So why the new blog?....

I often feel the need to share, to help and often to reach out to others  be it for my sake or for theirs.

This in itself has brought me to write this new blog, which to start will be almost journal like in form as I go over problems I am having or feelings I am struggling with or indeed issues I know other people are commonly suffering, and discuss or share possible bits of information that may help to resolve them.

Whether it be sharing links to helpful articles, video's, helplines, websites etc that I find when spending endless time on the web, or just being 100% open about what I am going through in the vain hope that my openness can help free others from the stigma of talking about their mental health issues

I am fairly prolific on social media and use it to help where I can and in many forms to fund raise for charities as well.

I have a private Facebook charity running group called 'Run or Cake' and we improve our running and health by pledging to run weekly, and if and when we fail we pay a small forfeit to our selected charities. It has been a great help to me and my own mental health as it has given me a sense of purpose and a direction to concentrate on daily.

It has also become a valuable link to mental health support as some members have chosen to message me privately and discuss problems they are having or have had. They have even openly discussed some issues within the group as it is a private closed group capped at 100 and everyone pretty much knows everyone else. If they don't know each other they certainly do after a few weeks and a few running events where they meet other members and have a good chat.

This openness about talking about our issues prompted me to start another Facebook support group called 'Who cares? Well we do!' if anybody reading my blogs wants somewhere to go and to chat openly to others with similar problems and know it's 100% private , then feel free to send a join request. The group is small at present but it allows people to either speak or listen about problems we may be having and with fellow sufferers as such in the group a wealth of advice or listening ears are available.

My long term hope is that by reaching out to others and discussing and talking openly about my issues I can be one of many people helping to break down the stigma attached to mental health issues and indeed the stigma attached to even talking about it in the first place.

I know a lot of people struggle with mental health issues, be it the milder forms which can be short term and do not need medication or treatment, and those who need to seek and have sought professional help and are successfully being treated for it.

As I have said I have had quite a few people openly thank me for talking about it on my personal Facebook and on my other blogs. They are my inspiration to write this blog, and I thank them for starting the ball rolling by being brave enough to be open about their own issues in the first place.

I will also post a lot about what I am doing to help my health and mental health. I have found that obviously running and exercise itself is a tremendous benefit and it is well recognized that this is a good form of active treatment to help. It is especially helpful for those suffering the crushing pressure of the 'Black Dog' a term sufferers will be familiar with.

On the days you can actually get out there the ability to run free for a while is often enlightening and exhilarating while you out run the lazy hair ball that is the black dog at least for a while.

He doesn't want you to run, he often doesn't want you to even get out of bed for that run, and he certainly doesn't want you to even think about going for a run, giving you constant negative thoughts about why you do it in the first place. You need to fight him, he only wants to stop you as he knows full well that he can't keep up and he knows as you get fitter healthier and begin to feel whole again, that he may lose sight of you for good.

Running is only half of it, you need to keep on top of your dietary health as well as your physical health. The running will help your physical health and the running will help release the happy hormones into your brain. This in effect is a form of treatment and a reminder of what it feels like on a good day. But that's just your brain sorted.

In order for your entire body to stay healthy and to help fight your issues you need to watch what you eat. You don't want your body being attacked physically from the inside as well. What we eat has a tremendous effect on our health and welfare and as I have discovered our mental well being.

Being and feeling healthy inside and out is a massive help and indeed my foundation for getting myself better and staying better with my own mental health and Anxiety issues.

For this reason this blog will also contain a lot of posts about what I have found the best resolution to internal and external health, a Whole Food Plant Based diet. It is the only diet so far to be proven to help halt and often reverse many chronic diseases, and it will provide you with a host of the good stuff and help you get rid of the bad stuff.

I hope you will follow my blog and indeed communicate with me in the comments below each one and indeed visit some of my other Facebook projects or blogs based around running, fitness, health and mental welfare and indeed one of my main drivers and focus, charity fundraising.

Thank you for reading...

Gru.