"Birding Away The Blues" (1 Viewer)

A light-hearted title for a serious (for once) thread from an otherwise 'jocular' me.

Now, this is not for research, this is from my own experiences... I'll not try to 'bring down' this thread, but it regards the subjects of depression and anxiety.

As a 'short-term intervention' and 'distraction' I find Birding to be invaluable... it doesn't make my problems go away, but it certainly helps me to 'take my mind off things' or rather 're-focus' it.

I find it truly rewarding when 'feeling blue' (which may seem that I'm trivialising the issue, forgive me if it comes across like this, but I don't mean to) or anxious... I think it gives my mind a sense of calm and clarity...

Plus, just seeing birds does indeed give a lift to my heart (to paraphrase from Simon Barnes' "Bad Birdwatching" books) - each time I see the Robin in the garden I smile and it gives my mood a wee bit of a boost.

What are your opinions on this folks, I'd be interested to read any.

Regards.

Neil.

Hi Neil,

Certainly an interesting thread, though I doubt many would come on to publicly admit they have this illness. Depression/Stress/Anxiety call it what you will, is one of those illnesses that many people cannot comprehend until they suffer from it themselves.

I think that any passionate interest can give a brief respite to people with this type of illness. However I do feel that anything related to natural history may have a bit more positive power to it.

On the other side of the coin however things can be quite different. If you are a twitcher this can cause additional stresses. This side of the hobby can put ridiculous pressures on an individual which in turn could have serious health implications. When birding on a county level, particularly where there is a small birding community things can get very difficult - especially if you do not fit in with the clique. People can be very unpleasent making you feel ostrasized and insignificant. In fact I have given up county listing for the good of my health!

To put things into some kind of perspective I feel that if you leave you ego at home, enjoy birds and accept that it is a hobby and nothing more it can be a very positive thing to do. It can act as a short term anti-depressant and give you a break from your problems, though it will probably never be the cure!

They are my thoughts on the subject anyway.

Regards
B

Cheers for that info. Binocularface... I had thought a bit about 'Twitching' and the stress that that might have (it's not something I've ever fancied doing) - and what impact it may have when you get to the twitch and find out that the bird in question has gone... well, I can imagine, but I wouldn't want to experience it (especially if it's one of the "Oh... and you ONLY just missed it scenarios).

To bring it briefly to a personal level for me...

I went to Martin Mere WWT Reserve a while back and had what I can describe as 'racing thoughts' and stuff that'd caused me a deal of stress... now to me it's finding the right 'distraction technique' - at one time it would've been wathing a DVD, but when it gets to this level I find I have difficulty keeping my attention to the plot.

Yet, for some reason, the bins and 'scope... and just LOOKING at birds... even if they're birds I know and have seen many times - now that seems to help - I find I can focus easily and it does have what I'd describe as a calming effect.

Of course, this doesn't stop the thoughts that are going on for good and they need addressing separately... but it's a brief 'getting away from it all' that I find very therapeutic.

Although generally I find I've no probs. in company, I choose to do the birding alone - I feel that it's giving me some valuable 'me' time... mind you, at times I combine this with a dog walk... I know I'm not going to dedicate that time to purely birding, but I take my bins anyway and have had some good 'spots' whilst doing so.


Anyhow - that's a wee bit more info... and again, thanks for your input - appreciated.


:t:

Neil.

For me birdwatching does a superb job of putting things into perspective. Doesn't matter to that Lapwing if I'm getting pressure at work, so maybe it could matter a little less to me too. Life goes on for both the bird and for me, whichever way things go. I think that's the crux of it for me.

Fresh air and exercise, so you also get a bit of an endorphine kick when you go birding, that's never to be undervalued.

I know just what you're going through, Neil. It happened to me BBF*.

Planning where to go, then being in a peaceful setting for a few hours, watching the birds going about their business, really helped me to cope with the next day.

It does take some strength to concentrate on what's going on, though, doesn't it?

James said:

Fresh air and exercise, so you also get a bit of an endorphine kick when you go birding, that's never to be undervalued.

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I didn't know about that at the time (the endorphine bit I mean) - there's much sense in what you say there.

*(that's Before BirdForum).

D

Depends what is causing the blues and what type of birding it is. I actually find twitching, in a group, an excellent way to cheer me up - as long as I don't dip! Although birding has got me through difficult times in so much as there is something very important in my life that is always there - however difficult the rest of life is - I find that birding, especially alone, can give you too much time to think which, although it can be a good thing, is not always what you want. Sometimes you just want to forget, feel some kind of extreme sport would be better for that!

Not sure that's clear but that's my thought for the day, now back to work!

Steve Babbs said:

Depends what is causing the blues and what type of birding it is. I actually find twitching, in a group, an excellent way to cheer me up - as long as I don't dip! ......

