[Andy P]

To all but specifically Andy F regarding 'hearing him barking in the distance'.

I guess forewarned is forearmed? The little b*strd bit me two weeks ago totally without warning resulting in nine days bed rest with seven sleepless days & nights. My wonderful employers paid me in full and on my return to work rather than a scolding I had a massive hug and a "welcome back And" from both of them.

Two days later [two days ago now] I had an early fork lift booked for our steel delivery to one of my construction sites but was kept waiting for almost two hours. This brought on anxiety and a brief panic attack. Having finally been unloaded I had two choices: Go home, hit the booze & try to sleep or keep fighting the fight. I chose the latter, swung past our office, grabbed some active tender files and drove home to work remotely. Three hours later I'd been awarded The Biggest Single tender I've Ever won [in 28yrs here] followed immediately by another Very Healthy one. Personally, my biggest day ever and four times the biggest our company's ever had. So the abject misery of the morning went to pure elation in about seven hours though it did leave me emotionally drained. Employer absolutely stoked and gave me the next day off on full pay. Then reality hit with that 'oh f*ck, I've got to do it now' feeling so the anxiety's right back and red-lining and due these two significant, successful awards I've gone and tripled the extreme pressure I'm already under managing sixteen live construction sites with 16 site managers, 16 forepersons, 16 architects, 16 engineers, dozens of other consultants, fabricators, suppliers, labour force Etc Etc it never ends!

Sorry for the lengthy post and lets all try to 'Be The Best We Can Be' and not let the bstrds grind us down.
Cheers,
Andy.

[lagerstarfish]

16 architects

*shudder*



Nice one Mr P - embrace the workload (and maybe hug an architect, just to see what happens)

[Andy P]

Ta Lagers, I follow your posts stood on me 'ed here in Upsidedownland, you're very entertaining.

For sure, when 'in the mode' I thrive but hugging architects is a big call coz most of them these days are extremely attractive females and mostly half my age too [bites fingers]. Oh to be young again.

[Falling Down]

Nik, Andy F and Andy P - sending positive thoughts your way. 

[nik at work]

Thanks guys 
Andy and Andy and anyone else struggling, keep on keeping on.
I think for me the big take home from this thread was that, even if it isn't explicitly expressed, there is a broad and deep support network around all of us. Both on here and in the wider world. If help is needed it can be found.

[SA Chris]

I'm injured. He's barking in the distance. He won't prevail.

Find a different outlet? Many ways to skin a dog.

[Andy F]

Unfortunately the injuries (hand and now back) limit what I can do. But this helps.

[SA Chris]

Learn to play the flute? Learn French? All I'm saying is, do something, just don't get back to wallowing in a pit, I know how easy it is to do.

[duncan]

Changing diet improves (sub-clinical, mostly) depression. Most interventions were Mediterranean type diet: more fruit, veg., oily fish, nuts; less processed meat, sugar. Interestingly, no improvemets in  anxiety which is sometimes thought to be the opposite side of the same coin.

[slab_happy]

As a data point in case it's of use to anyone else:

I do get a lot of use out of my lightbox (on top of the meds cocktail and the B-vitamins; my brain's a high-maintenance fucker).

The thing with lightboxes is that they're not the same as full-spectrum lightbulbs or dawn lamps, and you have to look out for the magic specs of 10,000 lux at a distance which it's plausible to have your eyes at, e.g. 30cm (there are some cheaper lightboxes which advertise 10,000 lux but if you read the fine print that's at 5cm, which is very little use unless you fancy spending half an hour every day with a lightbox 5 cm from your eyes).

But there's decent research supporting their usefulness for all depression, not just the seasonal kind.

Though like all antidepressants, if you're bipolar they can send you manic, which is to be avoided.

[seankenny]

As a data point in case it's of use to anyone else:

I do get a lot of use out of my lightbox (on top of the meds cocktail and the B-vitamins; my brain's a high-maintenance fucker).

A second data point - I find mine very useful in combating winter blues. Well worth getting one.

[slab_happy]

Forgot to add -- for anyone who wants to get seriously geeky about this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chronotherapeutics-Affective-Disorders-Clinicians-Therapy/dp/3318020907

[petejh]

Research on nutrition and depression. A recent study found no link. (I'm surprised).

https://www.inverse.com/article/53821-nutritional-psychiatry-supplements-depression?link_uid=7&utm_campaign=inverse-daily-2019-03-06&utm_medium=inverse&utm_source=newsletter

[Oldmanmatt]

Research on nutrition and depression. A recent study found no link. (I'm surprised).

https://www.inverse.com/article/53821-nutritional-psychiatry-supplements-depression?link_uid=7&utm_campaign=inverse-daily-2019-03-06&utm_medium=inverse&utm_source=newsletter

I don’t think that ship has sailed yet:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ab.21769
Edit:
Sorry, not enough info, was it.

