I have an assignment due tomorrow, and this is where my bouncing off the walls energy is going.
too much coffee and a really long and pointless wall of text about men and healthcare - a case study on my father
My dad hasn’t been able to sleep properly for the past few weeks. He went to the GP, who gave him Belsomra. This made my mum mad, because dad probably drinks three coffees a day, including at night sometimes, and has a glass of wine probably every night. Also is a workaholic. Works Monday to Saturday, probably at least 60 hours a week. Always has to be doing something, unless he’s knocked out because of sleep. I wish I had that work ethic. He also watches the TV with the light on for some reason.
I think and hope it’s just a sleep hygiene thing.
I called him today and he told me that he took two melatonin tablets that my mum got from iHerb when I was having difficulties falling asleep myself (probably due to poor sleep hygiene). Each tablet has 300mg of melatonin. The usual dosage is 200mg. So he’s taken 3x the optimal dose. He was also supposed to follow up with the GP about his blood test results, probably the first one he’s ever done in his life. I’m suspecting he has low iron, because he’s not a huge meat eater, and there wouldn’t be a good absorption rate with the amount of coffee he drinks.
My mum was concerned, so we got her Vitamin D tablets, that look like the melatonin ones, and swapped them out. Bit unethical due to the use of deception, but a fun way to potentially see the placebo effect in action.
It absolutely shits me how many men don’t give a crap about their health. Maybe because I have had health education and value my health, I care about this stuff. I don’t exercise enough or have amazing nutrition habits (I find it difficult to eat three meals a day), but if something’s up physically, I will go to the GP if I feel it’s necessary. Perhaps I’m a borderline hypochondriac. Women tend to care more, I’ve observed, but this is a generalisation.
Considering my dad’s friend’s father just passed away unexpectedly, probably from a lifestyle related condition, it goes to show how generational help-seeking behaviours are. It sucks how my dad’s attitude is, “If I drop dead, I drop dead.”
I think it’s the same with accessing mental healthcare as well, although that is a LOT more stigmatised. My dad says the “woke generation” is too soft and doesn’t want to work, but I know that if I ever raise a child, I might do a better job at validating their emotions, and recognising acting out as being a bad person, rather than someone in need of regulation. I don’t blame him, because he never got the education and the grounding about mental health stuff. Maybe I could talk to his HR people and ask them if they can do a session about mental health stuff.
Just fyi - watch out for him raising the dose of the “melatonin” if it isn’t working. As vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and taken too much or too often can result in toxicity.
You know a very stubborn person might do it so be careful.
The melatonin would just get less effective with overuse and potentially cause rebound insomnia
What I’m saying is it might be safer to just allow him to abuse the melatonin than take the vitamin D unknowingly and risk overdose. It can also be cumulative if he’s taking it for a while.
Only 3 is fine if that’s all there is and then it’s finished. But just to be aware that they’re not a safe placebo like a sugar pill especially when someone takes too many
I have an assignment due tomorrow, and this is where my bouncing off the walls energy is going.
too much coffee and a really long and pointless wall of text about men and healthcare - a case study on my father
My dad hasn’t been able to sleep properly for the past few weeks. He went to the GP, who gave him Belsomra. This made my mum mad, because dad probably drinks three coffees a day, including at night sometimes, and has a glass of wine probably every night. Also is a workaholic. Works Monday to Saturday, probably at least 60 hours a week. Always has to be doing something, unless he’s knocked out because of sleep. I wish I had that work ethic. He also watches the TV with the light on for some reason.
I think and hope it’s just a sleep hygiene thing.
I called him today and he told me that he took two melatonin tablets that my mum got from iHerb when I was having difficulties falling asleep myself (probably due to poor sleep hygiene). Each tablet has 300mg of melatonin. The usual dosage is 200mg. So he’s taken 3x the optimal dose. He was also supposed to follow up with the GP about his blood test results, probably the first one he’s ever done in his life. I’m suspecting he has low iron, because he’s not a huge meat eater, and there wouldn’t be a good absorption rate with the amount of coffee he drinks.
My mum was concerned, so we got her Vitamin D tablets, that look like the melatonin ones, and swapped them out. Bit unethical due to the use of deception, but a fun way to potentially see the placebo effect in action.
It absolutely shits me how many men don’t give a crap about their health. Maybe because I have had health education and value my health, I care about this stuff. I don’t exercise enough or have amazing nutrition habits (I find it difficult to eat three meals a day), but if something’s up physically, I will go to the GP if I feel it’s necessary. Perhaps I’m a borderline hypochondriac. Women tend to care more, I’ve observed, but this is a generalisation.
Considering my dad’s friend’s father just passed away unexpectedly, probably from a lifestyle related condition, it goes to show how generational help-seeking behaviours are. It sucks how my dad’s attitude is, “If I drop dead, I drop dead.”
I think it’s the same with accessing mental healthcare as well, although that is a LOT more stigmatised. My dad says the “woke generation” is too soft and doesn’t want to work, but I know that if I ever raise a child, I might do a better job at validating their emotions, and recognising acting out as being a bad person, rather than someone in need of regulation. I don’t blame him, because he never got the education and the grounding about mental health stuff. Maybe I could talk to his HR people and ask them if they can do a session about mental health stuff.
maybe it’s not men per se, mr seagoon is awesome at looking after himself , me, not so much
i think it may be family circumstances more than anything
Just fyi - watch out for him raising the dose of the “melatonin” if it isn’t working. As vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and taken too much or too often can result in toxicity.
You know a very stubborn person might do it so be careful.
The melatonin would just get less effective with overuse and potentially cause rebound insomnia
That’s the thing, we only put like 3 vitamin D pills in the container. And no melatonin.
Thanks for the link :)
What I’m saying is it might be safer to just allow him to abuse the melatonin than take the vitamin D unknowingly and risk overdose. It can also be cumulative if he’s taking it for a while.
Only 3 is fine if that’s all there is and then it’s finished. But just to be aware that they’re not a safe placebo like a sugar pill especially when someone takes too many
I see, thank you :)
Yep, definitely don’t plan on using them as a placebo in the long term.
Sorry, just was concerned at the amount he could take!
Don’t be sorry, thank you for reminding me about this. I have mentioned it to my mother and probably wouldn’t have if it weren’t for you telling me :)