I'm never drinking again!

What's up fuckers?

Yes, I know I have been a little bit absent again, but it's not my fault! Nothing really interesting has happened to me for a while, so I figured I'd go back a few years to a company party, and the reason I barely drink any more.

This is the story of how I pretty much gave up alcohol entirely.

I used to be a BIG drinker, I mean fucking silly amounts of alcohol, and it has led me on all manner of adventures, from wheeling a Christmas tree around Cambridge city centre to nearly getting arrested for all kinds of stupid fuckery.

I figured that seeing as it was Christmas I may as well push the boat out and have a couple of pints of cider while I waited for my colleagues to arrive at the restaurant. Well this proved to be mistake number one, because if you know me I tend to drink rather quickly. I'll down a pint in around seven seconds and used to drink 4 pints of lager straight from the jug in around a minute (I never claimed to be clever)

Well, those 2 pints of cider were gone before anybody had arrived so I figured I'd go the same again. I was now 4 pints in after maybe 30 or 45 minutes. People began to arrive and we sat down to eat, being the greedy fat fuck that I am I ordered the biggest mixed grill you have EVER seen. There was enough dead animal on that plate to feed a starving wolf pack.

I drank more cider and a few beers as we ate, and at this point I should have slowed down. When I'm headed towards drunk my gums go numb and I start talking more shit than I ever imagined possible. I was starting to slur my words, and people were beginning to ask me if I was ok......

OK? I'm fucking invincible!

After the meal we moved on to a bar and I vaguely remember ordering a tray of 20 various shots. I believe it consisted of bacon flavoured vodka, jagermeister, goldschalger and a bunch of other random shit. I also kind of remember drinking most of them myself in rapid succession.

It's at this point I get a little bit hazy.......

I think* I walked off, somebody had told me that there was a meteor shower happening that evening so I went and laid on my back in a puddle as the rain fell by the bucket load. I gazed up at the sky, the clouds peppering my face with droplets of icy cold water, and as this was going on I don't think I even questioned why I couldn't see any meteors.

I took a slow walk home, I think I was walking sideways, because it took me a good 45 minutes to complete a 5 minute wander. When I walked through the door I was full of Christmas cheer, but unbeknownst to me, a chemical reaction of epic proportions was taking place in my guts.

Kelly happened to comment that my T-Shirt was on inside out (How? Not a fucking clue) and told me that I was more drunk than she had ever seen. No problem I thought, I'll just sit on the sofa and let the effects wear off. Well I suppose I may have fallen asleep with my head facing the ceiling, because the next thing I heard was "Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaave!!!!" and I opened my eyes with a startled jolt.

What's that above my face? Was it some form of spirit? Was it a portal to another dimension?

No, no it fucking wasn't, it was vomit, a lot of fucking vomit, and gravity was about to teach me that what goes up truly does come down.

SPLAT! The fucking rainbow yawn crashed down on my face with the force of 2 Hiroshima bombs, I had bacon, lamb chop and black pudding lodged in my eyes, and it burned like I'd been pepper sprayed by the police.

Bluuuuurgh! The second launch was released, I tried to move my head, but it was no good, it crashed down on my face, went up my nose, in my ears and coated the sofa and wall.

I stood up, bits of my dinner fell off me like body parts off of a leper and dropped to the floor.

'Dave, don't FUCKING move!' was Kelly's command, but I wasn't mentally or physically capable of hearing what she said, so I ran. I made it to the bottom of the stairs before the next wave of nausea hit me, I held my hands out like a fucking hungry orphan and attempted to catch the contents of my stomach as they spilled out of me, but even my massive bucket hands wasn't enough to do the trick.

I dragged myself up the stairs as quickly as I could, but it was painstakingly slow progress, and the new carpet was taking the brunt of it..... (Did I mention that the carpet was less than a week old?)

I got into the bathroom and put my head over the toilet bowl, I sat there shell shocked for a good hour before I realised I'd eventually have to move. Kelly had already told me to fuck off if I thought I was getting in bed so I came up with a genius idea.

