Mental health : Sincerity

Men’s mental health month, an awesome time for awareness for mental Health and the greatness from the #Movember movement, bitter sweet time if I’m to be honest, to say a sad loss of life was experienced recently would be a colossal understatement.?

Things happen in my life that solidifies a personal ambition to have mental health awareness and the passion for philosophy upfront and centre firstly for myself, and secondly for many people I love and respect, and hopefully in time can positively support strangers to better understand themselves; I think personal shares of difficulties are generally with intent to help, but can be betrayed as a cry for help; today I’m luckily not the latter.?I share my personal vulnerabilities now, with the hope to raise a bit of cash for #movember, and awareness for common mental difficulties; hoping it will in some way help the the people who can relate.?

I’m happy to be a case in point of a tradesmen, who’s come through the ranks of an alcohol and drug fuelled word, that today can speak openly about the realities of a man who experiences at times a deep sense of low self-esteem and tries to positively deal with the cards he was dealt.?

The fact of the matter is we can’t touch or feel mental health, which has massive similarities with Covid when you think about it. it’s as much an epidemic as this pandemic.?Mental sickness can be catastrophic and sadly levels families, it’s a silent hitman hunting a person down to kill them, and without the right steps can often succeed.?

As most would agree, Life can get very complex and complicated as we grow, and at times can be a struggle to live life on life’s terms. These complexities with underlying emotional issues or un-dealt with childhood traumas is how I interpret the problem.?

A fantastic analogy that deeply resonated with me was this;?Picture a tank of water, the tank is the person or your soul, the water is all our conscious being, every boundary of the tank has its limits to blow with pressure, or has weak points for cracks and leaks. If we keep adding complexities and pressure there could be an all out blow-out, meaning the worst; loss of a life. But at minimum with an unceasing piling of pressure, trauma or self inflicted storms, cracks in the make up of the tank will appear, and the way we often deal with that pain of cracks and leaks is by acting out in one way or another, Alcohol, drugs, sugar, comfort eating, starvation, gambling, bullying, violence, narcissism, emotional shutdown, co-dependency, work, sleep, anxiety attacks, Need for approval, social media, righteousness, judgmental, resentments or a deep sense of loneliness are a few to name.?Many acts of self when in our not good enough stuff, over time results in a complete sense of hopelessness, or in other words lost, undirected, Abusive-self.?

The answer in my books to dissolve any of the above self sabotage behaviours is essentially a self-awareness crusade to undo the pressure on a persons emotions, sit through and face emotional discomfort and understand why you feel the need to harm yourself; and to be honest, it’s no park walk, and can feel like a metaphorical kick in the teeth at the start, but with consistency and support I believe a person can experience true enlightenment. And luckily, it’s a just one choice away for people who are suffering to positively achieve a bit of mental relief and personal understanding.?

Now when given the opportunity to share some ideas to relive some mental pain relief, it’s essentially in this order. Stop and don’t drink, find sources of trust to talk, and move your body. In all it’s simplicity, It’s a life saving formula.?

I’m no expert, but can whole heartedly and gratefully say I’ve been exposed to a lot of life so far, and remember periods of darkness from the age of fifteen that got longer and longer over the years, I’ve experienced complete breakdowns of psychosis to months of clinical depression,?always hiding it from my circles, and not being able to understand the source, I heavily acted out my emotions in many forms. For about fifteen years.?

I’ve now done, and continuously will do the work, to be able to sustain a fulfilled life and to share a lot of borrowed wisdom when I’m able. I find fulfilment isn’t really a destination more a daily process.?

I’m openly promoting my own suffering and mental difficulties to stand for something that is real, by serving humans who want and need it. Having skin in the game sells the truth to a person who is ready, and in need of help.

If I could bestow any super power, it’d be to turn up when a person is ready to give up, and give some truths that it will pass with the right steps. It’s a scary thing to see someone you love or respect go through hopelessness, it’s even scarier when it’s you.?

I’m five months alcohol free, and can bare a smile on my bearded face today in support of #movember. I’ll thrive to keep living alcohol and drug free and can forecast my life a lot differently now, which evolves a lot around learning to be a better leader for my business and family, and purposely and truthfully speaking and supporting mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, and family domestic violence, all of which majorly stems from a “not good enough stuff” childhood, all of which I’ve had a fair level of exposure too.?

I'm very lucky to be able to have a strong understanding of my self through a lot of natural suffering, and nurtured suffering,

It’s a fortunate life when the content is not determined by the context, and I’m grateful for everything that’s played out for this person.?

Donate if you can, and thank you if you do.?

RIP to my friend Sam.?

https://movember.com/m/14689288?mc=1