, 2020 at 9:47 PM ^
I'm completely with you. Things are pretty good here in Michigan, too...but worried about the number of people I see without masks.
But, I'm also feeling the weight of the same issues affecting you. I know this is veering in to political territory, but I'm very concerned about the future of our democracy if Trump is reelected. Very concerned about the real pain that people of color feel due to being marginalized for hundreds of years in this country. My sense is that we've not come close to seeing the worst of the economic downturn; we were overdue for a recession and now everything feels like it's being held together with fishing line and duct tape.
I'm operating at 80% capacity at best these days. Distracted. Frustrated. Disheartened. Sad.
August 26th, 2020 at 11:21 PM ^
Lost a few COVID pts this month and non-COVID folk too who I wholeheartedly believe we would’ve saved if not for the strict precautions and isolation measures at the hospital postponing timely CPR. Just another day I suppose. Our whole ID dept is retiring after this calendar year. They deserve it, but we’re losing lots of good fellow doctors. It’s a crime in how all this played out so far.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:08 PM ^
Nothing serious just really bummed out.
I thought I handled football being postponed well but now as what would've been game week draws very close I've been feeling worse and worse.
Fall is my favorite time of year for more than just sports and it's gonna be missing something big this year.
I just hit the Michigan bong too.
August 26th, 2020 at 9:15 PM ^
maybe my problem is I stopped doing that midweek because I have so much to juggle....
August 26th, 2020 at 9:25 PM ^
That's when you should!
God I can't even imagine not doing this during a stressful work week.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:02 AM ^
I'm at this weird mental crossroads. I'm totally on board with wearing masks, staying home as much as possible, working from home as much as possible and so forth. However, I have this guilty feeling because I can't help but be jealous of how the SEC is handling things. I know they are most likely wrong about everything they are doing, but a part of me is like "man, I wish the B1G was like the SEC." Just the fact that my mind can know that it's the wrong choice, but still (uncontrollably) hope that Michigan plays football this fall, is a mindfuck. It makes me think that maybe going to restaurants or beaches or whatever, is to other people, what Michigan Football is for me. And if all I had to do was vote yes to make Michigan play (the same way people just have to drive to the beach or a restaurant) that I can't say with 100% certainty that I could resist the urge to vote for Michigan to play now.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:10 PM ^
About one month into a renovation which has the whole family sleeping on the living room floor with the kids doing the virtual learning thing 10 feet away every day. I'm close to murdering a neighbor's family and moving in just to get away from all the hammering and dust.
August 27th, 2020 at 7:49 AM ^
I'm close to murdering a neighbor's family ...
The problem with this is that you'll need to clean up the crime scene with bleach to screw up any DNA evidence, and I think bleach is still one of those rationed items - like you can only buy a gallon at a time, and you'd need a lot more than that.
Not that I've given this any thought, you understand ...
August 27th, 2020 at 8:34 AM ^
I live in a dense neighborhood in a big city, worked from home in the spring, and for some reason there were 3 places right around me undergoing construction for about a month straight. 2 were literally neighboring buildings on opposite sides. One day these guys working and talking sounded so close to my window. This is like 8 a.m. I peeked out and these dudes are re-doing the roof next on the building right outside my window, which, since it's lower than mine, meant they were basically eye level and like 15 feet away. Greeeeat. Been quiet recently at least.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:17 PM ^
Things are going pretty great actually. Just yesterday I started punting.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:59 PM ^
Is it great though, if you’ve turned against your foundational principles? The very essence of your being?
August 26th, 2020 at 8:21 PM ^
So. very. tired...
August 26th, 2020 at 8:23 PM ^
Alright, I guess. Summer is my least favorite season, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:50 PM ^
Me too. My wife hates that I don’t like hot weather or summer.
August 26th, 2020 at 11:03 PM ^
I used to hate summer as well, starting to warm up to it though.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:25 PM ^
month 6 WFH - enjoying it
my life didn't change too much - wear a mask, get take out instead of going out
remodeling the house at a faster pace, so this is working out well
if the lake situation up north with the dams wasn't fucked up would be visiting the inlaws more, but other than that doing quite well
August 26th, 2020 at 8:26 PM ^
Much worse when it's too hot and air-polluted to go outside. I miss the gym, have compensated with push-ups and running. The important thing is that this is temporary.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:26 PM ^
I need a nap. With ice pack on my face. (It's a common thing these days)
New skills thanks to quarantine:
1. Making salsa (damn good.)
2. Making margaritas (makes the margaritas I previously thought were damn good seem... meh)
Other than having a major accident where I broke ribs, my face (multiple places, requiring surgery for a plate & to put my cheek back in place,) wrist, and possibly the opposite shoulder from that wrist... I'm a mess.