I slept in the bath, the only problem was I'd not finished puking, there was still gallons of beer and mushrooms, sausage, chips and some form of green slime that to this day baffles me as to what it was.

Every time I did another rainbow yawn I'd turn the shower on, wash the chunks off of my clothes and go back to sleep. I did this all night and through the following morning until maybe lunchtime. When I could finally move I slowly made my way downstairs, Kelly gave me a dirty look, and refused to speak to me for two days.

I swear to god it was bliss, but the feelings of guilt knowing that she must have had to clean up all of that mess while I about died in the bathroom haunts me to this day. So, the moral of the story is this......

Don't be like Dave.

Cheers!

'KFC Ely, you'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy'.

Stick the kettle on, make yourself a nice cup of tea and have a couple of biscuits (yes cookies you American oddballs) because I'm about to blow.

Pond dribble: Welcome to KFC drive thru, can I take your order please?

Me: Why yes, yes you can my good man! I'll have the following.

1 x Large fillet box meal with a thigh piece, gravy and cherry pepsi max.

1 x Large boneless banquet meal with sweet chilli dip, gravy and cherry pepsi max

1 x Fillet tower burger

1 x Large cherry pepsi max

And finally some corn.

Pond dribble: No problem, please come to the first window.

So I drive forward 10 fucking yards, my heart already dropping out of my ass because I know that my happy day is about to be murdered by imbeciles.

Me: Can I just check both meals are large.

Pond dribble: Neither are large sir, did you want large?

Me: Yes please, that's why I asked for large meals, it was the very first thing I fucking asked for!

Pond dribble: "Oh right........ and there's a 15 minute wait for chicken"

Me: Oh, fucking joy!


I drive round to the collection window and am confronted by the most impossibly cheerful cunt I have ever met.

Happy cunt: "Here are your drinks, we have plastic straws!"

Me: (to myself) I bet you have fucking plastic scissors too you fucking clown shoe. "Can I have a cup holder please?"

Happy cunt: "We only have the holders for 4 cups, and you only have 3 drinks"

Me: "Well I have 3 drinks......."

Happy cunt: "But this holds 4 teeheehee!"

Me: "CUP. HOLDER."

Happy cunt: Have you tried our new supercharger dip? Teeheehee!

Me: No I have not, I just want sweet chilli please

Happy cunt: Are you suuuuuure? Teeheehee!

Me: SWEET. CHILLI.

My food arrived in less than 3 fucking minutes, they said 15 minutes, how long has my chicken been fuckimg hanging around for? I reckon I got the reheats from yesterday fucking lunchtime.

I swear if I wake up in the middle of the night with the shits I'm going to squeeze some of my runs out into a fucking tupperware box and leave it on their fucking doorstep!

And they forgot my fucking corn, the absolute fucking wankpuffins!

KFC twitter feed, get fucking ready!

Men's mental health

So let's talk some more about men's mental health. I'm saying this because us guys find it very hard to show what we have been taught is 'weakness' when that couldn't honestly be further from the truth.

- Ever feel lonely even though you're surrounded by colleagues, friends and family?

- Ever feel like you don't deserve to be happy and that you're worthless?

- Ever cry without any idea whatsoever as to why?

You do? Well allow me to let you into a little secret........

ME TOO!!!

But you know something? It's not just you and I, no no my friends, there are millions of us out there. We're there fighting back the tears in public, we're putting on a brave face and we're trying to fool people into thinking that we're the stereotypical macho men that don't have a care in the world all in the name of being the 'alpha' sex.

Well you know something, the only person we're kidding is ourself. We're not weak because we cry, we're not tragic because we are drowning in our own thoughts, not even close.

We are HUMAN, and some of us are tricked into the inky blackness of depression, others are just dropped smack bang into the middle of an ocean of despair, but it's not the end of the road my friends, all is NOT lost, in fact I want to tell you that it is the exact OPPOSITE!

Depression is the beginning of a huge journey of self discovery! At first it will make you feel like you can't win, it will make you doubt yourself, it will make you paranoid but at the same time not give a shit, and it will make you believe that you can't ever escape, but you CAN and you WILL!

