Sometimes sad can be good too

[EB43]

Today was a good but sad run. A year ago today a colleague took her own life. She was a runner and a run in the outdoors, across muddy fields seemed like the right way to remember her. My daughter suffers from anxiety and has been suicidal so I am always close to the fine line between good and poor mental health and how quickly it can change. If you do one thing today look out for others and make every contact count. Just a hello and a smile can make a huge difference.

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

That's very sad but good for you for runnng and thinking of her. Living life to the full is the best gift we can give those who've left.

Thank you for the reminder and I'll think of your post on my run this morning.

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

Thank you.

[jeffbird Graduate10]

A sad anniversary but thoughtful of you to remember her on this day. I'm sure I'm not the only one on here who struggles a bit with mental health and running certainly helps me and through it has given me more confidence to reach out to people too.

Best wishes to you and your daughter too.

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to jeffbird]

Running can help through some tough times and it certainly helps me clear my head when I need to. Thank you

[ktsok]

I am sorry to hear this EB. The line between poor/good mental health can be very fine at times. I shall make sure to give extra smiles and hellos today 🙏

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to ktsok]

Thank you, your reply made me smile.

[Bridget007]

What a lovely way to remember your colleague. It is getting a bit better with people being able to talk about mental health. I had panic attacks for 17 years without feeling able to tell anyone apart from the doctor about it. I beat them off about 15 years ago but do still get the weird breathing every now and then. Whenever I mention it now there is always someone who is relieved that they are not the only one with feelings of anxiety so it’s good to talk about it. I hope your daughter gets the help that she needs so that one day in the future her feelings of anxiety will be a distant memory.

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to Bridget007]

I'm glad you were able to get on top if your panic attacks. We've been very lucky that my daughter has had excellent care and we make little steps forward everyday.

[Jell6 Graduate10]

So true, we had a " Make Every Contact Count " campaign at work a couple of years ago. It applies equally to physical and mental health, lovely that you shared your thoughts today.

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to Jell6]

Thank you. The make every contact count is a really great campaign so really glad others have come across it.

[Sqkr]

This is exactly why I started running in the first place, eighteen months ago my lovely friend decided he'd had enough and at his wake I got chatting to his running club and they convinced me to sign up for the Great North Run ('it's just a short one'). When I got home I discovered the Great North Run is not a short one, but I'd promised, so I bought my first running shoes and got stuck in. The best thing to come out of all of this was the discovery that running is so good for helping with clearing your head and giving you space to put things back into order and perspective. It frees you of the jumble of pressures of modern life, just for long enough to reset. I now understand why my friend ran so much in the first place.

And last September I did do the Great North Run 😊

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to Sqkr]

What a wonderful way to honour your friend and well done, that's one tough little run. Running has been my companion through a tough couple of years and helps with everything that's come our way as a family. My colleague hadn't been able to run for several months before she died and it makes it it all the more important to me that I do because I can.

[Couchpotato2]

Sorry about your situation. I am sure you are channeling your colleague when you run. Can you get your daughter out running? It helped me with anxiety. All the very best

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to Couchpotato2]

Thank you. We do run together when she's able to but some days are a step too far but we take every run as a success and a step closer to her being able to take control.

[Couchpotato2 in reply to EB43]

That’s wonderful. Today, I didn’t manage but hoping PR on Saturday will help me get my mojo back!

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to Couchpotato2]

I find that mojo hunting requires bright running gear and my favourite trainers.......My daughter insists that you have to wear black or it notices you and you can't sneak up and grab it. I hope you find yours at PR but remember just one foot in front of the other is good enough.

[Couchpotato2 in reply to EB43]

Yes that's true. On the plus side, the miserable weather means I can wear my bright running gear and it always cheers me up!

[me2019]

I think you honoured her struggle in such a beautiful way! Yes, running through muddy fields would’ve been tough. Yet, your run signifies getting through not only the muddiness of life (sometimes) but also the field can sometimes seem so big and wide and yet you ran across it! Sometimes we feel like those muddy fields yet one foot in front of the other we help ourselves out. We look back and wonder how we did it. Yet we did. Our real strength is greater than our imagined strength.

Well done!

It’s easy to run (do anything really) when we’re feeling on top of things, yet doing a run when we’re mentally treading through mud takes a special kind of get-go. Be proud. Really proud.

well done again! brilliant.

[EB43 Graduate10 in reply to me2019]

Thank you, you have articulated beautifully how some days feel, but even a bad run or a bad day is part of our journey and another day delivers something different and another chance to begin again.

[Sadie-runs Graduate10]

Thank you for sharing this, and I am so sorry to hear about your colleague. But pleased to hear your daughter is getting good care for her anxiety, and that running is a great medicine for you too, when life chucks hard stuff at you.

It is amazing that when we start to talk about mental health issues, the more we realise that it is so common, and in that, we are not alone. I started running to help deal with some low level depression, and it truly has helped. I now feel down far less, in fact, my emotions feel very well balanced. And this community on HU - it is the best, we are so lucky to have this where we can talk about such things, as well as running.

Big hug to you.

Sadie-runs x

[JonathanP Graduate10]

A lovely thing to do in her memory EB43. All the best to you and your daughter.

[Wimborne]

Oh EB what a beautiful way of remembering her. Just heartwarming although so sad. Sending a big virtual hug to you. And sending one to your daughter too. 🤗 🤗. And yes. We all need to make every contact count.