A Smith's mental health (tips for keeping calm and forging on)

[Crazy Ivan]

I just wanted to extend a huge thanks to all who added some input/tips to this thread. It goes without saying that this is an incredible forum with such strong camaraderie, otherwise I may not have felt comfortable posting this in the first place. You are all class acts and I thank you. Hopefully this thread will serve to help anyone else in the future who runs into the same obstacle. 

-Crazy Ivan

[Charles R. Stevens]

I bet Glenn will dance a little jig when he reads that, Ivan.

[Glenn]

IForgeIron was built for all to visit and enjoy. 

 

The blacksmithing community seems to be cut from similar cloth so to speak. We play with fire, scrounge for metal and tools, and care about our fellow man. The site is a way to keep in touch, good times, bad times, and those times in between. 

 

Thank you for the kind words and for your support for each other.

[Wayne]

My ''normal job'' is in a hospital, dealing with both the living and the dead.

The adults and the elderly are the easiest to deal with, but children and babies?

Some days I  have to pound iron just to stay sane :(

Wayne

[Anachronist58]

Mr. "Crazy" Ivan,  It is now time for me to publicly extend my personal thanks to you first, and then to all who found the courage to follow you on this thread, each with his own story and/or perspective - This is what we strive for as Human Beings.

 

I have been fighting my way out of the woods (see Post #45, above) trying to make sense of my life and the fragments I have left to start over again with - and I have finally emerged, standing on my feet.

 

The thing is, you see, we pass one-another on the road of life, and who can see the things we carry?

 

A lot of us don't want to bother others with our burdens, and that's okay.  I just hope that as we look at one another, be it on this site through our other interactions, we remember that none of us are only "skin deep".

 

Thank you Community.

 

R. Taylor

[ausfire]

I have not reached that level of frustration yet, and I think that's because in my couple of years of part time smithing, I have only made things I know I can do reasonably well. I see in the galleries here on this site some wonderful stuff I would like to be able to make, but I know without the skills required I would be doomed to failure. I just progress at a rate that's not too demanding. Even so, I still make shameful mistakes at times (like punching holes in 10mm round bar and not getting them centred) and it's usually when people are watching. There are a few of those pieces lurking in the bottom of my quench tub where I can't see them.

But as a part-timer I don't have the stress of making a living from my smithing, so I guess that makes a difference. I haven't thrown a hammer yet. Just oh well, get another piece of round bar and try again. :rolleyes:

[Crazy Ivan]

Hi, my name is Crazy Ivan and I'm a hammer abuser. "Hello Ivan". Its been almost seven months since I have thrown a hammer (or any other tools)! I can not thank everyone who contributed to this enough because your advise has very directly helped me to learn to turn off the stove before the water boils over. Even though I sometimes teeter on the brink, I am able to recognize whats happening and take it down a few notches so I can rationally decide if I should carry on or walk away. Theres not enough thanks to give and I'm sure ya'll don't want me rambling on trying to because the IFI server might fry if I did  :D . Thank you.

-Crazy Ivan

[VaughnT]

Good to hear, Ivan.  I've struggled with depression and anger-management for my entire life and know all too well how you're feeling.  Being unemployed and deep in debt doesn't help the situation, for sure.  We can but march forward, though.  It's what men do.

[Rashelle]

Cool. It's good to hear that we helped.

[Frosty]

That's good to hear Ivan, really good. I think we all have issues, I tend to be a bit manic depressive and had to develop tools to deal. Then the Great White . . . birch did it's thing and I get a new batch of issues to learn to deal with.

 

I don't know what the adage is but it goes something like this. "Shared pain is lessened pain." A shared problem is a whipped problem, etc. etc. I can think of a million of em but will spare everybody.

 

It not only feels good to know we helped but to have a friend who's in less pain is beyond diamonds.

 

FAMILY!

 

Frosty The Lucky.

[turbo7]

7 months heh...hmm almost sounds like you've developed a new habit, good job mate, well done. 

[John McPherson]

Congratulations!!!   Substitution of a good habit for a bad one is nothing less than excellence.

 

Heck, just substituting a lesser evil is a victory. I know someone who kicked alcoholism by switching to cigarettes and diet soda. Sure a pack of smokes and 12 sodas a day is probably bad for your system, but no one ever missed work, or blacked out and killed anybody on Winstons and Diet Mountain Dew.

[Charles R. Stevens]

Dont forget to breath ;-) 7 years from now youll be passing on your flustration managment skills to some on else.

[SmoothBore]

 Try not to get caught up in deadlines!

 

 

Of all the above verbage, this is the true "Gem".

 

 

For decades, I worked as a "Manfacturing Engineer", ... and, as such, ... sat through thousands of "Production Meetings".

 

Within that career, ... the "Management" of many Manufacturing Companies, transitioned from the original Founders, and individuals that were promoted from within, ... to "Business School" Managers, ... and Accountants ( Bean Counters :rolleyes: ).

 

With that latter group, came the "motivational tool", that I call the "Artifical Emergency" :wacko: , ... intended to instill a "sense of urgency" in the hourly employees.

 

 

Without going into a long-winded discussion about all that  :rolleyes: , ... sufice it to say, ... that generally speaking, those Industries no longer exist, in this Country.  :angry:

 

 

Most often, difficult to achieve "Deadlines", are the result of POOR PLANNING.

 

The time you spend truly THINKING about a project, is often the most productive, ... and directly affects the QUALITY of the end product.

 

 

And here's all you need to know about quality.

 

Someone else can ALWAYS make it faster, and cheaper, ... but as long as nobody can make it BETTER, you'll always have a market for your product.

 

 

 

.

[Benton Frisse]

I think each person is different, but sometimes I get aggravated, too. Especially when I can't get the metal to do what I want. Sometimes I have to sit back, take a deep breath and think about what I'm doing. I will end up thinking about the project all day and hopefully, I'll finally realize what was going wrong. But I agree, just like in any other craft, hobby, lifestyle, or profession, some days you just can't get it right. Those are the days I usually result to reading a good book.