I’m in a dark place at the moment and the hardest thing is that I don’t know why…I have everything I’ve ever wanted, I have no complaints of life and yet I feel sad and without motivation to do the things I normally love. Thats depression for you…
Some of you know my backstory with depression and substance abuse, but those of you who are new around here, probably don’t know that I suffer from depression.
This week I wanted to give you a quick life update on where I’m at, in the hopes that I can normalise those ‘down and negative’ feelings that we all experience as we move through the complexity that is ‘life.’
#itsoknottobeok #beanddomore
28 Comments
Thank you for being vulnerable and being open and honest. I’m also a cyclist and have been struggling these past few months with depression and a lot of difficult emotions. It helps me to know that someone else is going through similar emotions and is able to speak out about it. It gives me hope and reminds me that one is never alone in their struggle. Thanks again for sharing.
I feel for people who value social media. You're exactly right in my opinion, most of it is all unrealistic staged meaningless bullshit. Thank you for sharing, it takes a lot of guts to open up like that! Reality like this does make a difference, socials don't.
I've just come off all social media… apart from YT obviously! 😊
I have had this my whole life but getting back on a bike after many years off is helping, I forgot how much exercise helps. So watching your videos is helping alot with the targets I want to hit. If social media isn't great then stuff it for a while and sought yourself.
Sharing low points of a personal life is a very strong mental move! Speaking to audience, even through a camera, is a good way to offset anxiety and all that accumulated mental load. Simply never keep all of that inside you and let it go via talking to someone.
We hear and totally understand you, Jack. At the same time, you are a very inspirational human being who I am personally very admired 🙌 I wish you to be stronger than you ever were, wish you to keep going and keep you head up, wish you enjoying your life and people around you!
❤
Hey Jack. Thank you for uploading this video.. I am sorry to hear that you are having a very rough time. I hope you start feeling better soon…I think so many people on social media, portray the near perfect life.. perfect job, house, bike,girlfriend, weather …everything…and invariably when we compare ourselves to them.. we always come out 2nd best. I look forward to watching your tips to help yourself feel better.
Thank you, Jack
Hey, you must have spend a lot of time thinking why you feel what you feel. I’m on this train too.
Figured so far that depression is in my case causes some faults in abnormal consumption or production (hard to tell which, exactly – that’s where I’m at) of some particular neurotransmitter. If so, then it would be possible to “rebalance” the system – adjust the default level of that neurotransmitter using certain medcines, increasing the dosage like when docs treat allergy – it takes years but eventually levels of sensitivity to an allergen shift and current levels aren’t causing any symptoms anymore)
Thanks for sharing, being open and honest. Your an inspiration to me and many people
I have spent too many days stuck in bed and sleeping away the depression. It is hard to put into writing but that has to be one of the first steps is acknowledgement of the problem. Social media exacerbated the emptiness to the point that I have given it up. I am even off Strava because I felt what once had me striving became just another platform that had a negative effect on my self talk—a ride was to achieve an end rather than a celebration of the process.
I appreciate your online journaling and wish you the best in finding internal peace. Ride strong, Amigo.
This intro was the best summary of suffering and the way humans often feel. Thank you thank you! That first achievement of the day, let’s all keep fighting for that. To quote A.A Milne, “the best thing about the rain, is that it always stops”
big message right here. thanks for this!
Nice video. Good luck at Unbound!
Thanks for sharing these thoughts. Even if we practically have everything, and we should be happy, that's not always the case… There are positive moments where you want to rock the world, and negative moments where you don't feel like doing anything. Okay, we are not robots. Thank you for your advice on how to deal with these situations, I follow them with great interest. Thank you with all my heart.
Depression is a funny thing. Like you, I suffered with it for decades. I think I truly kicked the habit aged 43, when my Dad passed away – that was 5 years ago.
It came down to one, simple thing – accept that sometimes, I just don't feel great – and don't give a second of thought to trying to understand why. I just know that it's how it goes and where I would once ponder those thoughts which could quite often spiral down into the dark place, I now see the thought, and move on from it. It really is a case of letting things go, being more relaxed, and not trying to achieve all the things I wanted – which might sound defeatist – yet it was the striving to do so much that often led me to not be happy, I was very focused on things being 'done right' which also caused me a lot of problems if they weren't.