Depression and mental health issues aren't the boss of you, they aren't in control, they are merely an obstacle that we need to overcome.

There is no shame in raising a metaphorical hand and saying with confidence 'I NEED HELP' it is perfectly ok to not be ok, but you know what isn't ok? What's not ok is leaving yourself not being ok, because you deserve better.

Everybody battles this disease differently, some people get a Doctor's appointment and are put on medication, others are offered counselling and the opportunity to talk to experts that can help you to process your emotions, to file away your triggers one by one, and some people need all of the above!

Along the way you'll suffer knockbacks, you'll cry because the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, and you'll wake up wondering what the point of anything actually is. This too is ABSOLUTELY normal for your situation, depression will try and trick you into hating yourself, but that's all it is! It is a chemical imbalance in our brains that exaggerates negativity, it causes our happiness to be shrouded in a primordial fog, but we never leave, we are still there, completely intact and ready to be rescued.

Please remember that it's NOT forever, please understand that you're NOT alone, if you're feeling awful drop me a message and I'll be there right by your side, if not in person then in spirit, and I won't abandon you.

There are some amazing support services out there, ranging from the Samaritans to family members, friends and GP's

Use them, lean on them for support and they will lift you when you are feeling like you're losing.

It took me a long time to understand that my tears and sorrow didn't make me less of a man, and once you understand that you'll be on the right path and headed for better times.

Much love,

Dave.

Gullible fools!

So, a lot of you know that I don't tolerate stupidity very well, it ranks right up there on my 'go fuck yourself' list. I'm just not good at hiding my disdain when people do or share stuff that is so clearly bullshit that I want to repeatedly bash them in the head with a fucking coconut.

From viral posts telling you what percentage Hobbit you are, to not understanding basic app permissions, it all makes me want to drown you in a bowl of chicken and sweetcorn soup, but it's not just me, there is a queue behind me a mile long willing to do the same.

So without any further fuckery, and no further fucking ado let us take a look at a few of my favourites.

1) 1 like = 1 prayer.

Dave says: Don't be a fucking soggy biscuit. I'm pretty sure that God DOESN'T EXIST, but if he does happen to then I'm pretty sure he's not going to save a child because Barbara and her mates gave a post the fucking thumbs up! In fact I would imagine that God is probably face palming at your stupidity. I mean it's a noble thing to click a button to notify a deity that there is a child in mortal danger, but no, just fucking step away from the device.

2) The facebook starting to charge for usage post.

Dave says: Even though Mark Fuckerberg has repeatedly told these lemmings that he's NEVER going to charge the user for accessing Facebook you still get these fucking oxygen thieves dropping some copy/paste bullshit that will make them exempt from paying the weekly/monthly/yearly fee. Don't be a fucking dingbat, all you're doing is spreading lies and dimwittery.

3) The let's see who reads my wall post.

Dave says: No Betty, just fucking NO! Please copy and paste this message and drop a reply saying where we met. Oh Betty, you poor fucking deluded fool, do you REALLY want me, one of the most awkward, devious, shit stirring bastards in history telling your friends and family where we met? I'm obviously not going to say 'work' so it's either going to be a brothel or the local STI clinic, take yer fucken pick you dickhead!

4) The Facebook spring clean!

Dave says: Oh, that's great news! I survived the culling of the knuckle draggers and now I will continue to be subjected to your fucking waffle about the price of bread, the fact your girlfriend is so beautiful (I have news for you, she's a fucking swampdonkey) Am I supposed to be grateful that you want to continue spying on my life? Fuck you tarquin you nosey cunt.

5) The I'm deactivating my Facebook account next week post.

Dave says: Yawn, this is the 47th time this weekend you've threatened to go away and leave me in peace! Stop making empty promises you fucking tease!!! I know you're going through a tough time since you lost that £5 off pizza hut voucher, but let's not get carried away, you're going to make it through, in fact if you shut the fuck up I'll give you a few quid and you can gorge yourself on a large stuffed crust with Tuna and Skittles. 

6) The quick! MESSAGE ME! post.

