Blog 1 - The Reason why & How
Anxiety & Depression
Anyone who deals with anxiety and depression on a regular basis know how debilitating it can be. It can create fear, a lack of confidence, and be emotionally draining to the point it becomes a battle just to get though each day. Sometimes a really simple task such as getting dressed in the morning can feel like a huge win.
It can also bring with it lots of little quirks such as checking the hob is turned off numerous times, a fear of going out alone, making sure the door is locked over and over again etc. Many people feel they are completely alone when dealing with these quirks or worry they have OCD, but the one thing the talk groups we run have taught us is that you’re not alone, and all these little things are common for people suffering with anxiety and depression.
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Links to all our podcasts are...
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Life Recently and future
Sharing Hub Plans
First Blog in a While
It’s safe to say blogs have been MIA for a while due to physical and mental health issues.
But, having done three podcasts recently, one specifically relating to mental health, and how Natalie and I cope with it, I thought it was time to start practicing what we preach, and get back into some sort of routine and doing things that help.
Click on link below to continue reading...
Sharing Lived Health Experiences
Long Time No Write
It’s been a long time since Nat, and I were able to do a podcast, or I have written a blog for The Sharing Hub. However, some news this week made me realise if ever there was a reason to open my laptop and start typing it is this.
Here at The Sharing Hub, we pride ourselves on being able to help people dealing with any chronic and mental health issues, because we understand what they’re going through due to our own lived experience. I hope that by sharing this update, anyone reading this will feel able to approach us for support and help on how to deal/juggle everyday life around any of their health issues. Last week I was diagnosed with something which isn’t the worst thing, but it will have an impact on my training/exercise and physical activity in general. Before I get to it here is my story...
My Story
Over the years some form of training has always been important to me. Throughout school and beyond I swam. I loved it and could easily do 100 lengths a few times a week. However, as time went on, I started to have issues with both my shoulders, to the point I had to stop swimming. It turns out all the repetitive movement had torn both my rotator cuffs, and I ended up having surgery to fix them. Despite surgery they’ve never been the same and I’ve not been able to swim as frequently or do that number of lengths since.
After a long recovery period and an even longer period where I stubbornly refused to try any other exercise - I was convinced nothing would compare to swimming, I finally turned to a former work colleague turned personal trainer for help - AKA John at The Body Circuit. He started me on circuit classes and then introduced me to lifting weight. I quickly fell in love with it for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there is no better feeling than hitting a new deadlift PB and through years of hard work and determination I hit a 100kg PB, rapidly followed by even heavier weight and new PBs. But it wasn’t just the buzz of hitting a new PB that I loved. It’s knowing I’m a 5ft 1 “girly girl,” who likes to have my hair and nails done etc but be the strongest version of myself and lift some seriously heavy weight. The contradiction has always amused me.
More importantly it’s my therapy, when I’m struggling with anxiety, stress etc, it’s my go to release, my happy place, and a safe space where I can cancel out all the internal noise. This brings me closer to present day.
Back Declared War
A couple of years ago I ended up in A & E in agony with my back and sciatic pain down my leg. I was informed I had a couple of slipped discs, and with some rest and physio and I would be fine. It was a slow recovery, where I couldn’t train for a few months. Once I got back into it, I slowly started to build my strength and weight back, but every few months, my back declared war on me and I had to stop. It’s been this way ever since. Each time the pain worse and lasting longer. By the middle of this year the ache/pain was constant, and although I was training, it was hit and miss dependent on how bad the pain was, and my frustration was growing by the day. By the end of September, I had completely stopped training as it was too painful, I didn’t know what was causing it, and I was worried I would aggravate it. Finally, after numerous visits to my GP I was referred for an MRI Scan, which I had a couple of weeks ago, and I got the results last week.
Diagnosis
I was told I’m in the early stages of degenerative disc disease in my L3, L4, L5 and S1 vertebrae, and all the discs have slipped.
As it stands, they’re going to monitor it and recommended conservative management – physio, pain meds and suggested I start to train again to build up strength to prevent it getting worse and slow down the deterioration.
One of the first people I told was John, who was amazing. He assured me that we can find a way around it, build strength and keep training, even if it looks slightly different - deadlifts and squats won’t be happening for the foreseeable future if at all. To say I’m beyond gutted is an understatement, once again my body has let me down, and it’s preventing me from doing something I love.
Although it’s not life limiting or the worst diagnosis, it’s still overwhelming, not just because it means having to give up doing something that made me feel good, but because “degenerative” is a big word, with potentially big implications further down the road, if conservative management and building strength doesn’t work and it gets worse…
Going Forward
Like a lot of people we support at The Sharing Hub, I too must find a way forward to deal with my emotions, the pain and learn to live and manage everyday life with it. For me the hardest part will be having to change the way I train yet again. When I first realised this, I was devastated, but someone I am extremely close to pointed something out. To paraphrase he said “you hit a 100kg deadlift after having shoulder surgery, that isn’t just physical strength, it’s grit, discipline and heart, your strength isn’t just the weight on the bar, it’s the fact you’ve come back from injuries most people would have quit over” I’ve since re-read that message a lot and it has given me the motivation, strength and courage to not let this new set back get the better of me. And with John’s help I have already completed two training sessions. I know it won’t be easy, but I won’t let this diagnosis win.
Final Thought
If I can find a way forward to manage a new health issue and not let it take over my life, then anyone can. All it takes are a few kind words, support and some practical advice. That is what The Sharing Hub is about after all – A strong, supportive community, is built on compassion and collaboration.
Till next time…