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Twitching is an excellent way to forget your troubles, especially if everything goes to plan. Last Saturday I went to north Cumbria with a mate to see the Stilt Sandpiper which has been up there. While we were watching the bird, news came through on the pager of a Rustic Bunting in south Cumbria at Walney Island. We set off in anticipation, with a rush of adrenalin. On arriving at Walney, we had great views of the bird, much better than most other birders who had seen it that day. Then we set off for home, only for another message to come on the pager about a Pectoral Sandpiper at Leighton Moss.

We got to the hide, to be told that the bird had been flushed 30 minutes ago. After 30 minutes scanning, we relocated the bird just as the light was beginning to fade. The exileration and excitement of the day completely takes your mind off your troubles, and you get to see some great places, great birds and meet up with some old mates from all over the country.

I did hear something on the radio a few months ago, which claimed that research had shown that a brief walk in the country (not neccessarily birding)was the best way to destress yourself. I work near a country park, and even though I only get 35 minutes dinner break, I always go for a short walk in my break.

As someone who has suffered in the past from severe anxiety and depression (and who still does from time to time), I'd say that there is no better treatment than birding, or nature watching in any form.

Over the last three years since Mrs.H's breast cancer diagnosis birding has been a real sanity valve for me. It has just about kept me on the rails. As Steve says - it depends on what causes the blues.
At the moment we are waiting on a gamma scan result - so the paucity of good birds in the rain today hardly made a dent on mine.

Well - that's enough depressive morbidity for one night.

On a cheerier note I've been keeping my mind occupied with planning/researching our Oz trip - another aspect of birding I really relish.

Sorry for the downbeat reply - wine has been taken.

H

I read a great book by Richard Mabey "Nature Cure". He demonstrates very well in the book the healing power of nature. Birding has helped me through some truely dreadful times which makes it all the more pleasurable knowing it is free and always available. Wherever I am I have an ear and eye out for birds. I feel very lucky to have a hobby which gives me so much satisfaction. So many people here drink the cheap wine and sit in the sun all day every day. Not me...I am off birding. Mind you, they all think I am a bit strange but who cares.

Firstly - WOW - many thanks for so many replies on this - very much appreciated :t:
the 'adrenaline rush'/'endorphine kick'/'feelgood factor' call it what you will is something I reckon to - I saw my 'first time this year' Kingfisher not al that long ago, and only last week I saw a pair of them... the 'rush' I got from seeing them was truly excellent... even when someone said to me:

"Oh yeah... they're always there - I see them all the time"

Did that lessen things? Did it heck - I hadn't seen them there... and now I have and that's an excellent feeling!

One potential bugbear I can see though - going out and seeing absolutely nothing... it happened, but I was in an "Oh well, at least it got me out the house" frame of mind at the time... if 'the blues' really had me though, I reckon I could've been realy upset by this (unless someone's been through this type of thing, it may sound daft) and almost feel like the birds were 'avoiding me' (told you it'd sound silly)...

So that's why I like having my garden 'residents and visitors'...

Today for example, terrible weather here again (rain coming down in huge and intense globs)... but to see 7 House Sparrows, 2 Collared Doves, 2 Woodpigeons, a Blue Tit, a Great Tit, a Robin and a Blackbird all braving the elements AND knowing that the food my wife and I provided was gratefully received...

Well, again - that certainly lifts the spirits!

Anyhow - thanks once again for the input everyone - appreciated!

:t:

Neil.

Mike Montier said:

I read a great book by Richard Mabey "Nature Cure". He demonstrates very well in the book the healing power of nature.

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I was going to mention this book (though I haven't read it yet - mean to) but you beat me to it. Certainly I find that going out birdwatching cheers me up no end after a few days mostly indoors.

On a more prosaic note, regular exercise is supposed to help with depression to a certain extent. (I know that sounds like some kind of 1940s advice but apparently there is evidence for it!). I guess birdwatching falls into that category.



Edited to add:

Chewbaxter said:

I saw my 'first time this year' Kingfisher not al that long ago, and only last week I saw a pair of them... the 'rush' I got from seeing them was truly excellent... even when someone said to me:

"Oh yeah... they're always there - I see them all the time"

Did that lessen things? Did it heck

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Often with regular-but-inconspicuous birds it's a question of knowing where to look. My local park has resident (and breeding?) Little Owl, Nuthatch and Kingfisher which I see on average at least once a month; but in the many years here before I took up birding I never noticed them once! Getting to know the residents is part of the beauty of covering a local patch.