Dave says: If you have a serious problem then by all means ask people for help, we've all been there and could do with sharing some good or bad news, but don't just say 'I give up' and then not reply to Cheryl, Mavis and Julie's comments saying 'Oh babe, what's wrong?' and definitely DO NOT say 'inbox me' you fucking lazy piss stained tramp's shoe, if you want to talk to me then you fucking message me you lazy cunt.

7) The hard man post.

Dave says: Ok Gary we get it, you're sick of ISIS murdering people, we are fucking upset about it too, but I'm pretty sure that you being outraged on Facebook is not going to bother them for the following reasons.

- You only leave your parent's basement to go for a piss or to visit the job centre.
- The most powerful gun you've ever held, let alone fired is a fucking light gun on your PS fucking 3. 
- You don't own a passport, so the closest you're getting to Syria is the front door of your parent's house. 
- You're a fucking 6 stone coward who breaks bones when you yawn, so get back in your fucking box, ok Gary?

8) The MLM 'friend'

Dave says: Oh, Hi Barbara! I haven't heard from you in 15 years, how are you doing? Oh riiiiight, you're now selling the sweat from the ass crack of bumble bees, and you want me to become part of a highly successful, super motivated team of like-minded people who want to earn £50000 a day and by only working 3 days per week! I've seen claims that the products of these fucking MLM companies can cure CANCER, yes you read that right it can CURE CANCER! No healthcare professional, no research chemist and no hospital have ever found a definitive cure, but if I eat 3 spider legs dipped in moose shit 5 times a day for three months my tumours will be gone and I'll be competing in ironman triathlons? SIGN. ME. THE. FUCK. UP. Orrrrrrr, you could just fuck off and leave me alone.

Thanks for sticking with me thus far, but I want to close out with an extra special fucking moron that I encountered a few years back, I won't be telling you her name because I feel it is unfair to single out somebody for being so wonderfully stupid that she'd lose a game of scrabble to a brain injured weasel, isn't that right Sue?........ ooops.

9) The Facebook messenger conspiracy.

Dave says: I was told that Facebook are taking over the world. They are infiltrating our home day by day and will eventually control our every waking moment.

Sue: Dave, you shouldn't install facebook messenger, I fucking won't be.

Me: Oh right........ Why not?

Sue: They ask for access to your microphone, camera, contact list and gallery, they do it so they can see everything you see and hear everything you say.

Me: What makes you think that?

Sue: Well why else would they need access to all of those things?

Me: Well Sue, and I'm just guessing here....... Maybe, just maaaaaybe it's because you can make voice and video calls via messenger, that's why they need access to your Mic and Cam, and they need access to your contacts so you can errrrrrr contact them I'd imagine. Oh and finally I would imagine they'd need access to your gallery so you can send 300 fucking selfies a day of your fat ass to your friends.

Sue: Eh?


Honestly this shit drives me insane.

Just a couple more things, no you don't look 18 years old, you are not 140% awesome, you won't die aged 303 years old due to eating deadly nightshade and I am pretty fucking certain your name doesn't mean heroic unicorn in fucking sanscrit you absolute stark raving cuntburger.

Love you all really, but if I kill you it is probably due to shit I have covered above.

The most wonde.....

That's what the song title implies, right?

It really can be the most wonderful time of the year, but at the same time it can bring with it an emotional, financial and psychologically testing time too.

Think about it, the strain of keeping up with the trends of toys, tech and fashion for our children can make paying important bills tricky, Kelly and I have experienced this in years gone by, and it has certainly taken an emotional toll on us as we've scrimped and saved and gone without to keep up with the spending levels of friends and family.

Many people have lost loved ones around the festive period, and this time of year drags up painful memories of loss, it can cause feelings of isolation and loneliness to resurface year after year, these people experience this every year at a time we're all losing sight of what's important, because as I said above we feel duty bound to bankrupt ourselves to get the 'best' presents. And while we're doing this we're forgetting to look after number 1, so that we can better look after others.

Well let's think about all of this a little.

