The mental game. Managing the all-too-common mental illnesses that beset many of us. And being open to discussing and breaking down prejudices about mental illness.
My challenges with depression and anxiety and all that comes with that. I have suffered for as long as I can remember; my earliest memories are those of anxiety and fear. Matters have tended to worsen as years have passed, and it has affected all aspects of my life and well-being.
Getting your mental game in shape can be a long road, and progress can be erratic. I have a robust set of tools and a good support network. But the mental game is something that needs work every day. There is no vacation day to look forward to.
Mental health awareness has improved in recent years. In some areas, it is still seen as a weakness. Sports and the workplace have made strides, but there is a long way to go. My small commitment to helping others has been to speak openly in the workplace and on this blog. My thought has been that if I help one person a tiny amount, it’s been worth it.
Off The Drugs It’s been an odd couple of weeks in my recovery process. I tapered off the serious painkillers and am on ibuprofen and paracetamol only. This had two effects. Firstly my sleep has become quite fractured, and I’m struggling to reach six hours …
Off The Serious Drugs Cold turkey for me. I’m in an odd place now, things are going well, but it’s also challenging. Allow me to explain. I’ve spent six weeks on Fentanyl, ketamine, morphine, Gabapentin, ibuprofen, and paracetamol. While they have been ramping down, I …
Learning from recovery, a month to the day since my cycling crash in Ride London 100. I have discovered new aspects of life, and have had time to reflect on my journey. I’m very conscious that my diary could become a ‘poor me’ or ‘aren’t …
Pills And Plans A month since my cycling accident this weekend. Pills and plans are the rehab highlights of the week. It feels like time has moved very quickly. I hadn’t realised a month had flown by. I have had industrial strength doses of ketamine …
The Journey May Take A Touch Longer Rehab highway may be up to another 12 weeks, according to a top practitioner. I keep trying to make light of some significant league injuries, but many more experienced people than I keep advising me not to make …
Rehab diaries for 19 June. A care package turned up from my colleagues at Science in Sport Performance Solutions. I need all the help I can get.
Was It Worth It? Life and risk has occupied my mind of late. As readers know, I had a heavy fall at Ride London 100 almost three weeks ago. With help from some great friends, my bike was retrieved and was largely undamaged. I also …
Ride London 100 Trauma, healing, growth have occupied me for the last three weeks. Dealing with a severe injury was not something on my list of 2023 goals. But it has happened, and my plans have changed. How do I turn trauma into a growth …
How do we define failure? NBA great Giannis Antetokounmpo was visibly frustrated after the shock defeat in round one of the playoffs last week. At himself, and I suspect his head coach. When reporter Eric Nehm of The Athletic asked him how he viewed the …
The Older I Get, The Clearer The Path Finding my way back to myself. It sounds odd, but it isn’t really. I’m assuming that I was myself at the start of my life. Before coming into contact with my family, other people, and the environment …