The Mental Health Thread - (Help Contacts in First Post).

[ageing hammer]

Sorry to hear about this MB, I know plenty of people who suffer from this awful illness, hope it works out for your boy and things improve for you all.

[iLoveLasagne]

Thanks for replies mushy and Samba. Little things can mean a lot and usually mean the most when you are feeling out of sorts.

Sorry to hear your kid go through such an ordeal Monkey. A good friend of mine actually suffers from Crohn's. It gets him down too. It drains his energy a great deal. He claims that anxiety actually exacerbates the situation so it becomes a vicious circle.

[WHU Independent]

Just need to get this off my chest:

My best mate of 40+ years tried to kill himself Sunday. He took 80 Tramadol and drunk a large bottle of gin. He was found on the floor of his exes, who rushed him to Southend hospital. They didn't even pump his stomach at the hospital, he basically laid there, on gurney until Monday when he woke up. He discharged himself - he couldn't deal with the psychiatrists etc - came back to East London and got to his sisters. She doesn't want him there, but as he is very ill (gall bladder blocked) she rung me to take him to the London Hospital, which I did. They admitted him last night as one of his levels for his jaundice was way way to high and they were worried he might try and od again. He is piss yellow.

I was speaking to him as we were waiting to be seen at the London and he said the OD was because of these reasons: his gf spilt with him and kicked him out (she's now changed the locks after the OD attempt so he can't get back in - and she has another bf already), his job has stopped paying him and he is on basic SSP, he was evicted from his last flat, and he is probably losing his job as he is on report after an incident. He also was going to be homeless as his only other family member (his daughter) can't house him as she has 2 kids and nowhere to put him. She's also worried that his drinking (he's a functioning alcoholic, although he can't see it) and attitude will upset her two very young kids. I'd put him up but I live with family who don't want him because of his unacceptable behaviour.

He's got jaundice - surprisingly not due to his drinking but due to the gall bladder blockage - and he is having an endoscopy today to see if they can fit a stent in. The problem is he was under Southend hospital for 3 1/2 months and they put a stent in and is went missing. Literally vanished - they say it might have disloged and passed when he had a no 2. And Southend Hospital did nothing for over a month. He hate hospitals as well.

He's really depressed - although he can't see it - and everything is bad or negative. He has no hope. Not a bit. He won't take on social workers or psychiatrists - he refuses their help. as he's too proud. He's just lying in a hospital bed waiting to get out and the first thing he will do is go down the pub.

The good news is that he is in the best place for him, is getting 3 square meals a day plus rest and his illness is being treated. But that will soon come to and end once he has been treated and he will be back at sq 1 again - homeless, little money and on the drink.He is claiming he lives in the Southend area (he doesn't) but he was living around there with his ex GF and his DR is there. He is terrified of saying he lives in East London as he fears his Southend Based DR will stop his certificates, the only thing that is getting him income atm. Homeless persons in LBTH cannot therefore help him.

The suicide attempted has had a massive knock on effect for me, his previous partners, his family and his mates and we are all dumbfounded and have no idea how to help him. The worry, anxiety and depression it is causing in all of us is immense.It's like watching a train, travelling at speed, hurtling to the end of the track which ends at the lip of a deep deep canyon.

And I haven't got a clue what to do.

[pablo jaye]

WHUI - I'm really sorry to hear about your pal and also the effect that it is having on you. Can you and the others close to him talk to each other about the whole situation including how it's affecting each of you personally. I have no advice as to the wider situation as I've no experience, but just working on the old adage that a problem shared is a problem halved.

[Samba]

This is a bit of a plea for advice, really.....
My lad is 20 and has suffered for the last three or four years with very severe colitis
What can I do?

That's really tough on you all Mb, esp for your lad. In an ideal world, no one would suffer from bad things.
It can be hard enough 'growing up' when you aren't suffering from some condition, as well.
I think we would all dread having to go on to a 'bag' but probably, the reality isn't as bad as the fear of it. All you're doing is just changing where your 'exit' is.
CMNinja gave a really good account of how positive your lads life might be, in the future.
I can only guess at how stressed & worried it must make you all, though.
I know it's not easy mate but try to stay upbeat & positive for him. I hope things will be better for him & you, one day.
Best of luck with it all.

[Tenbury]

MB,
Sorry to hear of your son's illness.Even if he does end up with a bag, very often they are a temporary measure taken to give the large bowel a rest. I've had Crohns since 86, and in quite frequent visits to gastro wards I've meant plenty who are having the op reversed.As above,even those with permanent bags,seem to live perfectly ordinary lives.[ They're certainly preferable to long term high doses of steroid,rare these days].

