[supernova77]

Great post guys. Respect to all!!

Does anyone else ever suffer from work anxiety? i.e. Wake up in the morning worrying about what order to do jobs in, how long they will take, adding up in your head the daily turnover, what time you will be finished etc...

I know it seems small in comparison to what some people must suffer but the above does my head in sometimes. Other days I'm fine and don't worry at all.

Andy

[Tom White]

Great post guys. Respect to all!!

Does anyone else ever suffer from work anxiety? i.e. Wake up in the morning worrying about what order to do jobs in, how long they will take, adding up in your head the daily turnover, what time you will be finished etc...

I know it seems small in comparison to what some people must suffer but the above does my head in sometimes. Other days I'm fine and don't worry at all.

Andy

I can relate to that.  Sorting everything out the night before so that I know what I'm doing when I wake up cuts that anxiety in half.

And just try to do stuff one-job-at-a-time; get dressed, ablutions, breakfast, etc - and not be thinking three-jobs-in-front.

Another thing to realise that we do is that when there's something we WANT to do like go to the pictures, we break the task down like this:

1.  Get in car.
2.  Drive to pictures.

But when there's something we DON'T want to do we break the task down like this:

1.  Got to look for car keys.
2.  Got to find wallet.
3.  Got to .............
4.  Got to.................
5.  Got to............
etc
etc
etc

You're describing a very common human experience here.  Meditation can help with this too; it trains the mind to be more present, and not three-jobs-in-front all of the time.  The problem is a 'wild mind'; tame it.

It's a less tiring way to live; anxiety - constant low level worrying - is tiring and drains us of energy.

[supernova77]

I can relate to that.  Sorting everything out the night before so that I know what I'm doing when I wake up cuts that anxiety in half.

And just try to do stuff one-job-at-a-time; get dressed, ablutions, breakfast, etc - and not be thinking three-jobs-in-front.

Another thing to realise that we do is that when there's something we WANT to do like go to the pictures, we break the task down like this:

1.  Get in car.
2.  Drive to pictures.

But when there's something we DON'T want to do we break the task down like this:

1.  Got to look for car keys.
2.  Got to find wallet.
3.  Got to .............
4.  Got to.................
5.  Got to............
etc
etc
etc

You're describing a very common human experience here.  Meditation can help with this too; it trains the mind to be more present, and not three-jobs-in-front all of the time.  The problem is a 'wild mind'; tame it.

It's a less tiring way to live; anxiety - constant low level worrying - is tiring and drains us of energy.

Thanks Tosh.

I never used to suffer from it and I do plan out every day the night before. 

Andy

[Tom White]

Maybe have a butcher's at this then, Andy:

http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=182503.0

[david wood]

I've had anxiety for a while now it kicked of proper over a year ago when I lost my dad iam always worrying about alsorts of things and thinking the worst I've had to go to a&e a couple of times with chest pains and they can never find anything wrong i do have tablets to hand to slow me down a bit if needed but very rarely take one it's brought on high blood pressure aswell so iam on tablets for that now the last couple of months I've really started to feel a lot better though pushing myself to work a bit harder every day and eating a bit better helps aswell

[telfordwindowclnr]

Great thread everyone. Not going into detail, but I have periodically suffered from an incredibly destructive type of depression in the past. Anyone who survives, let alone gets out of their depression deserves our respect.

Take your pills, see your doc, take the counselling, CBT or whatever other constructive and positive things that help. Above all, learn to help yourself. Sometimes depression is circumstantial, sometimes it's chemical. Sometimes you can get out of it, sometimes you can't. There is no shame in depression anymore. Look how many bruisers and strapping blokes on here have had it!

Perhaps this thread will temper some of the more aggressive comments that I see made on here. You have NO idea what is happening in someone's day or life. Be polite. It doesn't cost you anything, but can save someone else a lot of mental anguish.

[telfordwindowclnr]

I'll be honest & say I've never suffered from a day of depression in my life - I've been extremely lucky,.. but all of my wifes family suffer from it very badly, especially this time of year (Today is the 4th anniversary of my mother in law passing).

Most of them fight against it - they have bad days, sometimes bad months, but they always work hard to get themselves back on their feet in time. I have great respect for these people who continue to fight.

