Man v Brain

One man's life long journey to keep mentally healthy through physical fitness. This is the first downward turn I have taken since the birth of my son. I will fight this for him! I will not wallow as I have in the past. This is no longer just about me. I will be strong!

[symphonyofawesomeness]

[symphonyofawesomeness]

[symphonyofawesomeness]

[gqa1]

Reblog In 5 seconds for good luck

[nullelemental]

​this worked last night lets go for round two

[themindmovement]

It’s the questions we can’t answer that teach us the most. They teach us how to think. If you give a man an answer, all he gains is a little fact. But give him a question and he’ll look for his own answers.

Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man’s Fear (via themindmovement)

[wilwheaton]

For many Brexit voters the prime minister just confirmed to them how little the winners of globalisation like him cared about them, the losers. “If only the false promise that Britain’s malaise of disenfranchisement, voicelessness and an economic system that rewards the rich at the expense of the poor could be fixed by leaving the EU. The idea that migrants or politicians in Brussels are the problem with modern, unequal Britain was the canard at the core the referendum debate. "Britain’s problems come from a place much closer to home. They come from successive government policies that have promoted the financialisation of our economies and public services, thereby valuing profit over people. They come from a Tory government slashing public services and widening inequality under the dubious banner of austerity. And they come from a prime minister who was passionate about nothing but his own political survival.” These problems are so systemic today that fixing them will take a radical change to the structure of both our economy and political class. More of the past will not do to resolve the very real and interconnected global issues of our time: vast and rising wealth inequality, climate change and a foreign policy trapped in a cycle of destruction. That feels about right. Because similar sentiments are boiling up here among those who feel like globalization’s losers and the political class’ victims. (A lot of us, frankly.) Sadly, for those easily swayed by mountebanks, TRUMP is the remedy for anything that ails ya. Just ask him. Got Mexicans? No problemo. TRUMP stops unwanted immigrants in their tracks. Pesky establishment? TRUMP politically incorrects for that. Lost your job? TRUMP again. Whites not white enough? TRUMP will make them bolder if not brighter. For the left, Bernie Sanders more than his rival has focused on the harm the financialization of the economy has done to working Americans (and to those who once worked). Nonetheless, Hillary Clinton is poised to be the presidential candidate for Democrats this fall. Sanders told MSNBC this morning he will vote for her and “do everything I can to defeat Donald Trump.” With Sanders having come so far attacking economic inequality and a calcified establishment, with Trump peddling economic snake oil to the disenfranchised, and with Britain having given EU austerity the middle finger, the question for the left here is: Are Democrats listening? This week’s sit-in on the House floor suggests they might be, finally. Those who know her say Hillary Clinton is a good listener. She has a chance now to prove that to the rest of the country.

Brexit: “Leave” wins. Now what?

My view from America tracks really closely with this column. It seems like the financial elites fucked the middle class for so long that the right wing nationalists seized a golden opportunity to place the blame for those terrible policies on immigrants, the poor, and others who can’t stand up for themselves because they have no voice or representation in government.

It seems to me that if there had been a strong middle class (that hadn’t been decimated by globalization and austerity politics), this vote never would have happened, and the racist, xenophobic, nationalist right wing would have remained on the fringes where it belongs.

But this has empowered that right wing fringe in England, and it’s empowering the same in America and other countries around the world. That’s terrifying to me, and I hope that it is a loud and undeniable wakeup call for the politicians who are not wholly-owned by global business: start working for and representing real, actual people, so a strong middle class comes back fast, or we’re all fucked.

(via wilwheaton)

[wilwheaton]

How's your day been wil? i know you dont get asked this question usualy

I had a terrible day yesterday. Here’s what I wrote in my personal blog at SuicideGirls:

I had such terrible nightmares last night, I woke up at least seven times in a panic. It was the kind of panic that I haven’t experienced in months. Each time I woke from the nightmare, I had to drag myself out of sleep to a level of clear awareness that allowed me to look around, remind myself where I was, that the images and feelings my brain had been attacking me with while I was asleep weren’t real. And yet, somehow, the nightmare persisted across all the gaps that should have stopped it when I was awake.

When the alarm went off this morning, I felt nauseated, exhausted, and relieved.

The one cup of coffee I had today to help me wake up decided to skip the waking me up part and go straight to the making me panicky, anxious, and jittery. So I decided to take 5mg Ativan (even though I really didn’t want to) because I have it precisely for instances like this.

It isn’t working. Now I’m panicky, anxious, jittery, and drowsy …  but too awake to take a nap. And even if I could, the fear that this nightmare (which isn’t a narrative, more of a feeling and the suggestion of a particular geography that surfaces in my nightmares) will return is making me feel seriously afraid of letting my guard down and falling asleep.

I am not having a good day.

I was planning to go to the season 2 premier of POWERS last night, and I couldn’t even leave my house because I was so anxious and shaky. So I missed seeing a bunch of my friends, and I missed celebrating the show that I’m so proud to be a small part of. That’s the worst part of my mental illness: when it asserts itself and takes control of my life, even temporarily, it can make me miss out on really great things.