Thank glob for prescription muscle relaxers (on multiples) and my weed delivery guy (in a non-legal state.)
August 26th, 2020 at 8:33 PM ^
Yikes on the accident. Best wishes on the recovery.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:53 PM ^
Still can’t believe the gyms aren’t open yet. Pretty annoying she opened the casinos but not the gyms.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:22 PM ^
The planned 10 minute nap ended up stretching for just over 5 hours.
Luckily, I had finished the work needed for reports generated at 11pm, & was able to finish the rest after 2a!
Guess I REALLY needed the nap.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:26 PM ^
Honestly, not good.
All my self-care mechanisms (go out to eat, catch a new movie, watch Michigan football) are out the window with COVID.
And now I'm being forced to go back to the school (even though I'm teaching entirely online), my daughter is potentially at risk for bad COVID complications, and my elderly mother-in-law has been living with us for the last six months.
August 27th, 2020 at 12:30 AM ^
Feeling similar re: self-care mechanisms- these days, weeks, and months have been the darkest of my life.
Lost my job due to covid, applying to 7-10 jobs a day but barely getting quality interviews because so many companies are on a hiring freeze, wife homeschools our kids so only income is unemployment until I can find a job, money's getting very tight, each day is almost indistinguishable from the last only with a tad more anxiety/depression/paralysis...and self-care options have dwindled.
Starting to become overwhelmed with fear that no matter how hard I try, it's just delaying an inevitable and complete collapse...
Not complaining- just feel like I'm absolutely drowning in all of this.
August 27th, 2020 at 9:01 AM ^
Hang in there, brother.
August 29th, 2020 at 5:32 PM ^
Truly- thank you. Four words from a complete stranger online that make a seriously meaningful difference.
Helps me remember there are good human beings out there. They genuinely care, and whether or not I personally know them, it actually makes a real difference to hear these simple words of encouragement.
Hotel Putingrad- as much as a complete stranger can mean it, thank you.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:27 PM ^
I'm a substance abuse counselor and this pandemic has been really tough for a lot of my clients. I lost another one over the weekend that I can only assume was from an overdose. Things have been pretty good for me outside of work though, so I try not to complain. I know a lot of others don't have it as good as I do now.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:30 PM ^
Fine here. Telecommuting. I do miss seeing my staff in person. None of us use the webcam so God only knows what they all look like (and good they can't see me) or where we're really working.
Kids are all fine. Oldest two are working. Youngest (recently graduated from W&M) is applying for science stuff jobs.
My wife is Welsh and is not interested in eating ass or having it done for her. And to be perfectly honest, I'm not interested in that either, but the rest of you do carry on.
Bought a black powder, reproduction, Remington 1858 for entertainment purposes.
Pushed my little brother into the water yesterday.
And I'm still enjoying smoking.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:30 PM ^
up and down
today is down even though I have more than my share of blessings from the universe
August 26th, 2020 at 8:32 PM ^
Eliminating social media, and scaling way back on posting my opinions here, has led to a huge reduction in stress (along with other major life changes, like Adderall, long hikes and kayak trips at sunrise, etc). To the point that I've weaned off Lexapro. So, not bad, honestly.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:38 PM ^
Agreed, I keep coming back here, but honestly this place has changed for the worse.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:41 PM ^
Just look at Special Agent Utah's posting history, and then see how many upvotes he used to get, and that should tell you everything you need to know.
Tbh he is a big reason I gave up on this place.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:47 PM ^
His posting history is dissociated electrons now, but I remember being on the receiving end or empathizing with somebody who was being attacked by him.
August 26th, 2020 at 9:14 PM ^
Genuinely curious here: are you saying that your life improved by going on adderall or going off of it?
August 26th, 2020 at 9:18 PM ^
On it. I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 34. It explained... a lot. Adderall pretty much eliminated my anxiety as well.
August 26th, 2020 at 11:50 PM ^
Nice. Glad to hear it.