My sister in law is different, she welcomes depression, wallows in it, embraces it and looks for more. She neglects her two young children badly - very badly,.. if it wasn't for her hubbys efforts to be a better dad than 99% of the guys I know, she would have been reported to child services by her own sister today. This is a kind of depression i don't understand - the selfishness, the constant self pity, constant trips to the GP (at least 3 times a week), constant attempts to get more/stronger meds, the many and varied side effects and illnesses caused by the meds - - is it very wrong and un-pc to not have any sympathy for her anymore? She's been this way for over 20 years, and is only getting worse. No one can get through to her,... because she simply doesn't want to get better. How can you deal with that?!

Hi Nat. It's is perhaps un-PC to not have sympathy for your sister-in-law, but it is not wrong. It's immensely frustrating to be close to someone with depression who does not help their own condition. It is perhaps part of her depressive condition, to wallow, but eventually EVERYONE needs to begins to help themselves. Helping yourself can do more good than any pill, they just disguise the condition.

On the days when you feel you can help, help. But on the days when you can't, don't. That's all you can do mate.

[poleman]

Great thread everyone. Not going into detail, but I have periodically suffered from an incredibly destructive type of depression in the past. Anyone who survives, let alone gets out of their depression deserves our respect.

Take your pills, see your doc, take the counselling, CBT or whatever other constructive and positive things that help. Above all, learn to help yourself. Sometimes depression is circumstantial, sometimes it's chemical. Sometimes you can get out of it, sometimes you can't. There is no shame in depression anymore. Look how many bruisers and strapping blokes on here have had it!

Perhaps this thread will temper some of the more aggressive comments that I see made on here. You have NO idea what is happening in someone's day or life. Be polite. It doesn't cost you anything, but can save someone else a lot of mental anguish.

Well said steve, regarding positive things you can do if any one is reading this post and is suffering then I can recommend a mindfulness courses, its the same of what google and apple offer there employees, http://www.dorset-mindfulness.co.uk/8-week-mbsr-courses http://www.mindfulnet.org/page9.htm and also transcendental meditation helps in a big way, nick clegg and william hague practised TM regularly 

[PoleKing]

Great thread everyone. Not going into detail, but I have periodically suffered from an incredibly destructive type of depression in the past. Anyone who survives, let alone gets out of their depression deserves our respect.

Take your pills, see your doc, take the counselling, CBT or whatever other constructive and positive things that help. Above all, learn to help yourself. Sometimes depression is circumstantial, sometimes it's chemical. Sometimes you can get out of it, sometimes you can't. There is no shame in depression anymore. Look how many bruisers and strapping blokes on here have had it!

Perhaps this thread will temper some of the more aggressive comments that I see made on here. You have NO idea what is happening in someone's day or life. Be polite. It doesn't cost you anything, but can save someone else a lot of mental anguish.

Well said steve, regarding positive things you can do if any one is reading this post and is suffering then I can recommend a mindfulness courses, its the same of what google and apple offer there employees, http://www.dorset-mindfulness.co.uk/8-week-mbsr-courses http://www.mindfulnet.org/page9.htm and also transcendental meditation helps in a big way, nick clegg and william hague practised TM regularly 

Lols. The links are probably good but you ain't gonna get people clicking if it turns you in to Cleggy. He is a tool. 

[poleman]

Great thread everyone. Not going into detail, but I have periodically suffered from an incredibly destructive type of depression in the past. Anyone who survives, let alone gets out of their depression deserves our respect.

Take your pills, see your doc, take the counselling, CBT or whatever other constructive and positive things that help. Above all, learn to help yourself. Sometimes depression is circumstantial, sometimes it's chemical. Sometimes you can get out of it, sometimes you can't. There is no shame in depression anymore. Look how many bruisers and strapping blokes on here have had it!

Perhaps this thread will temper some of the more aggressive comments that I see made on here. You have NO idea what is happening in someone's day or life. Be polite. It doesn't cost you anything, but can save someone else a lot of mental anguish.

Well said steve, regarding positive things you can do if any one is reading this post and is suffering then I can recommend a mindfulness courses, its the same of what google and apple offer there employees, http://www.dorset-mindfulness.co.uk/8-week-mbsr-courses http://www.mindfulnet.org/page9.htm and also transcendental meditation helps in a big way, nick clegg and william hague practised TM regularly 

Lols. The links are probably good but you ain't gonna get people clicking if it turns you in to Cleggy. He is a tool. 