Don't know if this is of use,hope so anyhow, but gastroenterologist I reckon call into two groups: Those that fall into it, and those who are simply addicted.(I'm not sure if it'strue now, but a gastroenterology specialist was always a Dr, however well qualified, whereas their colleagues in other specialists would be a ' mister'. The point being: keep asking to see a specialist until you find an ' addict', I've come across a fair few, and they will go on and on trying different things until they can control a flare up.( this is hang on,as everybody seems to react favourably to different things).I
It's a lousy thing to go through at any age, especially as a young person, but it really CAN be controlled.
Best wishes to your lad,and all of you.

[mushy]

Did anyone see Skeritts (late of this site).tweet today.
Quite revealing.

[S-H]

Did anyone see Skeritts (late of this site).tweet today.
Quite revealing.

Think I saw that, was it the one that mentioned 72hrs after a photo was taken..

[Clacton-ammer]

WHU I - so sorry to hear of your mates troubles.

Your story rings very close to my cousins (one of my best mates), who passed away a few years ago due in main to the drink and the drink related illnesses he suffered.

Only thing I can say is just be there for him as you are, try your best to get him to talk to the right people.

Alcohol, and you getting them to really listen and getting them to talk is probably one of the hardest things I tried to get through to him. In truth he was on a mission of self destruction, he done a good job.

Took me awhile to realise I done what I could, most family turned their backs, and in truth I didn't blame them as he left a pretty bad taste due to his actions. Just remember, you can only do what you can do, keep talking and support, but as with all addictions/mental illness, the person suffering needs & wants to get better, not all people can find the strength.

Good luck, I know it's very tough.

[S-H]

Following Danny Rose's admission that he has suffered with depression, they are discusing mental health in depth now on Talksport, if anyone is interested.

Fair play to Rose for telling his story, raising awareness is key.

[Samba]

Just need to get this off my chest:
My best mate of 40+ years tried to kill himself Sunday. He took 80 Tramadol and drunk a large bottle of gin. He was found on the floor of his exes, who rushed him to Southend hospital.
And I haven't got a clue what to do.

Hi WHU I,
I'll be honest, I didn't know where to begin with answering you. I'm guessing you must feel similar about the situation. Clacton's post (as usual) is very good. It may sound harsh but there is only so much that you can do.
If people are drinking there is little, if anything that you can really do. Drink is just making all of his problems worse; taking him further away from reality & sanity. I get why he's doing it though, he can't face his reality & who can really blame him?
The fact that he discharged himself because he couldn't face the psychiatrists is important. Again, I feel sorry for him feeling that way BUT he rejected perhaps the only avenue of real help.
How are YOU supposed to help someone (with now considerable problems) if he is refusing professional help?
I feel desperately sad for the guy but also for you & the position you are now in.
No wonder that you feel at a loss.

[Hugh Jargon]

Did anyone see Skeritts (late of this site).tweet today.
Quite revealing.

No. I’m curious though as he is a top man and did some work for me to a very high standard (but at 1000 mph!)

Told me a very funny story. Was at a customers home and discovers he was millwall (signed football). Skerrit grabbed a pen and added payets signature. Blooming marvellous.

[mushy]

Somerset is correct.
He posted a photo of himself with three others in West Ham shirts, they all looked very happy and perhaps away on holiday, am not sure.
Three days later he decided he had had enough and wanted to end it all.
His story is brave and heartening , the help he got from both family and the NHS got him through it all, his honesty in all of this is astonishing ( as are many posts on this thread).
I will try and dig out his tweet thread in the morning in the hope it may inspire others.
I have never met him but he always seems like a top guy, the sort of bloke you would love to have a pint with, the last person in the world you would think might be suffering.
It just goes to show you just never know.

[S-H]

Somerset is correct.
He posted a photo of himself with three others in West Ham shirts, they all looked very happy and perhaps away on holiday, am not sure.
Three days later he decided he had had enough and wanted to end it all.
His story is brave and heartening , the help he got from both family and the NHS got him through it all, his honesty in all of this is astonishing ( as are many posts on this thread).
I will try and dig out his tweet thread in the morning in the hope it may inspire others.
I have never met him but he always seems like a top guy, the sort of bloke you would love to have a pint with, the last person in the world you would think might be suffering.
It just goes to show you just never know.

[Mega Ron]

Wibble

[ageing hammer]

He was also the really funny dude who tweeted his part in a school trip to the Science Museum wasn't he?

I thought that was Sherriff

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

Anthony Bourdain (very famous American chef) has died, reported suicide, aged 61

Unclear what the reason(s) were but not too far fetched that it was likely linked to some form of mental troubles.

[Mega Ron]

He was also the really funny dude who tweeted his part in a school trip to the Science Museum wasn't he?

I thought that was Sherriff

You are most likely correct Ageing.

[mushy]

No, it was definitely the Skerrit (Simon from Harlow).

He got quite a following after his science museum skit, all the ,more reason to congratulate him for coming forward the way he did.

Anyone know the easiest way to copy a Twitter feed onto here without having to link to each individual tweet?

[Slacking student]

This is it I think

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Yep just scroll down and you can read the entire thread