The other day I was talking to Katie (14 years old) and she was telling me about her friend that goes to America for a holiday every single year. They were having a conversation and Katie mentioned that we were going camping in Cornwall for our summer vacation. As puzzling as it was initially Katie's friend's eyes LIT UP at the idea of camping! "I wish we could do something like that, my mum and dad spend a fortune doing the exact same thing year in year out and it gets boring!"

And that's a huge point I'd like to make, the best memories are those things that are out of the ordinary, you get a new £5000 watch every year and it isn't a thrill, you get something like that once every few years and WOW! The BEST memories come from feelings and emotions, not from expenditure.

Another thing Katie said to me is that some of her friends feel unloved by their parents, and that she'd rather have the family life she does than all the money in the world (she is so wise for her age) and to hear that brought tears to my eyes (that I can feel creeping into the corner of my eyes as I type this)

So my point......

Make memories this Christmas, don't be suckered in by the adverts that draw you into a materialistic world. Playing a board game together and laughing until your stomach muscles ache and it feels like your face needs medical assistance. We don't NEED to spend a fortune, we tend to feel pressured to.

And while I'm talking, let's touch on how people feel at Christmas.

I know as well as anybody the HUGE psychological strain of Christmas, a time where everybody is upbeat and buzzing around like worker bees, going from shop to shop collecting the nectar to make the hive happy. So why is it that I often feel tired, emotional and generally hollow at this time of year? I mean how can anybody feel depressed at Christmas?

Well let's be honest, it's not like we can help how we feel is it? Depression doesn't have a set pattern, the triggers are different for everybody, in fact for a lot of people there are simply no triggers at all. This can lead to growing frustration and feelings of guilt that we can't explain, but that then soak into our soul dragging us deeper and deeper into the murky darkness that claims the sanity of so many good people each year.

What can we do to fix it? Well first of all I think we need to accept that we can't control how we feel directly. We can rationalise the fact that we're not intentionally feeling like we're worthless, but yet we still do. The key to fixing it is obviously different for each person as no two cases are ever the same, but we can take steps to help drag ourselves out of this fog before we fall too deep.

- Talk to people, a problem shared is not necessarily a problem halved but it is a problem that isn't hidden any longer. If people understand that we are struggling then they are more understanding of why we want to hide under a blanket and let the world pass us by.

- Go and see our doctor. It goes without saying that medication DOES work and I know this because it has helped me on numerous occasions. BUT, yes that's a big but, it doesn't always fix us completely. So get out, try to fight those feelings of isolation, and talk yourself into going to see auntie Barbara and uncle Maurice, even though their house smells of old people and boiled cabbage. The less time we spend hiding the easier it becomes to keep socially active.

- Smile, yes I know this is a contentious point but stick with me. Bang on a stand up comedy show you like, talk to a friend that makes you laugh like a maniac, do everything within your power to remain positive. It's not easy I get that, I have told many people to fuck off when they've told me that positivity fixes depression IT DOESN'T, but it can certainly help us to battle it if we buy into it.

Well, if you've made it this far I thank you, as it is fairly long winded, but at this time of year more than ever we need to keep on top of our own health. I want you all to have a great festive period, but I also have a huge favour to ask before I go.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE check in on somebody you know is, or has in the past, struggled to cope with mental health. If we can all just check up on one person in this situation then we improve the quality of life for somebody with just a few simple words, don't tell them to snap out of it, don't ask them what they have to be depressed about, just say something like this.

Hey __________,

Just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and to say that I love you and value you as a friend. If there is EVER anything you need, or want to chat about over a coffee then drop me a message and we'll get it sorted.

You are loved,

Dave x

It's that simple, and a message like that could LITERALLY save a life. The smallest action can have the biggest impact if it is genuine and comes from the heart.



Merry Christmas to all of my beautiful friends, if you need me you know where I am, I'll even have my phone with me on Christmas day, and NOTHING is more important to me than knowing that the people I love are safe and well, so drop me a message if you need to talk, shout HELP! if you're struggling and I'm there.

I love each and every one of you,

Dave x

Fast food..........