LOL you have a point aim not a lover of politicians but there well educated people and can see the benefits

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

chin up and keep plodding on try and work job by job and not day by day , as sitiing in the van looking at work sheets don't help and befoure you know it you have been sat there for 30 mins that could of been to jobs done

not sure I would tell your customers as most people do not understand depression and think its just a case of puling yourself togather and we both know it goes a lot deeper then that

so tomorrow jump in your van/car and go to work , knowing your earning your own money and making your way in life and not having to thank anybody ,

take care

[mick hay]

Same boat as you Samson, you'll be surprised how common it really is!!
I got help last April, but think I've had it for a lot longer, took a time to get the meds right though.

Its only been the last month or so I've started to get a bit more normal. I started on flouxetine, Made it even worse, never want to go back there again. Then put me on sertraline, was ok'ish then doubled the dose.

I can now go out and work and not"count how many customers left" until i can get home and not have to talk to anyone.

I still can't get any interest in anything, hobbies, getting a girlfriend, even sex.

Your not on your own mate, but hang in there and you will get good days. This time last year i was in a very dark place, but can see some light now 

[Don Kee]

Cracking post, and massive respect to all that have posted....

Not depression, but had a few things happen years ago that set me off on a stress disorder....went through all the procedures but i wasn't ready to help myself if i'm honest.....i found that the only way to 'help' was to over focus on trivial things, therefore stopping myself thinking and dealing with what happened...
I wind myself up nowadays as even though now i'm getting back on track i still cant help overthinking stuff that i know i shouldnt....

To anyone reading this thread that is going through a bad place, my advice would be talk to someone....
I used to think to myself that i needed to 'man up' but it just took me to a darker place....
Let people help you and you're not alone 

[frankwii]

good luck mate and well done for speaking up ,,its not an easy thing to speak out .

its been a month since one of best friends commited suicide due to depression and other things  .
 
its a real curb ball when things go bad and its a reflection on  view on life and how to cope with things  when it really goes tits up.

as others have said  , it will get better and i hope you manage it in every sense well . it just takes a bit of time and support from partners and good  friends.

[wpclean]

Thank you to all who posted personal experiences, and I know it has encouraged me, and I hope others too.
I have always tried to help anyone who is going through a tough time, sometimes just having a listening ear, and not being judged can help.
If your a man don.t be ashamed to ask for help ( majority of suicides are men, as they dont find it as easy to talk as women )  and helping others can often help you cope.
Just got to say I am really impressed with the empathy shown by the members on this forum.

[Oliver James]

Great thread.

One option to consider is working through some of the exercises on a website called Mood Gym.

https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/‎

It is a a free self help program to teach cognitive behaviour therapy skills to people vulnerable to depression and anxiety.

Good luck

[telfordwindowclnr]

Great thread.

One option to consider is working through some of the exercises on a website called Mood Gym.

https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/‎

It is a a free self help program to teach cognitive behaviour therapy skills to people vulnerable to depression and anxiety.

Good luck

Mood gym is excellent Oliver, as is http://www.mind.org.uk/

If this thread helps just one person that has read it, we have all done something magical together.

[Dave Willis]

Is window cleaning depressing?

Seriously, working on your own, crap weather, non paying customers, dirty dog poope gardens etc.

I wonder if this job makes you depressed or does it attract depressed people?

I have ups and downs, varying levels of energy and normally dip about once a month for no particular reason. My wife however just seems to enjoy life no matter what is thrown at her.

I find with this job some customers make you laugh and the banter can be brilliant but on a bad day they all seem a bunch of moaning old gits.

[Marc Stock]

Nahh. Life is so complicated, and hard. Nothing is straightforward anymore.

Biggest challange i have is remembering to take my citrolipram. Miss a dose and your screwed up for days.

Id rather window clean then work in an office staring at a computer all day.

[N Keny]

Thank you to all who posted personal experiences, and I know it has encouraged me, and I hope others too.
I have always tried to help anyone who is going through a tough time, sometimes just having a listening ear, and not being judged can help.
If your a man don.t be ashamed to ask for help ( majority of suicides are men, as they dont find it as easy to talk as women )  and helping others can often help you cope.
Just got to say I am really impressed with the empathy shown by the members on this forum.

hey samson hearing ya mate
stopped taking cipralex 5 weeks ago fed up feeling like a zombie
felt like electric shocks in my head and bad mood swings aggresion/depression sleeplesness and mad dreams
dreamt last night i was at the docs getting new meds as i was so bad
woke up this morning and didnt know if it was real or a dream
then out on the glass for work
ya aint on your own mate its min by min sometimes but if ya aint had it ya really cant understand it