Very moving interview with Clarke Carlisle...

[video=youtube;SYgVEEXteV0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYgVEEXteV0[/video]

 

Awful to watch this! Brings back memories of a couple of year ago when i went through the same thing but luckily i got stopped just before! Glad he is on the mend because its an awful illness that can strike at any time and he is a top bloke!


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Sorry to hear that mate, I really think more needs to be done for blokes who have mental health issues as depression appears only to be stigmatised when it's a man who is suffering from it.

 

I was in a bad place a few years ago - did consider this route. It is an awful illness and one I think will always be in my life. Hope he can get the necessary support

 

I think Clarke is the type of person who will try and use his experience to help others, he does need to try and sort himself out first though as I've seen him on interviews before where he has talked about taking his own life, convincing himself that he's over the worst and then this happens. He obviously did that BBC documentary as well, unfortunately it does seem like something that can't really be cured but can be managed.

I've had my own battles, my dad took his own life in his mid-30's, I can't honestly say I've felt seriously suicidal but I've been on medication a couple of times - I didn't like the way they made me feel, basically had months of my life I can't remember because they made me like a robot - I think what made me decide not to continue taking them was that others noticed changes in me, I came across to them as being lazy and distant and I thought I'd rather just be up and down as I suppose that's what people who know me are used to, I guess they just think I'm a bit of a character, I don't really tell many people why that is. At least now I'm a bit older and wiser I can sort of tell when I'm 'self-medicating' as opposed to having fun and can generally tell myself to abstain before it gets out of hand.

 

Still on medication - don't think I'll ever come off them to be honest

 

Been on Mirtazopine for 3 months now, moving onto a new course next Monday. Anyone else on here had appointments with a mental health worker? The waiting time is terrible which I suppose highlights how many people suffer from depression. My next appointment is may.

 

How are you finding that mate? I was on Fluoxetine first (about 10 years ago) and then Citalopram about 3 years ago - had about six months on that and it totally put me off wanting to stay on this type of medication, basically I went from a constant feeling of anxiety and depression to having no feelings at all, which in some ways is worse.

 

Not a massive fan mate, they've up the mg and told me to take two around 7pm and it knocks me off my feet. They used to give me busperone aswell to stop the anxiety and panic attacks but it left me breathless for hours after taking which was already a problem. In fairness I've had a good 2 days now, but the bad days far outweigh the good ones... my brother told me to get a grip of things and sort it out about a week ago, fantastic advise that isn't jt? Nothing better than these folk who seem to know more than the doctors. I've said I before but I think people need educating on mental illness, they wouldn't tell someone with a physical illness to get a grip and snap out of it would they?

I've been on the sick from work (worked as a driver down at tescos at stairfoot) since late September and they keep asking me to go in for regular meetings to see how I'm getting on, I've told them to stop ringing and ill be in touch when I feel like it. Does any legal eagles know if I'm within my rights to take this further? It's getting a bit much now, 4 or 5 phone calls a day and it's making me want to pull my hair out.

 

Exactly mate, I also think this attitude is prevalent in the work environment because a lot of the bosses don't have any experience of the illness - if they did they probably wouldn't have got as far as being a manager/director etc.

 

There is no set rule on how often they can contact you but they can't harass you. Are they calling four or five times a day and you are ignoring their calls or are you speaking to them four or five times a day? I believe that makes a big difference to the legality

 

At first I answered the calls mate, they came in ones and twos a day. Nowadays I don't answer them as half of the time I don't feel up to it which then means around 5 missed calls a day from them. I've also started getting a lot of calls from witheld a few minutes after they've rang but obviously I can't be sure it's them.

 

I had a spell of two months off from work - went back and had a relapse which was pretty serious. I was under the crisis team for a while and was visited every few days for a few weeks. I was sent for counselling which was helpful to be honest. I was required to go and see occupational health every few months for a check and was required to attend meetings at work with someone from HR. They were pretty stressful and not very supportive - I wasn't allowed to visit work at any other time as I was on long term sick even though other people were allowed to during the same period.

Didn't go back in the end but went to another place of work. Still on a high dose of paroxatine and have been pretty stable , touch wood, for about three years. Wouldn't wish it upon anyone

 

Interesting thread. Life can be very trying.

Speaking to folk is the best advice I can offer, from experience.

 

Unless youve experienced depression first hand and how it effects your life...... trying to explain it to those who say get a grip and pull yourself together is like trying to convince a rabbit to move from the head lights....

 

Good on the man. Respect to him.

 

many people,who have not experienced depression/anxiety,especially when its a clinical condition,do not know what effects it can have on everyday life,to have to really push yourself to do things you once did for fun is a shocking feeling,lousy in fact.