Like you, I cycle. Like you, I push myself from time to time – 500km+ single solo rides, Everested a few times, etc. My goals aren't as grand as yours, yet they're most often not related to cycling as cycling is just way to stay fit physically and mentally. Though it still comes back to understanding that not all of my goals will be achieved and that's okay. Unlike you, I don't come from a family of achievers – quite the opposite – so I don't have that pressure.
Still, I passed on work opportunities that could easily have led to being nominated for an Oscar at least, and awarded one at best. Why? Because it wasn't where I wanted to go, so I chose a path of more simplicity as I knew it was a path to a better me.
In his passing my Dad showed me one incredibly valuable thing – the value of living.
In his memory, I live.
Thanks Jack. I love the honesty, not negative to me, it’s a breath of fresh air if you ask me.
I’m tracking reasonable at the moment but it doesn’t take much to wobble so I just take each day as it comes:)
Glad I have my bikes in my life:)
Keep going mate.
Having gone through alcoholism and depression I came out the other side scarred, sober and a little bit wiser.
The way I see it these days is a blessing and a curse. We do amazing things and live amazing lives to ensure we don't go back to the dark places, this is the blessing, an exciting and dynamic life. Even if we still have the bad days and question why we do it.
I look at some of the people I grew up with, they live in the same area, haven't done much with their lives but seem to be happy and content with who they are and what they're doing. This is the curse, sometimes I feel so jealous that I have to consistently push my limits and seek out new experiences, whilst other can live a simple and content life.
I'm wondering if this resonates with you as well Jack?
thanks, jack.
Have you talked to a doc about this? Ever been on meds? I have a friend who takes medication for depression and he feels like it really helps him a lot.
Another thing to consider is the health of your dopamine system. You talk about social media and this can definitely contribute to deleterious changes to your dopamine system. I'd encourage you to read Dopamine Nation, and if you watch porn, Your Brain on Porn.
Materialistic things are just objects which appear to give a person short term positive feeling or joy. It’s ok to feel down, crappy and depressed. Depression is the bodies way of saying I need deep rest (Dee-press ion). Social media was the worse thing ever created. Have a listen to the single by supertramp (the logical song) it typifies our life and our journey and how tricked we get by society.
All the best, remember, life is just a journey.
you are living in a prison of existence…get a life. —rabbi manis friedman.
I have started going on five hr rides, and i found these longer zone 2 (ish) rides has made life more ok for me. Perhaps i have been a bit depressed these last few years, or perhaps im mistaken (ultimately). Anyways, i feel better, and i really dont know why depression should be such a touchy subject for (especially) men to discuss, except for the fact that it is often suffered by individuals who seem to have it all. And perhaps i answered my own question, maybe the sacred cows of western societies (success, money, achievement) cannot deliver us salvation. And i am ok with that.
Hi Jack, thank you for sharing. You are right about social media, a lot there is not showing reality. So I don‘t use them mostly, except for YT snd reddit. And the feelings you describe are familiar through me, going to a low at this time. It is not severe, but it impacts my daily life. Also have a good job etc., in my case it‘s too much stress which causes it.
Cycling is a fun tool for me to fight the symptoms and stress. I ride to work and in my free time and I am certain it helped me a lot to lessen the impact of depression.
I hope you are doing better. And that all you out there find a way to keep the disease in check and enjoy your lifes.
Thank you my cycling brother for your open honesty. Its really good to see a man being vulnerable. You have given me a moment to think. Thank you 👊🏾👊🏾
Thank you for sharing this. You are not alone.
Just seen a couple of comments about how having kids may help. We should not bring kids into the world as some kind of cure or tool to tackle depression. There are plenty of depressed parents out there and kids who feel the effect of their depressed parent. Even if the reasoning is about taking the focus off oneself and focusing on others, having kids is not the answer to depression. Thank you Jack for your honesty in this video.
Thank you Jack!
Overtraining'll do it.