I feel better and more normal today. I slept well last night, and if I had any bad dreams, I don’t remember them. And that’s one of the truly frustrating things about my particular flavor of mental illness: it can consume and control my life for a few hours or a day or two days or whatever, and then I can wake up and it’s like it was never there … and I don’t know why, I don’t know how to stop it, I can’t control it, and I just have to live with it. The silver lining to all of this, if there is one, is that getting through it like I always do reminds me that when it does this sort of thing, it is only temporary. If I’d been unable to go last night because of the flu or some physical illness, I just would have thought, “well, this is a bummer but what am I gonna do?” I have to work hard to treat mental illness the same way, but to be honest it’s a challenge not to get mad at my brain for not being a team player.

[fightingupwards]

There are times (not many) when I forget just how amazing you are as a human. Then you are this open and honest and I am reminded of just how awesome you are.

[icecream-eaterrr]

I just heard this woman say “you procrastinate because you are afraid of rejection. It’s a defense mechanism, you are trying to protect yourself without even trying.” and I think I just realized what was wrong with me.

[eupheme-butterfly]

Yep, this is a very, very common reason for procrastinating.  It’s also why procrastination, even though it’s often associated with laziness, is a fairly common trait in a lot of people with anxiety and perfectionism issues.

[the-handstander-deactivated2017]

Also, from a bahavioural perspective, you “learn” to procrastinate. When you feel worried or anxious about something you have to do and then you procrastinate, the first thing you feel is relief. This is negative reinforcement and it takes time to “unlearn” procrastinating, because for a lots of things you don’t get rewards right away.

[wannabeorganized]

Reblogging for the last comment.

[fightingupwards]

This speaks to me on an almost religious level

[yodiscrepo]

[britishpike]

this is fucked up. this fucked me up. the teachers fucked up by not showing us this fuck up. fuck.

[rosadhu]

HOLY FUCKING SHIT

[wilwheaton]

See, the thing about this, is that if we had been shown and taught this, it would have made math COOL AND FUN AND FUCKING MAGICAL instead of a thing we had to learn because of reasons.

I know my teachers did the best they could in the 1980s, and I don’t fault them for making math this epic struggle that some kids were good at and some kids just couldn’t understand but … wait. Actually, I do fault them. My teachers in elementary school were so busy telling us about how we were sinners who were going to hell, they didn’t teach us cool tricks and stuff like this, maybe because they were afraid that math would lead to science would lead to  QUESTIONS.

Or not. My point is: I wish I’d learned cool tricks like this one that would have turned math into something magical and fun instead of a fucking chore that I’m still horrible at understanding.

[fightingupwards]

While I agree that maths should inspire a sense of awe there is a serious issue with children seeing maths as magic.

As for fun I totally agree maths is fun and children should be shown the fun in it. However there are a great many children who will never see the joy and excitement in maths because they are told, from a young age (by their family, their peers, tv etc) that maths is boring and hard.

The battle for children not seeing maths as a chore is usually lost before the teachers are involved.

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

Conditions are never perfect. “Someday” is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. If it’s important to you, and you want to do it “eventually”, just do it - and correct your course along the way.

Tim Ferriss (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

So, so true. The most successful people I know don't wait till it's right they just do it.

... Has Nike really had it right all these years?

[failnation]

Tinker Bell

[fightingupwards]

I always knew she was shady. Peter was much better off with Wendy.

[cwote]

just because you have a meltdown every now and again and cry for no reason and feel lonely sometimes, doesn’t mean you aren’t a strong person. believe me, you are.

[fightingupwards]

I'm back baby!

So after 6 months of not running, due to a horrible chest infection, I was not only able to run a little over 5km but I kept my 5k time down to under 30 minutes. I feel fantastic!

[missmentelle]

At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA. At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.  At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer. 

At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.   At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.

At age 28, Wayne Coyne ( from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook. At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.  At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.  At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs. Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age 51. Vera Wang failed to make the Olympic figure skating team, didn’t get the Editor-in-Chief position at Vogue, and designed her first dress at age 40. Stan Lee didn’t release his first big comic book until he was 40. Alan Rickman gave up his graphic design career to pursue acting at age 42. Samuel L. Jackson didn’t get his first movie role until he was 46.

Morgan Freeman landed his first movie role at age 52. Kathryn Bigelow only reached international success when she made The Hurt Locker at age 57. Grandma Moses didn’t begin her painting career until age 76. Louise Bourgeois didn’t become a famous artist until she was 78. Whatever your dream is, it is not too late to achieve it. You aren’t a failure because you haven’t found fame and fortune by the age of 21. Hell, it’s okay if you don’t even know what your dream is yet. Even if you’re flipping burgers, waiting tables or answering phones today, you never know where you’ll end up tomorrow. Never tell yourself you’re too old to make it. 

Never tell yourself you missed your chance. 

Never tell yourself that you aren’t good enough. 

You can do it. Whatever it is. 

[lunarbaboon]

lunarbaboon facebook twitter Patreon

[fightingupwards]

I love lunar baboon. One of the most insightful comics ever

[buzzfeed]

17 Celebrity Men Who Opened Up About Their Depression

[fightingupwards]

This is so in important. I am in awe of all of these men and their strength. That includes you @wilwheaton

[wilwheaton]

If people are feeling suicidal or depressed in the uk you can call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time

Thanks for sharing this. I’m reblogging for visibliity, and adding this from http://www.amh.org.uk/services

[fightingupwards]

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