A Blog by Rob Thread.

[Duckman]

Rob's first blog for MFX Ramblings and it's deep, meaningful and personal.

A look at mental health issues and the reaction to them by society and the media.

Check it out here:

http://www.marksforxcellence.com/?p=634

While we're waiting to sort out the comments on the site, feel free to comment in this thread.

[Sgt. Josh Underpants]

Great job Rob

[Stoner]

Oh man.  A legit serious blog.  Wasn't um...  Wasn't expecting that.

Shit man.  I liked it.

[Drama Queen]

Good read rob. I like that you include specific examples, and honestly it does make me see things from a perspective I may at times have overlooked. I hope you continue to do this, and I hope lots of people read it. It's important.

[Rob]

Thanks guys, I was going to just write bullshit jokes about World of Warcraft and Crystal Palace but I just started writing about this and it felt right and deeply personal to me so I really do appreciate your feedback.

I've never really opened myself up like this before but it's very therapeutic and quite terrifying!

[ToneCold]

Good read and brought up things I have to admit I hadn't considered. Great job

[Brock Rhysner]

Just when I was about to write my first one, Rob comes along with the same idea and does it 100 times better then I ever could.

Excellent read.

[Rob]

Thanks guys, it really truly means a lot.

I've started the next one. It's a brighter note as I feel brighter today! The kind messages makes it very much worth doing.

[Cory]

Nice read Rob, Im perfectly in your comparison between the media/govt and how they handle mental illness. I've never understood mental illness and was always a "boo hoo, everyone has shit to deal with suck it up" kinda person, and still kinda struggle to accept mental illness as a way out of crimes and things like that. However...

....I was helping my older brother move out from our parents house about 6 months ago and stumbled upon a bunch of medications and pills. I had no idea what these were, figured they were cold pills or pain pills (he tore his ACL playing soccer a while back) and didnt think anything of it.

About a month ago I was in his room looking for some workout supplements and I found these pills again that he left.....curiosity I googled it and he had about 2-3 different bottles of anti-depressants, anxiety pills and such. He's 6 years my elder and we're very close and I've NEVER had a clue about this. I knew maybe once or twice a year he would stay in his bed all day, ignoring me, my family, his fiance but I never thought anything other than he was just being a shut in.

Now I know what he has been struggling with and it brings a new perspective to everything. Looking at why he never liked going out on the town with his friends, why he will go a few days without texting me back (he's currently living half way around the country with my cousins for work, his finance lives here in our hometown still) and you can tell its not easy on him.....but before a month ago I would text him like "your phone broke bitch" or "stop being a dick" when he didnt wanna talk or something....but now I know its something more than that and have been handling things different, trying to help him get out of his depression and being more supportive.

Back to the article, well done Rob as someone going in-directly something similar to you. Serious issue without a doubt.

[Duckman]

That's such a great post.  Good stuff Cory.

And great work Rob!  Told you this was a good idea!

[Rob]

Thanks for sharing that Cory and you're right, those are some things I've had to deal with. A lot of people assume you MUST have gone through shit to be depressed but it's not true. You don't need to lose a loved one or go through poverty or any other extreme event to be depressed or feel anxiety or self-loathing emotions. You can be the most successful or most talented songwriter in the world (Elliott Smith, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, etc, etc) and you could be suffering from mental illnesses.

The thing for me which is weird when I want to lock myself away and not really talk to anyone at all, I'll tell myself I'm down because nobody wants to hang with me, which in incorrect. When it comes to going outside I become quite fearful of it at first, then I settle once I'm out and I have no issues. Might be something similar to what your brother experiences.

The first step for me is always the most difficult step to take, but after that I can do anything.

It's not always a case of saying to your brother "I'm here for you man" cause he knows you are, it's when he looks out for you and finds you, that's what is important. At least it is to me anyway, I can't speak for your bro.

Thanks for reading it anyway, I'm glad it's had an affect on so many people already.