July 26th 2014. Day 17 at the Mental Health Clinic.
Discussion
I know I don't post much on here, but all the best mate and hopefully you leave feeling brighter than you did going in.
If you've got Civilization V I have a few of the DLCs (not the biggies like Brave New World and Gods & Kings, but additional civilizations like Babylon) that I could chuck your way. It's not going to completely change how you play the game or anything like that, but it might expand it that little bit to stop you going crazy when Gandhi reaches the Manhattan Project and declares war on the world.
Crusader Kings II might also be worth a gander. The tutorial is worthless, and you'll spend hours researching how it even works before you get into the game. When you do you'll be amazed at just how much there is to it. People seem to like giving themselves absurd challenges in this game, and it takes ages to get good enough for that.
http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/ | You can snag the first two Grand Theft Auto games on there. Dated by modern standards but they'll last you a while if you dedicate yourself to completing all the Rampages and other side content. Plus, they're so old you can probably run them on a modern toaster. And there's also Dwarf Fortress, if you want a game that's ridiculously complex but doesn't really look hard at first.
Good luck, and as said above, keep us updated!
If you've got Civilization V I have a few of the DLCs (not the biggies like Brave New World and Gods & Kings, but additional civilizations like Babylon) that I could chuck your way. It's not going to completely change how you play the game or anything like that, but it might expand it that little bit to stop you going crazy when Gandhi reaches the Manhattan Project and declares war on the world.
Crusader Kings II might also be worth a gander. The tutorial is worthless, and you'll spend hours researching how it even works before you get into the game. When you do you'll be amazed at just how much there is to it. People seem to like giving themselves absurd challenges in this game, and it takes ages to get good enough for that.
http://www.rockstargames.com/classics/ | You can snag the first two Grand Theft Auto games on there. Dated by modern standards but they'll last you a while if you dedicate yourself to completing all the Rampages and other side content. Plus, they're so old you can probably run them on a modern toaster. And there's also Dwarf Fortress, if you want a game that's ridiculously complex but doesn't really look hard at first.
Good luck, and as said above, keep us updated!
If I can help at all by saying my bit then all's good. I've had a friend in a similar situation, and had 1 or 2 health problems myself over the years, so I know enough to know its a bit of a bugger. there's a lot I don't know, but I do know that being occupied and having support even from random strangers can make a real difference.
About knitting (not a euphemism). I know you can't knit, but in response to other posters, its surprising the number of blokes who do (or at any rate can) knit. Seems understandably popular with ex-Navy blokes. Possibly less so with those stationed in warmer climes. It focuses the mind, which takes it off thinking about "stuff". I went through a phase of doing Sudoku puzzles, which have a similar effect, but without a nice Shetland jumper at the end of the process.
Ever played Minecraft? With a free add-on like Feed the Beast which adds all sorts of things like electricity, hydraulics, computers, bee keeping, forestry, farming and umpteen types of magic. I have been playing a challenge map called Agrarian Skies, which currently stands at around the 80 hour level. I keep stopping just to faff around and make random things. It is multi user too, so you can have co-operative play with local people, or mates half way around the world. Imagine Lego Technic, but for grown-ups. Or at least PHers.
I would second the idea about writing too. It can help sort some things out in your head and add a bit of structure. It doesn't matter if nobody else ever sees it, so it doesn't even have to make sense. Just the process of creating something in words can act like a bit of a pressure relief valve.
About knitting (not a euphemism). I know you can't knit, but in response to other posters, its surprising the number of blokes who do (or at any rate can) knit. Seems understandably popular with ex-Navy blokes. Possibly less so with those stationed in warmer climes. It focuses the mind, which takes it off thinking about "stuff". I went through a phase of doing Sudoku puzzles, which have a similar effect, but without a nice Shetland jumper at the end of the process.
Ever played Minecraft? With a free add-on like Feed the Beast which adds all sorts of things like electricity, hydraulics, computers, bee keeping, forestry, farming and umpteen types of magic. I have been playing a challenge map called Agrarian Skies, which currently stands at around the 80 hour level. I keep stopping just to faff around and make random things. It is multi user too, so you can have co-operative play with local people, or mates half way around the world. Imagine Lego Technic, but for grown-ups. Or at least PHers.