Binocularface said:

Hi Neil,


On the other side of the coin however things can be quite different. If you are a twitcher this can cause additional stresses. This side of the hobby can put ridiculous pressures on an individual which in turn could have serious health implications. When birding on a county level, particularly where there is a small birding community things can get very difficult - especially if you do not fit in with the clique. People can be very unpleasent making you feel ostrasized and insignificant. In fact I have given up county listing for the good of my health!

To put things into some kind of perspective I feel that if you leave you ego at home, enjoy birds and accept that it is a hobby and nothing more it can be a very positive thing to do. It can act as a short term anti-depressant and give you a break from your problems, though it will probably never be the cure!

They are my thoughts on the subject anyway.

Click to expand...

Mine too, more or less. Personally, it's important to me that birding remains a pleasure and never a chore. That's why I have no interest in becoming a tour leader or professional photographer. I don't twitch that much but quite often I find it a pretty stressful thing to do, even if ultimately successful, mainly because of the travelling involved. I hate getting up early and I hate traffic congestion even more. As a quick example, I didn't go for that showy Red-necked Phalarope in Essex a couple of weeks ago because I couldn't be bothered with the 240-mile round journey. Of course, now I've seen photos of it, I wish I had done.

Many thanks to Chewbaxter for headlining this issue.

The sooner people acknowledge that stress and depression (so often bedfellows) are major causes of illness in the UK (and elsewhere) then the sooner it will stop being a taboo subject. Having spent a lifetime as a positive & pretty cheerful chap, I hit a wall a few years back due to work related stress. My silly fault for being in one of the worst professions for stress there is - teaching. This being compounded by working in what was then dubbed 'the worst school in Britain' (it wasn't), experiencing a pretty awful subsequent HMI inspection and the bullying style of management that inevitably follows in education these days. Realisation that I was unwell partly came through the fact that no longer enjoyed birding as I felt guilty about going out when I 'should' have been working. A big part of the cure was, well, going birding! Birding helped in and of itself, but also helpful was the support of birding friends. I also started to maniacally draw & paint birds to 2:00, 3:00 or even 4:00 in the morning which took my mind off things when I couldn't go birding! Evidently, like exercise, having strong interests or hobbies helps people cope with depression/stress.

The biggest help, though, was having a terrifically supportive wife which brings me to a final point and that is to wish 'Halftwo' and, moreover, Mrs H. all the best,

John

I hated my previous job (just check how often I posted until last year), which made me take a day off as often as possible to go birding, among which a lot of migration watching. Although that was enjoyable, it was not a very good situation.
A few years before that I was so tired all the time (too much commuting, going out too much and failing in the objective of all that going out [I can laugh now – almost]), and so annoyed by missing two excellent birds, that I couldn't get myself to go birding at all... which dragged me down even more... until a twitchable Alpine Swift appeared to inspire me again.
However, someting unexpected locally can also greatly lift my mood.
And some good birds are awaiting me in the next year...

Very interesting thread, and one that certainly touches on personal experience. First thing to note is that as John Cantelo says, mental health issues need to be overcome as a taboo – I had a close relative who was hit by severe depression a few years back and I had some feelings of guilt…and I suppose shame. However when I confided in people about what was going on, I was amazed that without fail everyone I spoke to either had personal experience of mental health problems, or had coped with it amongst those near and dear to them. So the more these issues are talked about the better.

Regarding birding as an antidote to “the blues” I’ve come across people who find birding to be a very meditative experience, because you are focusing on the present moment and dedicating yourself to absorbing the things happening around you. For me it is definitely a huge mental break from dealing with work/household chores/the grind of daily life/relationship stress/financial concerns or whatever else might be going on in my life at any particular moment: when the going gets tough , the tough go birding!

One moment that particularly sticks in my mind was a late March day in 1997, I was camping over Easter at Sennan in Cornwall and got up early to explore the fields around the campsite. Now obviously as a keen birder I was hoping to find some early migrants, but my enduring memory is of seeing a Wren at very close range, perched up and singing, beautifully lit in the early morning sun – it was a moment of pure perfection and as I looked though my binoculars at it the rest of the world disappeared and the only two things that existed in the world were me and it. The world seemed like a very nice place after that, and seems more bearable when ever I remember that moment.

PS Just as I write this a Blue-tailed Bee-eater has plonked itself on a TV aerial outside my window. Natural prozac if ever there was such a thing.

TomSmith said:

......On a more prosaic note, regular exercise is supposed to help with depression to a certain extent. (I know that sounds like some kind of 1940s advice but apparently there is evidence for it!). I guess birdwatching falls into that category.....

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Regular exercise is proven to help with depression. Kind of obvious really I suppose. If you feel fit and healthy, you're bound to feel better about yourself than if you're overweight and feeling unhealthy. Cigarettes and booze are also definately not recommended if you're depressed.

