{"id":3091,"date":"2023-11-30T16:48:37","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T16:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thestar.test\/2023\/11\/30\/back-from-the-black\/"},"modified":"2023-12-02T18:30:46","modified_gmt":"2023-12-02T18:30:46","slug":"back-from-the-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thestar.com.au\/blog\/back-from-the-black\/","title":{"rendered":"Back from the black"},"content":{"rendered":"
\t\t\t\tTuesday, February 4th, 2020<\/span> | Posted by brad<\/a><\/span> \t\t\t<\/div>\n

\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/p>\n

Back from the black<\/h1>\n
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UPON REFLECTION: Jim Pickersgill, a Leongatha accountant, is urging people experiencing ill mental health to seek immediate help. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

JIM Pickersgill could not find the energy to do anything.<\/p>\n

Even dressing himself became a chore.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy body had just been exhausted from trying to continue on for such a long time and it just got to the stage where I was physically and mentally burnt out,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Leongatha accountant remembers the time 30 years ago when he felt as though his arms and legs were in plaster.<\/p>\n

His heart endured strong palpitations, his thoughts were racing and rushing through his mind was an overwhelming fear of death.<\/p>\n

After seeking help, Jim was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder and depression.<\/p>\n

Looking back, he believed he had been battling with the conditions for most of his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just thought everyone was like that. I did not know any different,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAround the age of 30, it culminated and I just fell in a dirty, great heap. It was terrifying, extremely isolating, and there was just the lack of capacity to function on a very basic level.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe depression was just like being in a dark hole. The more you tried to get out, the more you just kept on dragging more dirt on yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jim believed there was no clear reason for his mental health deteriorating, but felt his lifestyle at the time may have been a contributing factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was working extremely hard and probably did not take the necessary breaks. That was just an opportunity to do more work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first anxiety attack just came out of the blue. It was like a train had suddenly come out of nowhere and hit me from the side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reaching out for help was a \u201chuge step\u201d and one he was not comfortable with.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I knew I had to do that,\u201d Jim said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been a person with a thirst for knowledge so that the more I learnt about it, the more I was empowered and more aware of it in other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

His road to recovery included reading about depression, which emphasised the value of recognising glimpses of normality, and taking up Hatha-gita yoga and meditation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe moment I get up I do about half an hour of meditation and also take moments out during the day to have a quiet moment for just a minute,\u201d Jim said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing disciplined and working on these things have helped in so many ways so I can work at a reasonable level.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also practises controlled breathing: breathing in for four seconds, holding the breath for four seconds and breathing out for eight seconds, all while picturing a weak tree in bushland, repeating the cycle four times.<\/p>\n

Jim also engages the services of counsellors to not only work on his mental health, but also his own career path.<\/p>\n

While Jim said his mental health was not a concern today, he said the conditions were \u201chibernating\u201d and his experience has made him more sympathetic towards the plight of others.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore my episode, I felt that people chose to feel that way so maybe it was an excellent karma lesson,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jim\u2019s advice to others experiencing ill mental health?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important they reach out and sometimes reflecting is tough, but the first step would be to go to the doctor and say \u2018I\u2019m really struggling\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have these wonderful resources like Lifeline and Beyond Blue, people who are trained in how to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

These organisations are supported by his accountancy firm, Jim Pickersgill and Associates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that that awareness is out there. I think we still need to promote a lot more awareness,\u201d Jim said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do not want an illness to be treated as a flippant thing or the new black.\u201d<\/p>\n