Yeah yeah, it HAS been a while..... well suck it up buttercup!

Let's just get into it, because I'm sure you don't want to hear about all the mundane things in life. Oh I did hit 40 while I have been away, and I can confirm that life does indeed begin at 40, if life consists of bad back, an even shorter fuse and not being able to trust a fart ever again.

There are few words that when strung together make me both incredibly happy and angrier than the Hulk after he's been given a parking ticket for overstaying by 47 seconds.

"Hello, and welcome to......."

Fucking drive-thru's are the bane of my life, they sucker you in with their tasty wares, and then they decide to fuck with you on a level that makes your spleen ache.

Why is it that when they are given that fucking headset they wear they suddenly think that they are the captain of the fucking starship enterprise? Get me my fucking burger or you might find it a struggle to Klingon to life! (See what I did there? That was a proper nerdy geek joke)

Well just lately KFC has managed to really get under my skin, they are fucking masters of it, I don't even know where you go, or who you get trained by to hit the levels of absolute fucking gormless that they achieve.

My love/hate relationship with KFC goes back almost 18 years, since a fateful day when they gave me chicken that turned me into a double ended fucking fountain, I didn't know whether to sit on the toilet with my face in a bowl or vice versa, all I know is that I ended up in an Essex hospital on a drip because I pissed and shat out 93% of all the water in my body leaving me looking like a fat Dorito that has been left out in the sun.

"Hi, KFC Ely, what do you want?"

Well first up you little fucker I'd appreciate some fucking manners, but seeing as I have a sneaking suspicion that you have the IQ of a melted wellington boot I'll not push my luck.

I placed my order, it wasn't huge, but all four of us were eating.

1 x Large fillet box meal with a thigh piece, gravy and a Pepsi max cherry.

2 x Large boneless banquet meals with gravy, sweet chilli dip, and Pepsi max cherry
1 x Zinger tower burger

1 x Large popcorn chicken

Fairly easy order right? Well no, no it fucking wasn't, because as soon as you present your bank card they FUCK YOU AT THE DRIVE-THRU.

It's like they play an unintentional game of Chinese whispers. What you say gets passed down a line where it becomes so fucking warped and distorted by the time you collect your order you're not sure whether you'll get your food or an elephant leg umbrella stand or three tickets to fucking Les Miserable.

So what did I get??? Well let me tell you, it wasn't even close to what I ordered.

The fillet box meal came with a drumstick instead of a thigh, the beans were in an espresso cup, yup beans, I mean they look similar to gravy, right? They had run out of Pepsi max cherry and it was all served in a bag as they had run out of boxes.

The boneless banquet meals came with no pepsi max cherry, 1 x gravy, 1 x beans (both in espresso cups) NO sweet chilli dip and served in a bag.

The Zinger tower burger came out with no fucking tower! My hash brown was completely missing, it was more a fucking bungalow burger, oh and it was missing the 'Zinger' part too because it just had mayo.

On the plus side they did manage to get the large popcorn chicken right, even though it was served in two small boxes because they had run out of large boxes too. Oh and did I mention that they had also run out of large cups? So we then got 3 x medium soft drinks and 3 x soft drinks served in fucking coffee cups!

I actually wonder how businesses manage to run with the sheer incompetence that is displayed by these mother fuckers.

And to top it off I reckon they may well have played football with the chicken, because the following morning I could have shit through the eye of a fucking needle.

Fuck you KFC, fuck you in the eye.

Lost...

I have always used my blog as a form of therapy, I try to keep it light, because, as the old saying goes "Laughter is the best form of medicine". But is it? Is it really? Or is it just a facade that we use to mask how we truly feel?

Take my world, aside from the whole 'episode' of depression I went through late last year (2016) I seem perfectly back to normal right? Well that, if I am perfectly honest, couldn't be further from the truth.

I am broken, I am lost, I am scared, I am struggling, drowning in a sea of self doubt and anticipated failure in my future. I struggle to see a day where I will have a successful life, in fact, if I am perfectly honest I am sure I will NEVER have a financially successful or emotionally stable world that I can be proud of.

