Basically, I have been trucking for a bit now and switched to driving to help with mental health as I couldn’t work in an office anymore.
Money is loads better and I love my job. I was wondering how any of you guys fit exercise in and stay healthy.
With regards to mental health I suffer with depression and have been for many years, just normal to me now.
Sometimes I wish I was with the family when I stop out but I know it’s supporting them at the same time.
Does anyone have any tips or coping mechanisms when they are experiencing low patches and how they can lift the mood again.
As said, I still stand by my decision to drive as I love my job, sometimes the hours can be challenging, I’m just interested to hear from experienced and of course non experienced truckers.
not quite sure, but on your days off just exercise a ton.
i think lorry driving in general does not help with mental health, as your 95% of the time isolated driving alone (class 1) however if you have internet its good cause it distracts you
TruckDriverBen:
not quite sure, but on your days off just exercise a ton.
i think lorry driving in general does not help with mental health, as your 95% of the time isolated driving alone (class 1) however if you have internet its good cause it distracts you
Are you?
Well you could get out more and mingle on a night out.
I reckon sitting all night in your cab, 4 or 5 nights a week, after sitting all day in your cab 4 or 5 days a week, is enough to eventually tip anybody over the edge.
Solitary confinement is a punishment, being a tramper shouldn’t be.
I was diagnosed as a manic depressive at the age of 29 I was put on medication by my GP who in turn had to notify the DVLA as it was then
I didn’t take the medication as I didn’t get paid sick pay other than the ssp
I had 2 young kids at the time so I couldn’t afford to be off work
I hid my illness for sometime and just got on with it so to speak
In 2012 I attempted suicide and was sectioned under the mental health act and diagnosed with type 2 Bipolar disorder and had my HGV license revoked
It took me a year to get my HGV license back I’m now nearly 50 and with the right medication and support I lead a near normal life
I have to have yearly assessments for my HGV license as the DVLA only issue me with a year long license
I find doing puzzles such as word searches and crosswords and other word games help me with my mental illness
I’m not ashamed about my illness as it’s an invisible illness such as diabetes and heart problems
From experience and a personal note be honest with yourself and talk about it all the best Gary ps happy Christmas and a happy new year
Just want to add another thing I would never of put anyone else in danger if I didn’t feel well I wouldn’t of driven
I was a tramper out 5 nights a week
I liked my own company I had a fold up bike which I used to go around on when parked up for the night which I also I found helped me out
I’ve been through a similar situation as yourself attempting suicide, my daughter is my life my distraction to my condition my wife is my sole mate.
I tend to read books a lot helps take mind of things, as for keeping fit I try 35 pressups every 4 hours through the day my days Monday chill and do nowt Tuesday gym boxing I really enjoy helps take frustion out on those bags.
I’ve always thought it was a bit of a “chicken and egg” situation really. You have to be a bit “different” anyway to want to do a tramping job. It’s not the type of job that gregarious, outgoing sociable people are drawn towards in the first place.
dean_whittlr:
I’ve been through a similar situation as yourself attempting suicide, my daughter is my life my distraction to my condition my wife is my sole mate.
I tend to read books a lot helps take mind of things, as for keeping fit I try 35 pressups every 4 hours through the day my days Monday chill and do nowt Tuesday gym boxing I really enjoy helps take frustion out on those bags.
Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk
I boxed from the age of 11 I loved it
It taught me self respect and discipline
I had a accident at the age of 25 which ended my boxing career I think that was the kickstart of my problems it certainly was a great way of dealing with things
TruckDriverBen:
not quite sure, but on your days off just exercise a ton.
And when you’re not maybe go for a walk. When I’m doing changeovers at Lockerbie on nights I’ll just go for a walk for a few laps around the perimeter.
TruckDriverBen:
not quite sure, but on your days off just exercise a ton.
And when you’re not maybe go for a walk. When I’m doing changeovers at Lockerbie on nights I’ll just go for a walk for a few laps around the perimeter.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
sounds ominous conor old spud.
is that a secret cry for help for your mental health problems,or did someone see you dogging at lockerbie car park and your getting your excuses all prepared.
When I was young and fit I used to do karate and as someone said above that teaches you discipline and self control.
I started driving heavies at 21 and i think being sociable helps but you have to learn to recognise characters with whom you don’t get on.
My first marriage broke up and i lived on my own for around 20 years initially in my truck but i rented a place abroad in which i lived very well.Loneliness never affected me and while abroad I visited many places and learned a few languages.One day I met by chance a nice lady and we have been together almost 30 years.Perhaps i have been lucky but i think I have a bloody minded side to my character and i won’t allow myself to be depressed by people or events for long.I appreciate that we are all different.
Offices can be hellish to work in as there is no escape. At least once you are out on the road no one bothers you and just listen to the radio. Folk at different drops at different parts of the country generally treat you ok as they are doing a job, getting on with their day and they don’t know you from Adam.
I reckon it is just people that make it good or bad for other folk. Office workers are usually playing politics to make themselves look good and others look bad. Fear of losing their job or gunning for promotion .
… and lots of folk are just plain gossips, bullies, sociopaths. It only takes one to make your work ■■■■ and you focus on the bad stuff. Although there are probably lots of good folk at the same place.
I’ve worked in offices and when things were going ok it was great. … but I’m not a great people person and it turned to ■■■■ and became a toxic environment for me.