The study shows an improvement in behaviour of children given the Omega 3 supplement, but concentrates on non-supplemented care givers of those children; where a significant reduction in inter-parent conflict was noted.

But, to me, the significant implication is the Omega 3 effect upon the child behaviour. As mentioned here:
https://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/want-your-kids-to-behave-give-them-omega-3-supplements-study-suggests?facebook=1&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1551769072

[Oldmanmatt]

Also, the study you linked to, Pete, was only carried out on Obese subjects, and I wonder what else was going on in those subjects, that might skew the results, as opposed to the same study in the general population.

It’s like training for one-armers on the bottom slot of a BM2000; it introduces an extraneous limiting factor.

As does the study, using only children, of course.

My point being, it’s still in the air...

[petejh]

Why I said I was surprised.

I've long been interested in the theory that some foods are inflammatory. Plenty of evidence.

And the theories that inflammation in the body can cross the blood/brain barrier; and that bodily inflammation has been linked with depression and other mental illness - as per Edward Bullmore's recent book on the topic.

Not a great leap therefore to link diet to mental health.

[SA Chris]

The thing with lightboxes is that they're not the same as full-spectrum lightbulbs or dawn lamps, and you have to look out for the magic specs of 10,000 lux at a distance which it's plausible to have your eyes at, e.g. 30cm (there are some cheaper lightboxes which advertise 10,000 lux but if you read the fine print that's at 5cm, which is very little use unless you fancy spending half an hour every day with a lightbox 5 cm from your eyes).

Any particular one you'd recommend?

[user deactivated]

Most (all) illness / disease processes involve inflammation of some kind. I’m sure steroids used to manage this can have a secondary effect of lifting mood, which has been known for a long time. I’m not sure of the mechanism though, wether it’s anti-inflammatory? Depression of course is a very complex multifactorial illness. The question is not whether it’s inflammation due to diet or not, but what treatment(s)might be most beneficial to the individual? And do we take a ‘kitchen sink’ approach to treatment? On a side note someone who is struggling to cope with depression might also struggle to manage their dietary needs and even if they at all the optimum quantities of omega 3 and bananas while avoiding cheese and gluten, they most likely won’t improve without an effective treatment.

[SA Chris]

Most (all) illness / disease processes involve inflammation of some kind.

This is bollocks surely? Ignoring the rest.

[user deactivated]

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Inflammation_A_unifying_theory_of_disease

[SA Chris]

I read the first line, I'll highlight the differences to your statement;

Research is showing that chronic inflammation may be the common factor in many diseases.

[user deactivated]

From the common cold and gum disease to cancer and multiple sclerosis and arthritis I can’t think of an illness or disease that doesn’t*  involve an acute or chronic immunologicaly mediated immune response. I’m not sure a thread on depression is the best place for that to be debated? I’d be keen to know if you can let me know of one.

[user deactivated]

From the common cold and gum disease to cancer and multiple sclerosis and arthritis I can’t think of an illness or disease that doesn’t*  involve an acute or chronic immunologicaly mediated inflammatory** response. I’m not sure a thread on depression is the best place for that to be debated? I’d be keen to know if you can let me know of one.

[SA Chris]

No it's not the right place, and no i can't think of one.

[slab_happy]

The thing with lightboxes is that they're not the same as full-spectrum lightbulbs or dawn lamps, and you have to look out for the magic specs of 10,000 lux at a distance which it's plausible to have your eyes at, e.g. 30cm (there are some cheaper lightboxes which advertise 10,000 lux but if you read the fine print that's at 5cm, which is very little use unless you fancy spending half an hour every day with a lightbox 5 cm from your eyes).

Any particular one you'd recommend?

I've used various different models successfully. The Lumie models have a good reputation -- my current light box is:

https://www.lumie.com/collections/light-therapy-sad/products/desklamp

But as long as you get the magic 10,000 lux at a decent range, you're good.  Beyond that, it's more practicality, like having one that's convenient for the place where you're going to use it -- for example, ones that are on a neck work well for me because then I can have the lamp just above my laptop screen and check my e-mail and pootle around on the internet during my ligbtbox stint in the morning. I also find it quite handy being able to use it as a task light when doing fiddly shit like sewing.