Let me first separate family from emotion.... I love my wife and kids more than anything in the world, they are my reason for battling through a week of crushing loneliness fought inside my own head. They don't know the struggles I face internally unless I allow them to, and I am unwilling to do so because I don't need them feeling a fraction of the torment I do. I get emotional because of my family, I feel love and pride, I feel angry when somebody upsets them and I feel sad when they are sick or in pain. But the emotions that course through my veins on a daily basis are all to do with them and yet nothing at the same time.

A few weeks ago I was talking to somebody with whom I share a mutual friend, and I was informed that this mutual friend had turned around and said that "Dave can't be depressed or struggling, he's got a missus and children" now this really took the wind out of my sails. This comment was made by somebody that I have invested a lot of time, emotion and energy into to try and keep their head above water as they dealt with their own struggles, and it made me so fucking angry.

So, just because I have a wife and kids I don't know what depression is eh? I don't know what it is to struggle? HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! Did you ever stop to think that a huge part of my instability, self doubt and brokenness is BECAUSE of my worries about the future of my family? I worry about putting food on the table, I worry about providing financial stability for my children and wife, something that you are utterly clueless about because you live at home, have 3 meals a day cooked for you, and haven't got a fucking clue how the world works once you step up of your mum and dad's basement.

You think that it is easy running a family? You think it is a divine right of marriage to be happy, in control and always on the front foot. You've got a fucking rude awakening coming your way if that is truly what you think.

The battle in your head and your heart is not won the day you say 'I do' or when you hear the first cry of your newborn child, the battle never ends, the darkness keeps pushing away, eating into what happiness you manage to hold.

For the last 5 months I have tried to hold myself together, tried to put on the front of 'big, fat jovial Dave' the guy who has a sense of humour, never lets things get him down for long, but I am losing that fight. I spend hours each night trying to work out why I can't keep on top of myself, trying to find that well paid career that will enable me to spend more money on the kids, taking them places, doing fun things at the weekends, and never worrying about whether we can afford to do it.

All of my life I have been told 'You couldn't do that David, that's not the right job for you' and you know what? I heard it that often I subscribed to it, I felt sure that the advice I was being given was correct, and that I will never amount to anything. That shit is hard to shake off, and it is even harder to deal with when you don't have the drive and direction to correct that thought process.

But the older I get, the more I realise how much time I have thrown away just surviving, I have no career to speak of, I am on the bottom pay scale in a job that if I am honest I now dread going to every day. I appreciate that people at work will read this and might even think I am ungrateful in my attitude, but I need to be honest with myself as well as other people if I am to ever overcome this huge hurdle that is before me.

The crushing weight of depression briefly left me back in January/February, but it came back soon after, and it is eating away at my very soul. I don't want to be a failure, I am not wallowing in self pity, I am simply lost, and I have no idea how to find myself. I have tried medication, I have tried meditation, I have tried fresh air, I have tried so many different things, but still that cloud follows me. I write this as another wave crashes over my thoughts, smashing my fragile self onto the rocks of self doubt and even self loathing.

As I said above, I love my family dearly, but as odd as it sounds I hate my life. Kelly and the kids are a bright spot in an endless horizon of darkness, I cling onto that light, but it gets harder every single day. I'm so tired of the internal struggles on a daily basis, I don't talk to Kelly about things because that's not fair. She'll read this and most likely be angry because I am spilling my guts in public so to speak, but talking to those you love most is also the hardest because you want to protect them from what you feel, what you see when you close your eyes.

Some people will read this and possibly think I write for attention, and in the past I have, but I promise you that this post and the previous one about the same subject is far from that, it is just a way of getting some of what I feel down in words, and hopefully allowing others to see what they are feeling isn;'t something they are going through alone. If what I write offends you, or makes you think less of me as a person then I get that, if it makes me less of a man then so be it.

The fog is getting thicker, it is getting more and more oppressive and it is all around me. I will keep looking for a guiding light, a direction and a purpose, but right now it feels as if it is completely and utterly out of my hands and my reach.


Much love,

Dave.