Peas, Peas, Peas, Let Me Get What I Want - 10 / 10 club all welcome

[FrannytheDruid]

For anyone who wants a boost to their general health. The suggested goals are:

EAT 10 PORTIONS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EVERY DAY - if you don't usually eat much fruit and veg I would build up gradually or you could upset your digestion.

DO (AT LEAST) 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE EVERY DAY - can be yoga, stretching or something more energetic. The plan is that the idea of doing 10 minutes is not too daunting, and having started you may well find you want to do more.

There are no restrictions on what you eat so long as you get your 10 fruit and veg as well. The focus is not on weight loss but on improving our energy levels and hopefully our general mood and well-being. Sign up below and post here to tell us how you're getting on and how you are feeling.

Basic guidance on what constitutes a portion of fruit and veg here and you can download more detailed information by following the link at the very bottom of the page.

fmf......how old are your boys?

Sorry for large outpouring on my depressive history .

Have had some bits of counselling, but it gets rather dredging over stuff for me.

What do you know about CBT FMF? I think it might help me (and it is getable through the GPs).

FMV you certianly have a lot on your plate.

I have a friend who's partner has long term depression and it's a terribel strain. I don;t underestimate the effect this probably has on your ability to deal with other crises that life may be throwing at you.

Idris I had some sort of breakdown about 9 years ago. I didn't see it coming at all. I took ADs for about 4 years because I had problems coming off them (a whole 'nother thread).

I think I probably also had undiagnosed PND although it wasn;t like my previous experience of depression.

Just wanted to say, so you know if you post about this kind of thing, that we know what you are on about

Lull - they are probably old enough to help but I am have been available to be at their beck and call for too long to suddenly launch them into heavy duty housework
(7 in a fortnight and 10 at Xmas)

Idris, I'm not very knowledgeable about CBT.(I'm not 'qualified', I just work in MH) I know that CBT can help some people but not everybody - I would like Dh to have some. It is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people, or events. The idea is you can change the way you think to feel/act better even if the situation does not change.
You can now get 'online, do-it-yourself CBT via your GP - ask him/her about Beating The Blues. (I don't know what it's like as you can't access it unless it is prescribed to you, but one of our clients says it has helped her - rather than face a long wait for counselling.

Many counsellors use elements of CBT. I wouldn't imagine it would be very effective if you had a depressive illness, as opposed to 'reactive' depression. It is 'quicker' in terms of results, so may be better if you are unable to face the 'dredging'...

It's very good that your DH is so aware and supportive. Do CAT me if you think I can help with any further info. x

CBT can be good Idris. The thing that helped dp the most with depression was CAT - cognitive analytic therapy. It's kind of a combination of CBT and psychoanalysis i think. You work on changing the patterns of thought and behaviour, but you also figure out where they come from. With CBT you don't look back much. It's lots of writing - lots of homework, - very structured. You and your therapist have to write letters to each other alot - dp liked that bit.

Dp also slumping - and has just been back to see CAT person for a chat and it really did give him a boost.

fmf....i wasn't thinking along those lines lovely....i was wondering about their birthdays

what are they in to?
ds is only 3 but we seem to stockpile gifts/books etc here

Evening all

just watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind....god it was depressing, I thought it was going to be a real feelgood film and I spent about 2/3 of it feeling really tense, and the last 1/3 feeling really sad and hopeless knowing they were just going to do the same old crap over again. What was the point of their relationship? They were not meant to be together, I found it desperately miserable actually....oh dear

FMF very sorry to hear all that. I wish I had advice to make things better. I do have admiration for the way you cope with stuff that would make other people crumble. You're a great strong role model for your children, you know.

at all the sharing on here lately. I am feeling a bit emotional. I hope everyone is ok.

Hello Franny

am that I missed your photo again! Please re post it if you can, I should be around for a bit!

oh lord franny...was quite looking forward to that...dont think i'll bother after all now

one needs a feel good film

Oh LL lots of other people said they loved it, maybe it was just me

hang on wombling

here you go

your turn now wombling

I can empathise with depression too...so um I will and am..

on the brighter side i just had a long and chatty phone call with a lovely bloke (lush bloke)who is going to take me on a climbing wall...which I've never done

and he is so far very respectable and a physicist

hopefully he won't back out...

not i am depressed I am sending empathising hugs

oh cool I fancy climbing, it gives you great muscles

I hope he doesn't turn out to be TOO respectable zippi

the film Avi?

he is very cool looking sort of cross between clerk kent and keanu reeves..(not sure this is a date or just a friend thing he is 31)

Thanks franny, you have a lovely, expressive face, not twisty at all!

hang on a sec, need to work out the technology.

Sounds good Zippi!

tsk tsk avi not here

I have a headache and am going to bed actually, do you mind?

I have eaten tons of stuff today - after breakfast I had pear, baked beans + black-eyed beans for lunch, salad with romaine and that curly lettuce, cucumber, avocado, tomatoes from the garden, beetroot, carrot, more beans. Then cake, and plenty of it.

avi can you tell me why you didn't like it? I am feeling anxious that I have turned into relationship cynic person with no romance in my soul etc. I thought this was lovely happy fluffy true love type film.

Tomatoes from your garden Franny, do they taste like sunshine?

well he was nice anyway i was dreading him ringing but i managed to never stop talking in a kind of nervous fashion hence the climbing wall thing lol..and he is going to go on my facebook