August 27th, 2020 at 1:33 AM ^
I was also given an ADHD diagnosis as an adult and prescribed adderall. I empathize with you in so many ways and am so happy for you going forward. It changed my life and gave me a feeling of control. Still lots to work on, always will be. I know things are going to be just fine for you.
I don't know if this will help you or not, but word of advice/caution. Your brain will get used to the stimulant and dependent. While you are sleeping, and the adderall wears off, your brain could get depressed. I had a very hard time forcing myself awake. Got prescribed a mild antidepressant, did the trick. I don't need it anymore as I'm used to it and can control it, but it was a big help at first. Maybe this will be of use to you, maybe not. Felt it would be better to share just in case.
August 27th, 2020 at 7:03 AM ^
That's good to know, and always nice to hear from someone else who was diagnosed as an adult. The part about having control is a very accurate way to put it. You're right that medication doesn't solve all of your issues but it definitely puts you in the driver's seat to "fix" things that you've had trouble with.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:36 PM ^
Good. Just stressed, but it’s mostly not anything I wouldn’t be encountering in normal times.
Having a six week old at home, running on about four-ish hours of sleep a night, having family and friends constantly passing through because they want to meet him (which I don’t mind at all, I love family, but it can be a bit tiring and sometimes you just want a few days of alone time), and then starting a new job when I get back from leave on Monday.
Luckily never lost my job but my department was gutted back in April due to COVID, and the CEO sealed it up with cement and won’t bring it back for a long time, so now I’m in a job that I have no real interest in and career wise is a step backwards, but it’s a job and I somehow got a small raise out of it. So in the grand scheme, I have nothing to complain about.
That and just the insertion of politics into absolutely everything these days is just mentally exhausting and irritating. You just can’t escape it. My wife and I stopped watching the news about a month or two ago, and I ended up blocking about 100 people and groups on FB that want to do nothing but spew political commentary. Normally I’d use football to escape from it but....you know.....here we are.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:37 PM ^
Well let’s see here. The CDC just did a 180 on testing guidelines purely for political reasons, and half the country is currently defending a man who straight up murdered two people with an AR-15 in Kenosha. Things are not good and getting worse.
August 26th, 2020 at 10:01 PM ^
interestingly a number of medcal systems in ohio adopted policies weeks ago that closely mirror the CDC recs.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:40 PM ^
Actually, self-quarantine has allowed me to sleep better, be more productive professionally and reconnect with my family and that's just the part after I was discharged from the hospital in early June for a second go-around with congestive heart failure. The less contact with people overall thing has kept the stress at a nice background hum as well. I don't understand why people bitch, in fact.
August 26th, 2020 at 9:19 PM ^
I'm glad you're doing alright!
August 26th, 2020 at 8:40 PM ^
OK so far, I guess. Biggest change? I haven't used a comb since late March. Every other Saturday is DIY haircut day with a beard trimmer. I just looked up an old post on this:
https://mgoblog.com/comment/243795315#comment-243795315
There's a good chance that this will become a permanent routine. It is increasingly making more sense than a longer style, as snow has been slowly accumulating on the mountaintop for the past fifteen years or so.
August 26th, 2020 at 9:09 PM ^
I hadn't noticed how much I had lost completely up top until I saw a picture from behind 5 years ago. I'd been keeping it short for some time, but a few years after that I just had my wife buzz it with a 3. No reason to spend $20 bucks a month on what was left. With the Covid I haven't missed a cut.
Also with the Covid I haven't shaved since March to compensate. By Christmas I figure kids will mistake me for Santa.
I've been WFH since March, I hope it never ends. I only barely tolerate other humans, so this is great.
August 26th, 2020 at 8:43 PM ^
I'm really struggling. My mom passed away from lung cancer in May. I can't stop thinking about how when she was diagnosed two years ago, we were driving back from the appointment and she asked me, "I can beat this, right?" and, because I am terrible at putting a good face on when I'm upset or worried, instead of saying, "Of course, mom! Not a question in my mind!" I instead said something like, "Umm...well, if you do what the doctors say and do your best, I think it's definitely possible"
So now I have these terrible feelings of guilt like if I had somehow been more optimistic or supportive, it might have made her fight harder, or had more hope. I know deep down it's not my fault that she passed away (she continued to smoke throughout her treatment, for example), but my mind keeps telling me it kind of is.
Anyone else go through something similar? Any tips?