Mindfulness vs Antidepressants

Mindfulness is found to be as effective as antidepressants in helping folk manage their mood 'difficulties' - but given antidepressants seem to be little better than placebo in lifting mood, that ain't a great stretch. 

This seems to sell 'mindfulness based cognitive therapy' (MBCT) as a panacea for ill-being; just as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was 'debased' & lost credibility when rolled out as a cheap catch-all for all mental health issues.

There are many things we can do ourselves to promote mindfulness without spending money on a personal mindfulness guru - & the Buddhist idea of living in the moment continues to be a great human aspiration in & of itself. As Buddha said:

Every morning we are born again;

what we do today is what matters most.

Packham & mental health

Wildlife presenter Chris Packham lays it on the line about depression, suicidal ideation, & Aspberger's syndrome...

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/30/wildlife-presenter-chris-packham-struggle-depression

... good man Chris. Thanks for your openness & best of luck...

Balls, balls, balls... 2

Well, bowls actually - of the 10 pin kind.

The Club's 'big day out' in April was down the MFA Bowl in Bloxwich; a strenuous afternoon of wrist action, rolling & grunt for BDBC boys & girls.

Yet again a Club day started with Neil having a cooked breakfast in the Copper Kettle, Cannock (we believe that was his 5th this week, & it was only Wednesday!). Some other greedy types joined him in the wolfing-down of various fried flesh-products & other wind promoting materials. Then we six piled on the No. 1 bus to destiny!!

Orienteering skills are demanded in uncovering the whereabouts of the MFA Bowl. Although but a few hundred yards from the main drag in Bloxwich, it's 'round the back, then come back on yourself', & initial impressions don't bode well: from the outside it looks like a garage, & inside the carpets are sticky. However - & this is really important - the staff are extremely welcoming & helpful, & the place does some great activity deals; in this case, an afternoon's bowling for £5 per person... we paid.. we played... although not too well...


For the best part of four hours we were chucking those great, clodding balls down the lane - with no real idea as to what we were doing! Neil kicked our asses in Game 1, but failed to live up to his early promise; although Chris effervesced all afternoon in praise of Neil's physical prowess. Mind you, Chris adopted the 'toddler method' by pretty much throwing the bowling ball down the lane from his cupped palm; it wasn't always very effective, but the colouring book & crayons helped him manage the tantrums. Game 2 went to Rob who was balletic, if erratic, in his bowling style (certainly in comparison to his badminton 'shapes', which can be frightening yet successful). Whilst all this was going on, Linda was consistently knocking down one single pin with every first ball - performance art at it's best. Straight, curved, wobbly-wobbly... it didn't matter, consistent (almost magical) single pins & moaning, so much moaning! Game 3 brought Rhys to the fore. He bowled, he toiled - Strike! He strove some more - Strike! The magnificence of the double strike spurred him on to shoot for glory; he focused energy, eye, muscle... two balls, no pins... sagebrush drifted across the lane.. you could have heard a pin drop - but none did!  Terry won that one.

By this time we was all knackered; throbbing wrists, aching shoulders, bruised pride! We, none of us, seemed the stuff of bowling champions. However, we all had a very good time in a nice, if dowdy, environment, we'd learned how to bowl & what scores meant, & were agreed we'd come again (perhaps regularly). Game 4 we was flaggin', & after 6 frames we was done in! It was exhausting manhandling & rolling big balls: Rob was ahead when we quit & legged it for the bus home, & deserved the crown for the day! 

The low point was Rob's tortilla chips with cajun sauce (which, once cold, tasted of soiled nappy), ahead of freezing wind & rain-splat as we walked to & waited for the bus home: 170 buses numbered 301 & 302 ,to Mossley & Lower Farm respectively, came along before the No. 1 turned up to take us to Cannock - it was so bitterly cold. Terry was perplexed by a single jigsaw piece resting alone on the Harrison Road pavement & spent a long while pondering it's significance: he opined it reflected the reality of existential insecurity inherent in the modern western human condition - Rob & Neil found many more pieces outside one of the charity shops! Linda said 'Hoho'. Rhys said 'Hurry up, I've another bus to catch after this one!' Chris was trying to keep warm...

All in all, we had great time, & would heartily recommend the MFA Bowl for a pleasant afternoon out. Three games seems optimal for occasional bowlers; don't rush; have a decent brekkie; enjoy a laid back afternoon. We all reckoned we'll have quite a few more Club members turn up at May's event - lunch on the 18th or 25th (watch this space)... 

Balls, balls, balls...