Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

I don't think that's fair. Self-pity is but a short stroll from depression, and anyone who has had that will tell you it's the worst.

My Dad had severe depression on the late 70s early 80s and fully recovered, in the last four years he has had bowel and prostate cancer (now recovered) and my mother (his wife of 55 years) has died, he says that the depression was far worse than any of the pain or loss.

I'd agree with you Mary - my other sibling and I have long thought that he needs help with depression. But he does not accept that. Everything that happens to him is someone else's fault. Even though his eldest son had a confidential conversation with his GP and the GP tried to get somewhere with him, he went ballistic and sacked the GP for 'impertinence', insisting on moving to another doctor in the same practice and reporting the poor hapless chap to the GMC for interference.
It's very hard to know what to do to help or support anyone in such a mindset.
Kerren

I apologise if I have given the impression that all problems can be overcome with a cheerful grin !
I suppose I was only relating to Diabetes.
I appreciate the posts about Depression, (Having been a Director of an NHS Trust, dealing with Mental Health and also Vice Chair of Dorset Mind) This is a terrible illness, and can affect all ages, the worst "Help" is -- "Pull yourself together Lad !"
Many sufferers are in denial, because of the awful stigma of anything to do with Mental Health.
I can only repeat that, with which I used to start my "Talks" ---- Hands up anybody, who has never been depressed, in their life ------No hands go up !
My cheerfulness, at 80, is probably due to my stupidity at not being able to understand the problems. !!
This does not apply to Diabetes --- we are all Experts.

Apropos visiting other Houses ----
In my day -- 1940-1946 we, of Ba B would only have visited Maine A Mob Handed !
(To say nothing of Ba A !) It would appear that CH has become more civilised -- it must be the Girls - Sorry " Ladies" !

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:... the awful stigma of anything to do with Mental Health...

I just want to add a little bit about depression. For excellent experience and therapeutic advice about this condition, look back to posts from gingerbeard. He really knows what he's talking about!

I realise that I first was blighted with depression at CH. That was why I resorted to a ridiculous compensating hilarity most of the time. Being funny was the only way I could cope with the life.

(In fact, I was Becomming a New Dep-pressive!)

It's so much less difficult being physically ill! It's hard to explain a hideous creeping exhausting black brain fog that prevents one from seeing any possible reason for existing at all. During bouts of depression I can't say that I have suffered the same mindset as Kerren's brother, however. Everything at which I have failed is certainly my own fault, and any pity I have felt in the past is undoubtably for anyone who has had to put up with me in a depressed state.

Enough! Enough!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I apologise if I have given the impression that all problems can be overcome with a cheerful grin !
I suppose I was only relating to Diabetes.
I appreciate the posts about Depression, (Having been a Director of an NHS Trust, dealing with Mental Health and also Vice Chair of Dorset Mind) This is a terrible illness, and can affect all ages, the worst "Help" is -- "Pull yourself together Lad !"
Many sufferers are in denial, because of the awful stigma of anything to do with Mental Health.
I can only repeat that, with which I used to start my "Talks" ---- Hands up anybody, who has never been depressed, in their life ------No hands go up !My cheerfulness, at 80, is probably due to my stupidity at not being able to understand the problems. !!
This does not apply to Diabetes --- we are all Experts.

I think I can honnestly say I have never been depressed. Down, fed up, pissed off, baby blues, the lot, but never depressed.

Angela Woodford wrote: (In fact, I was Becomming a New Dep-pressive!)

If those were the kind of jokes you were coming up with...well, what more can I say? Except for this...

Q: What do you call a painter with dyed black hair?
A: (written in white, highlight to see) Vincent Van Goth.

OOhhh I feel SO OLD. I can't make anything of Josh 'The Hammer's' 'joke'. Please can somone less dim than I am offer an explanation....?
This is exacerbated by the fact that I bought a new HP Smartphone last week. It's so bl**dy smart that I can't yet work out how to use it properly. There's no helpful manual. You have to rely on a page on a website and on a very complicated CD.
Is it time for me to hang up whatever OAPs need to 'hang up', and go into retirement.......Doh!

Well, at the risk or patronising you completely, did you follow the instruction (highlight the phrase to the right on the answer line, so you could read it), or did you think "written in white, highlight to see" was actually the answer? I had to think about it a couple of times until I realised it was an instruction (Doh!). I'm afraid the punchline wasn't very funny, but I have learned an excellent way to hide spoilers, much better than padding the screen with blank lines. Thanks, Josh!

DEFINITELY..... OAP'dom beckons. Thanks for totally flummoxing me, Jo!

And so my bad jokes begin to infect the forum...

For all the poetry geeks:
Q: How is a teacher like a spondee?
A: They're totally stressed!

I am usually quite good at this with a (nearly) 20 yo and a 23 yo at home, but please, what is a spondee?

Totally lost... on the Forum.
OAP and worse........

englishangel wrote:I am usually quite good at this with a (nearly) 20 yo and a 23 yo at home, but please, what is a spondee?

Go back to your youth, Mary and remember classes with Queenie Blench in UVA classroom!

I remembered the phrase "slow spondee stalks" and found this link http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/549.html. I hadn't realised that the poem was by Coleridge.