I suffered from quite bad depression when both my parents died within months of each other five years ago. I got myself out of it without any medication. I simply started eating healthily, I gave up alcohol completely, I doubled my efforts on my bike and I forced myself to go birding at least 3 or 4 times a week. This resulted in me loosing a couple of stone, which I have more or less managed to keep off ever since. I also had a bit of councilling which helped me exercise the old brain. I do still have the occasional relapse, but it's very rare, and nowhere near as bad as it was.

Exercise and a healthy life style are the key as far as I'm concerned.

gandytron said:

/ my enduring memory is of seeing a Wren at very close range, perched up and singing, beautifully lit in the early morning sun – it was a moment of pure perfection...the rest of the world disappeared and the only two things that existed in the world were me and it. The world seemed like a very nice place after that, and seems more bearable when ever I remember that moment.

You were in that zone there, G., very apt.

PS Just as I write this a Blue-tailed Bee-eater has plonked itself on a TV aerial outside my window. Natural prozac if ever there was such a thing.

Click to expand...

Quite!

This is such a refreshingly honest thread, I am positively amazed how many members of BF are openly discussing there experiences relating to depression/stress/anxiety.

I was never a great believer in stress or depression as a serious illness until a year or so ago. I did have an earlier alert to my situation the previous year when at 32 years old I went down with the Shingles- however at this point I was oblivious to the connection.
The following year I started feeling unwell as I was not sleeping, the push came when I was being physically sick in the mornings. I went to the doctors expecting a diagnosis of some sort of biological illness, instead I was met with the diagnosis of depression/anxiety. I felt this difficult to comprehend at first, but eventually everything added up. The catalyst for this was working for a company who thought nothing of putting continuous pressure on me with no support mechanism. Of course I now recognise that this situation was not the cause, merely the 'last straw scenario'.

Things gradually got worse and despite being on a high doseage of anti-depressants things got very dark indeed. I think that if it was not for my two little daughters, I may not be here now! I never thought I would find counseling any use, the idea of talking to a stranger about the private aspects of my life was not a welcoming proposition in my mind. However, at this point I was willing to give anything a try.

At first it was incredibly difficult, dredging up things from my less than traditional upbringing. However as sessions went on I could see the benefits. I have had to learn how to deal with certain things in completely different ways than I am used to, but gradual progress has been made.

As intimated in my previous posting I have found birding can trigger off quite high stress levels and can drag me down quite badly. At one point I considered giving it up, but realised I could not. So I have had to change the way I bird and strip away the more stressful aspects (i.e County Listing).

I found however that botany gives me good respite from my illness, particularly the trickier groups such as sedges! I find I can immerse myself in this at my own pace and use it as a form of escapism. Also excersise helped alot, particularly when I was training for the London Marathon.

Peoples concept for this illness is very varied, many people have either experienced it or know people who have experienced it - though some cannot accept it at all. I am lucky in that I have a very good friend who has been a great support (on the other side of the coin I also have a very good friend who cannot accept the illness exists)!

I am far from through the woods yet, although I am not on medication anymore I am still seeing a counsellor. Life can be tough at times, but I reckon it is worth it!

With reference to Stress & BF. If you suffer from this illness, stay away from ID threads, anything to do with suppression on Foula and most of the big Ego's on here :t:

gandytron said:

my enduring memory is of seeing a Wren at very close range, perched up and singing, beautifully lit in the early morning sun – it was a moment of pure perfection and as I looked though my binoculars at it the rest of the world disappeared and the only two things that existed in the world were me and it. The world seemed like a very nice place after that, and seems more bearable when ever I remember that moment.

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That's excellent and really does strike a chord with me Gandytron - it's certainly what it's all about!

The first time I 'noticed' (properly) a Grey Wagtail I felt like that... and that was without bins.

I acquired some, and then went back to the local river to view again... as a 'newbie' I had difficulty in seeing it at first (I hadn't passed my 'Binoculars Driving Test' and failed on steering and focussing many times)... once 'in there' I was so very pleased... and again it was 'me and it' - the rest of the world dissolved into obscurity for that period - excellent stuff - and it certainly repeats itself even when I'm looking at birds in the garden... I can sit back in the chair, get the bins and have a real good close up look - love it!

:t:

Many thanks to everyone for their input here... I appreciate the comments on what is often viewed as a 'taboo subject' (i.e. Mental Health) - I should know... I'm a qualified Psychiatric Nurse.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a thread for reserch or 'part of the job', in fact, I reckon I'm pretty honest in mentioning my issues here particularly re: anxiety, and it goes to show, ieven though I'm 'in the job' it doesn't make me immune!

Anyhow, I'll not go on about the job - this thread' about the pleasure and the therapeutic effects of Birding... and the responses have certainly given me food for thought and have been most informative and supportive.

Cheers again all!

:t:

Neil.