I would second the idea about writing too. It can help sort some things out in your head and add a bit of structure. It doesn't matter if nobody else ever sees it, so it doesn't even have to make sense. Just the process of creating something in words can act like a bit of a pressure relief valve.
Hey there, cracking start with this thread firstly- good work! I know how you feel to a degree, I went "away" for 5 weeks, and wasn't allowed off the site. I found books are all well and good, but hardly a replacement for normal day to day life. I got through it by exercising like a loon, trying something that I had absolutely zero interest in just to see if I could do it (yoga and Pilates in my case). Anything to focus the mind basically. Writing is a great form of therapy, even if it's just relaying a few good stories.
Best of luck, and here if you need a chat or anything- nothing is too much trouble.
Best of luck, and here if you need a chat or anything- nothing is too much trouble.
I work with people with ranges of mental conditions, some similar to the OP. It sounds like you have access to quite a lot of activity type things, certainly more than I can offer at work due to other constraints.
The best thing to do whilst there is develop a routine. Mainly around sleeping. If you sleep well everything else will be easier. Try your hand at as many things as possible. I've no idea what they have but stuff like gardening, walking dogs, crafts with EAT all seem to keep the patients I work with entertained.
The one thing you can do is take solace in knowing you have an end date. Where I work they stay until the doctors/courts say they are well enough to leave, some have been in the system for 10+ years.
If you fancy a chat OP, drop me an email. Il do all I can to help you.
The best thing to do whilst there is develop a routine. Mainly around sleeping. If you sleep well everything else will be easier. Try your hand at as many things as possible. I've no idea what they have but stuff like gardening, walking dogs, crafts with EAT all seem to keep the patients I work with entertained.
The one thing you can do is take solace in knowing you have an end date. Where I work they stay until the doctors/courts say they are well enough to leave, some have been in the system for 10+ years.
If you fancy a chat OP, drop me an email. Il do all I can to help you.
Thanks for all the kind words gents, it really does help.
Kinda tells a lot about the world when I get more encouraging words from 'strangers' on a motoring forum than my friends and family back home.
I only have very limited access to the interwebs from here, so no buying on Steam or online games unfortunately, have to make due with what I've got installed now (KSP, CIV V, Tropico 4, Startopia, fricking Solitaire. Also, 100 posts a day in my 10 minutes of www every couple of days is going to be difficult
I agree that mental health, paricularly male, is oft underrated - I have always been told and taught that the man has to be strong and repress his emotions, guess where that got me.
Spare rooms here are sparse, and the waiting list is long, but they offer quite a few cool courses that I plan on taking up in the coming weeks (here until at least September 8th), have access to a drawing room where I can just go wild, and doing a lot of hiking in the Bavarian woodlands around the clinic.
I'll try to keep this thread updated every once in a while, though the weekend is very hard as there really is nought much to do.
Thanks again for all the kind words folks!
I really, really do appreciate them.
Kinda tells a lot about the world when I get more encouraging words from 'strangers' on a motoring forum than my friends and family back home.
I only have very limited access to the interwebs from here, so no buying on Steam or online games unfortunately, have to make due with what I've got installed now (KSP, CIV V, Tropico 4, Startopia, fricking Solitaire. Also, 100 posts a day in my 10 minutes of www every couple of days is going to be difficult
I agree that mental health, paricularly male, is oft underrated - I have always been told and taught that the man has to be strong and repress his emotions, guess where that got me.
Spare rooms here are sparse, and the waiting list is long, but they offer quite a few cool courses that I plan on taking up in the coming weeks (here until at least September 8th), have access to a drawing room where I can just go wild, and doing a lot of hiking in the Bavarian woodlands around the clinic.
I'll try to keep this thread updated every once in a while, though the weekend is very hard as there really is nought much to do.
Thanks again for all the kind words folks!
I really, really do appreciate them.
- *I'll try to take on knitting as it does seem to relieve stress a lot. I do masturbate occasionally and have gotten quite adept at it, so no more training required at that
Eric Mc said:
Build a plastic kit
That's actually a really good idea! OP. Good luck and I personally hope for a steady recovery. I've had a few moments over the past year that whilst didn't send me over the edge, came pretty close.
And this is what PH is for sometimes. A rare place that whilst ripping the living pish out of you, will also be there and support you as and when required.
Talk, ramble, moan all you like. Even if you just want to know 'there is someone out there'
'Cos we are buddy. We are.
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