Driving was a backstop but is now my main job. Did agency for a while, got to see a few companies. They all have a ratio of good guys and ■■■■■■ Permanent now and it was good for a while but feel like this is turning to ■■■■ too. … getting targeted by malicious gossips and messed about. If you bite back at them or act threatening then they just make out that you are the bad one … anyway i try to go in get my keys, paperwork and get out the gate.
It is important to refocus on the important people in your life and to try to think about positive things. The ■■■■ stuff is just ■■■■ that is best flushed from memory. Easier said than done but gotta keep going.
Excercise helps alot. I try to go to the gym once a week, cardio stuff. Or a walk if the weather is ok.
I found that from an early age having faith in something, anything - is the preventative measure against “mental health” issues.
In a world where “If it can possibly go wrong, it always seems to do so” - you have to laugh it off, just to keep sane!!
I worry more about physical health aspects these days. I don’t wanna go blind or become a ■■■■■■■ for instance…
There’s always someone else out there - worse off than you are.
Excercise? - Who needs a Gym if one’s job involves a certain amount of handballing?
Just “mind your back” - that’s all. Not an easy thing to fix pain-wise, if you bugger it up by ‘lifting incorrectly’.
Winseer:
I found that from an early age having faith in something, anything - is the preventative measure against “mental health” issues.
In a world where “If it can possibly go wrong, it always seems to do so” - you have to laugh it off, just to keep sane!!
I worry more about physical health aspects these days. I don’t wanna go blind or become a ■■■■■■■ for instance…
There’s always someone else out there - worse off than you are.
Excercise? - Who needs a Gym if one’s job involves a certain amount of handballing?
Just “mind your back” - that’s all. Not an easy thing to fix pain-wise, if you bugger it up by ‘lifting incorrectly’.
Wise words, especially back I pulled my back once 10 years whilst at work manual handling, never been the the same. Merry Xmas
threewheels:
Offices can be hellish to work in as there is no escape. At least once you are out on the road no one bothers you and just listen to the radio. Folk at different drops at different parts of the country generally treat you ok as they are doing a job, getting on with their day and they don’t know you from Adam.
I reckon it is just people that make it good or bad for other folk. Office workers are usually playing politics to make themselves look good and others look bad. Fear of losing their job or gunning for promotion .
… and lots of folk are just plain gossips, bullies, sociopaths. It only takes one to make your work [zb] and you focus on the bad stuff. Although there are probably lots of good folk at the same place.
I’ve worked in offices and when things were going ok it was great. … but I’m not a great people person and it turned to [zb] and became a toxic environment for me.
Driving was a backstop but is now my main job. Did agency for a while, got to see a few companies. They all have a ratio of good guys and [zb]. Permanent now and it was good for a while but feel like this is turning to [zb] too. … getting targeted by malicious gossips and messed about. If you bite back at them or act threatening then they just make out that you are the bad one … anyway i try to go in get my keys, paperwork and get out the gate.
It is important to refocus on the important people in your life and to try to think about positive things. The [zb] stuff is just [zb] that is best flushed from memory. Easier said than done but gotta keep going.
Excercise helps alot. I try to go to the gym once a week, cardio stuff. Or a walk if the weather is ok.
Merry Christmas.
One or few people can make you feel like place is sh…t and all your thoughts might concentrate around this, but when you start thinking, you understand, that they taking 90% of your thoughts but they are little minority, as I sad, sometimes this could be only one person. You just learn to concentrate on people who are nice to you and live with those who are not and soon you realize that things are not so bad. Every place you work will be someone who doesn’t like you and you will not like everyone as well, it’s just way it is.
Its never been easier to exercise while tramping and If I ever went back driving/tramping the first thing i’d do is get a Puregym membership as they’re in most towns/cities and on or near industrial estates so plenty of parking/no excuses.
as you probably know, exercise is invaluable with the positive effects it has on mental health.
I have in the past driven for a few hours to deliver goods that were ordered by a commercial concern, to be met with the most uncivil little fork lift driver. Could those “people” be put on a course or what have you to learn how to be the first human contact at their firm. I just thought the man is a ■■■■ but it could and does get folk a bit wound up. Would it be to much for a trucker to be offered a cup of tea and told where the toilet is , just general polite courteous behaviour.
alamcculloch:
I have in the past driven for a few hours to deliver goods that were ordered by a commercial concern, to be met with the most uncivil little fork lift driver. Could those “people” be put on a course or what have you to learn how to be the first human contact at their firm. I just thought the man is a ■■■■ but it could and does get folk a bit wound up. Would it be to much for a trucker to be offered a cup of tea and told where the toilet is , just general polite courteous behaviour.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^that conduct is about as scarce as rocking horse manure in the uk though quite a normal practice around europe and further afield.
just part and parcel of the standard british working practice towards lorry drivers in general from john o groats to lands end unless your going to a smaller workplace where you might encounter a human being.
i was up in a supply depot for an american oil refinery well up on the coast from aberdeen with yanks working in the place.
guy takes the paperwork,points to the office,tells me theres a coffee pot on the stove mate,just wait there till we lift it all off,and the phones in the next room if you need to make a call…nice and civil whereas 100 yards out of the gate then they are all so miserable they only breathe out.
