Motorsports and Mental Health

I mentioned in an earlier blog today that I've been trying to hone my skills as a writer. Here's one of the articles I've written recently that I'm most proud of. As a person who has struggled with clinical depression for years, I've found an incredible amount of relief through motorsports, and particularly through my local HPDE community. Here's what I've learned. I hope this is helpful to someone else. If anyone is in the throes of it, or know someone who is, I would be honored to give advice or just listen. You can reach me through a pm here, or at my email: blakejennings@me.com. Grace and peace.

https://revsgarage.wordpress.com/201...mental-health/

Thanks for writing that. I've had similar struggles and similar experiences with motorsports helping. My (very understanding) wife has come to understand me when I say "it doesn't have to be cars, but it has to be something that will engage me" and she's cool with it being cars. If you ever want to talk, or find yourself doing car stuff in Houston, let me know, we'll hang out. 

Thanks, Rev. That is timely, thoughtful, and well written. Many great points were made.

If you ever want to talk, or find yourself doing car stuff in Houston, let me know, we'll hang out. 

Would love to meet up in Htown next time I’m down there. Will let you know. What part are you in?

Great little article. Very well thought out and written. Thanks for posting it.

Top shelf. Well done. 

TheRev said:

If you ever want to talk, or find yourself doing car stuff in Houston, let me know, we'll hang out. 

Would love to meet up in Htown next time I’m down there. Will let you know. What part are you in?

North side of Kingwood. TWS  was almost as close to me as MSR Houston is. Once we get to talking we'll probably find that we know some of the same people. It's a nice small world. 

In reply to dean1484 :

Thank you! I've got the next article ready to post tomorrow, and a bunch of articles already started after that. Appreciate the encouragement!

North side of Kingwood. TWS  was almost as close to me as MSR Houston is. Once we get to talking we'll probably find that we know some of the same people. It's a nice small world. 

I'm sure you're right! North side of kingwood is close to Speedsportz, right? I'm trying to get a couple of my coworkers to take a half day with me and go drive karts. None of them are in to cars yet, but I think a fun kart experience might tempt them.

I'm about six miles from there. And no, I still haven't driven their karts. 

In reply to TheRev :

Thank you for writing and sharing that, very well done!

The topic strikes close to home for me as well.  Digging deep into your personal experiences is hard enough (for me), but composing them and sharing them with a public audience is huge.  Again, based on my personal experience.

Thank you again!

In reply to paranoid_android :

From my experience, sharing helps. Doesn't have to be pubic, but at least with a couple other people. Perhaps over beers and bbq after the track goes cold ;-)

I'm just here to add another "hits close to home" statement.  For me it's anger issues- at myself, my choices, the world, you name it and I've been furious about it, often without real reason; compound that with chronic pain and discomfort thanks to psoriatic arthritis and it's easy to get stuck in a pissed off self loathing loop.  I seem to find it a lot easier to relax about things after a race weekend, although it's not really possible to always be racing so I've found that sometimes it has to be used as a catalyst instead, kick starting a change which then gives enough mental control to hang on and keep my brain from working so hard against itself.  I typically avoid posting about my mental and physical health, including how they relate to motorsports, but it's nice to see that it serves a similar purpose for others.

If the membership here is any indicator, I believe there is strong evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship.  Most of you whack-jobs are completely out to lunch.

Wow, what a great article.  I read it to my wife and it resonated with both of us.  My "car life" is so opposite of my professional life.  It is such an escape for me.  I really take a dive when winter sets in and I can't auto cross.  I need to bite the bullet and get a heated garage so I can do real projects over the winter.  However, I am hoping to rally cross this coming winter.  

This article also points out (not directly) that modern depression therapy only gives lip service to activity in the treatment of depression.  The research is in on exercise and activity vs meds, although I am so in favor of meds as a bridge to getting out of a stuck place or deep depression.   I still cannot believe that people don't auto cross.  I also cannot believe in how sedentary people are.  Here in Maine 80 % of the locals do not walk the beaches or hike the trails. Sorry, not trying to hijack.

Rev, thanks for this.  My wife has been in a stuck place and it was nice for her to hear what you have to say. Preach on Brother!

mazdeuce - Seth said:

North side of Kingwood. TWS  was almost as close to me as MSR Houston is. Once we get to talking we'll probably find that we know some of the same people. It's a nice small world. 

Did you know the toothbrush was invented in Porter Heights?

If it were invented anywhere else they would have called it the teethbrush

I did my residency at Kingwood Hospital, man has that area changed in the last 20 years

I just have to chime in again.  My wife has shared this article and all the feed back has been great.  She shared it with a friend whose husband is not in the greatest place.  He has no friends and his hobby is solitary.  His wife remembered that he had once enjoyed skeet shooting.  She bought him a gift certificate so he would go out again.  You don't know where this will go.  Thanks!

thedoc said:

I just have to chime in again.  My wife has shared this article and all the feed back has been great.  She shared it with a friend whose husband is not in the greatest place.  He has no friends and his hobby is solitary.  His wife remembered that he had once enjoyed skeet shooting.  She bought him a gift certificate so he would go out again.  You don't know where this will go.  Thanks!

 

Thanks, Doc! This is very kind of you to share with me. I am grateful that my story and lessons-learned can help someone else. Tell your friend that skeet shooting is a great way to meet friends from what I've heard! I live in TX out in a rural area, so a ton of my coworkers and neighbors are in to it. Kind of wish I was because it would be a heck of a lot easier to find people to do it with than this car hobby!! Glad we have forums so we can connect over long distances. Otherwise, I'd be on my own out here in the boonies.