Niall Harbison Profile picture
Jul 23, 2024 13 tweets 6 min read Read on X
I’ve suffered from depression and anxiety for over 25 years.

I thought I’d share some things that help me. Not medical advice but rather trial and error through many dark days of personal experience.

Here are 10 things that help me battle anxiety and depression… (1/12) Image
1. Give up alcohol 🍺 🍷

It took a trip to ICU for me to finally do this after 25 years. Nothing has had a bigger positive impact on my mental health and anxiety than quitting booze.

Alcohol is literally a depressant. Cut it out and you’ll be less depressed. (2/12) Image
2. Move your body 🏃‍♂️ 🏊

When the dark fog descends or before it does just try to move. It’s often the last thing you can contemplate. But exercise for me has been the key.

Even if it’s just walking 100 yards for some fresh air movement is key (3/12) Image
3. Get medical help

I take some tablets and supplements. I have to accept it’s an illness and I sometimes need help. If you had a broken leg or cancer you’d take medicines.

You might not need medicines but talk to a doctor. If you do there’s no shame (4/12) Image
4. Tell people about it

Monumentally hard. I didn’t tell anyone for over a decade. A problem shared is a problem halved. My friends and family all know I have depression now.

It’s hard for everyone to understand but people are wonderful (5/12) Image
5. Body scan / Massage

Two things that work for me are online body scans (YouTube 30 mins). It’s like a meditation. Calms you right down.

I also find Thai massage helps massively. An hour or 90 mins to calm the mind. (6/12) Image
6. Cut down screen time

The irony I’m tweeting this thread is not lost on me. However a phone is like a little black depression box with bad news and low self worth coming out of it.

Cut down the 2 hours scrolling in bed or pointless screen time (7/12) Image
7. Don’t put yourself in bad positions.

I don’t go to bars. I cut down watching live sports as was a trigger to drink. I changed many of my friends to non drinking people. Get away from toxic work or relationships. Be brutal about making good decisions for your health (8/12) Image
8. Listen to your body

I now know when I’m tired. If I get irritable. If I have a bad nights sleep. If I’ve been around too many people being sociable. Depression and anxiety kick in.

It’s hard but learning the signs and taking time to work on yourself are key (9/12) Image
9. Accept you have to live with it

I often wish I could just fix it. That it would be gone forever. But for many it won’t. I now know I can have more good days than bad by making smart choices. I also have to accept I might do everything right and it still comes back (10/12) Image
10. Do more of what you love

It’s not always easy when you feel down or anxious. But try to find and do something you love. For me it’s helping dogs. In a selfish way it makes me feel good about myself. Find something that makes you feel good about yourself too (11/12)
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Believe me I don’t have it fully sorted. If I followed my own advice and did 10/10 I’d be in better shape. The reality is life comes in the way so I try do at least 5-6.

There’s other tools like therapy and fixing underlying problems but I hope these help someone (12/12)
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I share a lot more of the dogs and my mental health on my Insta.

A follow there would be massively appreciated 🥰🙏 instagram.com/niall.harbison
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More from @NiallHarbison

Jul 6
One month ago I was sent this photo.

The dog had been on this short 3 foot chain for years.

It’s hard to believe how good he looks just a month later… (1/7) 🧵 Image
Because he was chained so long his health was horrendous.

🥘 He was hardly being fed
🧫 Bacterial infections all over
👂 Ears had been cut off and infected
🏃 He couldn’t walk 100 yards as no stamina

Things were very bad (2/7) Image
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Despite being in so much agony as you can see here he never complained it snapped once.

The vets have been poking and prodding and cleaning and bathing for a month and he’s been an angel (3/7)
Read 8 tweets
Jul 5
Most people were probably looking at @liamgallagher and @oasis last night on stage.

Look a little closer and you’ll spot a dog called Buttons.

Her’s is a remarkable story… (1/7) 🧵
Button was a little puppy who walked into our sanctuary in Thailand in the middle of the jungle just as it was getting built.

She had been abandoned. She kept coming back daily for food and hoping for company (2/7) Image
Day after day Buttons came back.

I eventually took her in and put her up for adoption (3/7)
Read 8 tweets
Jul 2
3 weeks ago we brought Anthony Hopkins in as he was very sick.

He is easily the angriest and most vicious dog I’ve ever had to catch.

You won’t believe what he is like today… (1/8) 🧵 Image
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Anthony Hopkins has red raw skin. Probably from a bacterial infection.

He was so angry he tried to eat his way out of the plastic box.

2 different vets refused to treat him (2/8)
Anthony is a community dog. That means he gets fed by locals and tourists.

Nobody could touch him and his pain was unbearable.

We finally managed to sedate him in order to treat him (3/8) Image
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Read 9 tweets
Jul 1
I was sent this photo of a dog living on the streets here in Thailand.

She didn’t look great so we rescued her but I had no idea what she was hiding.

Her comeback has started… (1/8) 🧵 Image
The first problem was catching her. It took 5 of us and as you can see she ran into traffic.

You can see how terrified she is in her eyes when we got her (2/8)
The story from locals was a little sketchy but apparently she had been around the area after being dumped 7 years ago.

It was only when we got her in to our team at @happydoggothai that we spotted serious wounds under her fur (3/8) Image
Read 9 tweets
Jun 29
Big T was abandoned by his owners. He came in just under a month ago…

✅ Good news is he survived the huge operation to remove his tumor.

🧫 Bad news is the lab results are back. It’s cancer.

The big guy is surrounded by love… (1/8) 🧵 Image
You can see how well our vets did. I’m surprised Big T fought so well. He is well over 10 years old. (2/8) Image
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He had a great week of recovery. Walking around lots and his tail wouldn’t stop wagging (3/8)
Read 9 tweets
Jun 28
Matilda. Hit by a truck and left for dead on a road in Thailand.

This was very easily the end of her story.

You won’t believe how it has turned out instead … (1/8)🧵 Image
When she came to use she was so bad she couldn’t poop herself and her legs were crushed.

She obviously couldn’t walk. We had to carry her everywhere (2/8) Image
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She initially recovered with me and Hank as we looked for solutions.

She is a little older at about 7-8. The operations would end up costing $5000 with very little hope of full success (3/8) Image
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Read 9 tweets

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