Guest Blog: Dysthymic Dad

In an effort to reach out to those dealing with mental health illnesses, now & then we will be featuring a guest blog post.  These people are dealing with anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder, stress, and other disturbances to their mental health.

Everyone featured has granted us permission to post on their behalf, to share their stories, their blogs, and hope that you will find solace and comfort in that you are not alone.

Today's post comes from Dysthymic Dad on Twitter.  This man has been very brave in battling his Depression and Dysthymia.  This blog post comes on a snowy day in Ottawa, which makes the analogy he writes about understandable.

Visit http://dysthymicdad.wordpress.com/ for more blog posts from Dysthymic Dad. 

______________________________________________________________________________

Depression: Driving Stick-shift, Uphill in Wintry Conditions
   

My mental health muse must’ve taken a holiday, what with over a month since updating this blog. I kept telling myself I should write another entry, but the motivation / inspiration simply would not materialize. Symptoms of my condition? Mayhaps… Meanwhile, I’ve been filling the “creative” void, 140-characters (or less) at a time… hence why you should follow @DysthymicDad!

But I have been giving some thought as to how I could explain what I’m going through, to those I choose to disclose my condition…to come up with an analogy, a “story”, to explain what Depression feels like. Or at least, what it feels like for me. Being Canadian, you know weather had to factor into the story, somehow!

When first diagnosed with Major Depression and likely dysthymia, I’d been stuck at the bottom of the hill for so long, spinning my wheels in 5^th gear, I’d no clue what might lie on the road ahead. At first, the blizzard-like conditions of my depression swirled around me, blinding me to my surroundings. Complete white-out conditions.

What revealed itself to lie ahead was one very steep hill to climb, riddled with unavoidable icy patches. I felt overwhelmed, ill-equipped to weather the wintry storm and topography ahead; I was an old beat-up clunker with balding summer tires, no map and no GPS device. I wasn’t even sure anymore what destination I was trying to reach. My internal On*Star navigation system had completely failed me.

Extended sick leave from a supportive employer allowed me to put some gas in the tank and recharge the battery. With the help of my GP, I equipped myself with winter tires – an anti-depressant called Cipralex – to gain traction on the road to recovery. Both my GP and EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Counsellor were of great assistance in pointing out the destinations that are open to me. 
 And my Mindfulness practices are the polarized lenses that allow me to notice the individual snowflakes, and see through them as I plod ahead.

I have no illusions that conquering this hill will take time. There are still days where I feel stuck in neutral, all traction lost on an icy patch as I slide backwards. Sometimes my GPS acts up when I hit a pothole. Loosening my white-knuckled death-grip on the steering wheel of anxiety doesn’t always come easy. And there will be times when I may need to call out a tow truck to get me out of the ditch.
But progress is being made, one gear shift at a time. Sometimes I do need to downshift, and I’ve learned to accept that, if not outright welcome those opportunities. I’ve given up on *wishing* that the weather clear up, or a sand/salt truck magically appear ahead of me. The road and weather conditions are what they are.

What drives me now is knowing that I will reach the top of this hill. Maybe not tomorrow, or next week, or next month. But one day, I will reach the summit… and hopefully find a level parking lot where I can do doughnuts to my heart’s content.
_______________________________________________________________________________

As always, the Distress Centre of Ottawa & Region is here for you, at any time, day or night.  You can call us at 613-238-3311 to talk about what you're experiencing.  We're here to support you.

 

Mental Health In The Workplace

It's Mental Illness Awareness Week, and while it's a rainy Monday morning in Ottawa, and we're all back to work, it's fitting to talk about Mental Health in the workplace.

Scenario:  Your alarm clock goes off at 6:30am, and as you roll over to shut if off, you groan, thinking about your day & week ahead of you.  You struggle through your morning getting everyone out the door, and on their way for the day, only to sit in traffic for 30 minutes.  By the time you get to work, you're already feeling like you've ran a marathon, and you open your email to see that you have piles of work to do.  As you work away, your co-workers start gossiping about others in the office.   You try to block these individuals out, but the constant hum of their voices irritate you.  After lunch, you come back to your desk to see more piles of work, with urgent deadlines on them.  You start to feel anxious, flustered and panicky.  Everything seems to swallow you whole.  Your phone rings, and it's your daughter's school, telling you she is sick with the flu, and you need to come pick her up.  Your brain is almost at capacity - and then you spill your coffee on your pile of papers marked URGENT.  You break down, and wonder why you even bother anymore. 

Seems like a bad day right?  Sometimes, this anxiety, stress, depression is not just a bad day, but a sign of mental illness.  Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadians experience diagnosable mental illness?  And that almost 4000 Canadians commit suicide every year?

There are many ways to maintain a healthy work environment for yourself.  Some suggest getting up on the hour every hour, just to stretch and get the blood flowing, and oxygen to your brain.  Getting outdoors on your lunch hour to alleviate the ho-hum of the office can boost energy levels for the rest of your work day.  Of course, it's not always easy to get out and about during the Canadian winters, but having access to a gym close by can help you get some mid-day exercise to release endorphins that will be a mood enhancer.

Having a healthy lunch, and healthy snacks during the day is a great way to keep your mind feeling great.  The better you eat, the healthier you are.  Fast food creates feelings of sluggish-ness and can make you feel even worse.  Comfort food is always a go-to in the colder months, so instead of picking up a burger & fries, why not make a homemade soup at home and bring it in for your lunch?  It's easy and packs the same "comfort-food-punch".

Work with your boss and colleagues to have an open door policy.  Being able to effectively talk about issues, without feeling like you have to hold them in will better everyone.  Having a problem with a co-worker that you just can't deal with?  That open door policy will help with that. 

Breathe.   We breathe to live, but have you ever turned out the lights, turned off all electronics, just for a few minutes to hear what your breathing sounds like?  Try it.  Shallow, quick breaths suggest anxiety and stress.  Deep, balanced breaths suggest a healthy being overall.  Take time to close your eyes if you're feeling overwhelmed, and just breathe, in and out, slowly, feeling your lungs expand and deflat.  Do this for a couple of minutes until you start to feel better.

Finally, work at a job that you like and that you're good at.  Having a career is an amazing thing, but if your heart isn't in it, neither is  your mind.  Consider making a switch, even if your background isn't in that field.  Many of us aren't working in the field we went to school for.  (Me - Radio Broadcasting, now working for the Distress Centre of Ottawa & Region)  You may just surprise yourself, finding something you are passionate about!

Be healthy, mentally, in your workplace.  Make a pledge to yourself to try some of the above.  The Distress Centre of Ottawa & Region also provides a Speaker's Bureau in which one of our speaker's can come into your workplace to talk about mental health.  Simply call us at 613-238-1089 and ask for Leslie.

If you're experiencing depression or have a workplace problem you need to talk about, we're here, 24/7.  613-238-3311.