Adam's Story

Tell us about some struggles you have faced with your mental health?

I never really considered mental health until I was around 22 years old. I just figured that when bad things happen you get sad for some period of time and when good things happen you get happy for some period of time. While I still believe this to be true, as adulthood struck me I realised there were some more complex forces at play.

I often reference Maslow’s hierarchy of needs when it comes to mental health and attribute much of the increased awareness around mental health to the successes of the western world. We are no longer in a constant flow state dealing with issues, looking for food, shelter and safety. This means the problem solving machine that is the human brain, is on the look out for new problems to solve. As the great Seneca once said, ‘we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.’

When safety, food and water are taken care of we strive for achievements, a sense of love and belonging, and for the realisation of our potential. All very noble but difficult goals to achieve.

I’ve always felt an immense level of drive to fulfil my potential which led to multiple but infrequent existential crises during my teen years. It was only when I reached adulthood and realised my existence on Earth wasn’t going to be as profound as I had hoped. This was when my mental health issues struck.

If you’ve seen my content you know the story by now, but I found myself in a job that was slowly killing me inside and out, day by day. For the first time in my life I went for two or more months without a genuine smile or sense of happiness. It was at this point I realised my mental health can play deeply physiological tricks on me when I’m in a hole, and ‘waiting for the periodic sadness to end’ is not always a winning strategy.

I left my job to start fulfilling my potential and achieving noble goals but little did I know this wouldn’t lead to my mental health chapter being closed off for good.

At the point of writing this I still struggle with a sense of love, community and belonging as referenced further up, alongside the desire to fulfil my potential. I struggle when I go for periods without meaningful connections with others and when I’m not continuously and gradually working towards a goal.

However as the months and years go by I’m gradually building the life that will bring these things towards me, and know that with enough honesty with myself, and enough time and hard work, I’m on the path to get there.

What do you do to keep your mental health in check?

Of course different things work for different people. For me, swallowing the frog at the start of the day (getting my hardest task done first) is huge. Whether this be an intense workout session or getting my work done on my computer, getting that win early doors propels my sense of satisfaction for the rest of the day.

I also ensure I get out the house and seek connection with people I like, even (and especially) when I don’t feel like it. Relaxing and having a laugh with others is one of the most crucial ways I keep on an even kilter.

What makes you feel most fulfilled?

I love looking back on the hard work that has gone into completing a physical challenge that was out of my comfort zone. So far this has been things like, learning to ride a motorbike, scuba dive, and skydive, running a marathon, and climbing 5000m+ Peaks to name a few. When I don’t enjoy it in the moment, I know I’ll have a lifetime of fulfilment to look back on and enjoy what I’ve achieved.

Of course fulfilling your purpose doesn’t just come down to physical goals but also achieving mental goals and having a fulfilling social life. Both of which I am always actively working towards.

What is something you’re looking forward to doing?

I’m looking forward to having a stable base to build my life around, continuing to chase challenges in all capacities, and building a family of my own one day.

What advice would you give to someone struggling with their mental health?

It can get better and it will get better. You are not a victim. You are an individual that has control over their environment.

As you can see from all the posts on this site, your feelings are extremely valid and normal. If you want to feel better you need to put the work in.

Try to understand why you feel the way that you do and be honest about the steps required to start to change this. If you don’t feel equipped to identify what is triggering your issues (or even if you do) I really recommend you reach out to at least one of the following: Someone you love, someone that is an inspiration to you, or a medical professional.