Pipe smoking and men's mental health.

Bro! Thanks for stepping up and posting the video. I’m a therapist working with active duty service members in the States. I appreciate how you validate how the process works. It’s awesome that you are out and enjoying the woods and smoking a pipe. I tell people in my groups that I smoke a pipe and the value of the whole process. Peace my friend. Thanks for the courage to step on and step up!

Beautiful. I’m a therapist, and I’m inspired by your progress. It gave me some ideas for a couple of my clients. Thanks.

The pipe is an old friend, who is always there, and demands your attention. I just got reacquainted with my pipe again, after a long long time. You picked a good hobby mate.

Thank you for your contribution to our pipe community. My story involves my dad. My dad got me into pipe smoking in my early twenties, 56 now. He had a lovely meersheaum pipe that he enjoyed more for the look than the smoke. While smoking it, he damaged it slightly. During my parents' retirement, there top floor of their log home caught on fire. The pipe was on the main floor and changed shades during the fire. The remodel took about a full year and was very challenging for them, as you could imagine. I currently have that pipe and I enjoy it because it brings back many good memories. My father has passed, and I'm blessed to have that pipe. I also smoke it in my rotation. Be blessed, my friend.

When other folks don't have a frame of reference, especially with trauma, it is near impossible to get them to understand. Stay well.

This was brilliant, mate, thanks! I just stumbled upon your channel and find it quite wonderful. I do also find pipe smoking to be quieting and centreing. I hadn't actually thought of it as also important as a tactile way to deal with the reality of life but it makes a lot of sense. I love this idea of all of us pipe smokers as a community that can help one another in terms of our mental health, and I look forward to more videos. Cheers!

Well that took some courage mate, not a lot of fellas would open up like that so bravo to you,👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 I’ve been in a similar situation myself, I too was going dizzy almost to the point of falling over & lost count how many times I burst out crying but didn’t know why, I got so bad I was constantly thinking how to take my own life, it was at that point I decided to see my doctor, he diagnosed me with anxiety & depression, I just sobbed my heart out in front of him, he consoled me and put me on a corse of anti depressants this is long story, but eventualy I took myself off the tablets and took back control of my life, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Great post mate can’t thank you enough. P.S. thank you for the shout out and happy Easter to you buddy👍👊🤝

Depression, despair, and PTSD are REAL mental health problems and must be addressed. 8:13

Beautiful place, great chat, when you can talk about it, you have control of it 👊🏼✌🏼

I'm glad i found the briar too. It helps a lot. I believe the natural male reaction to what's going on around us, is to nope tf out!!! Stay strong lad!

I feel the same. I stopped smoking my pipe for a while. I was using other forms of nicotine and also thc, I just didn’t have the patience or the frame of mind to sit down and be content with my pipe. I said to myself one day that I’d like to be the man I was back when a pipe and mabey a good pint was enough to give me peace at the end of the day. I definitely suffer from anxiety or something akin to it. The bit about feeling worried or uneasy for no reason really registered with me. I’ve been through some things in my life but we all have haven’t we. However last year I experienced a life threatening incident that involved myself and my children. I believe that in addition to having lost my parents early in life this kind of set me over the edge. I really enjoy Malcom guides poetry on pipe smoking. I think it really illustrates what we are talking about. Also since I learned to clench my pipe and breath smoke, I feel like I have discovered the real meditative nature of this ritual. Especially while driving it is very relaxing but probably best if you’re outside admiring the beauty of the moment with your pipe. There is something about the woods that feels like it’s healing my mind or something it’s hard to describe but I imagine it’s how some people feel about church.

Thanks Chris , good video…I had a bad period in my early twenties- anxiety, depression, panic attacks (it’s worse than any physical ailments IMO.) , the thing that really helped me ( I can’t stress enough about how much it helped) was CYCLING , I got a half decent bike (hadn’t had a bike since I was a kid) ….again, small steps at first…you don’t have to do Lands end to John O Groats , just go for short rides , and ‘lmportantly’ do it at a gentle pace , make it a pleasure, build up slowly, get out into the countryside if possible….I highly recommend this, no matter what your age , I guarantee it will help 🤙

I'm in a battle with anxiety too we will never understand it we will need to learn to live with it more comfortably and help each other through it. I have struggled with it since I was 21 I'm 50 now. Good video thank you

Never be ashamed sharing is strength...thanks for the insight.I enjoy my pipe under an apple tree in my backyard...and I too go for long walks.

I'm not a man but came from a very conservative family and area where things like mental health were very much diminished as even a real thing. Your personal experience and description of anxiety made me feel a lot less alone. I never felt 'anxious' in my life so I completely disregarded my diagnosis later in life when I saw a doctor about my problems, not realising how bad I was letting it get and how much it was worsening my life. I'm learning to get better now, hiking and skating on my own to empty my brain of thoughts. I love this video a lot, I hope you keep moving forward and I look forward to more of your videos in the future. Have an amazing day.

As a retired hospital chaplain I can identify with your vid...

Very courageous video. Thank you for sharing.

Awesome video. Pipe and cigar smoking and going out to the smoking lounge has been a tremendous help. Im 47 from america.

Outstanding video brother, I know exactly how you feel especially the days that are so extreme you need to find a quiet space to stay so you can focus on keeping the darkness at bay. I find smoking a pipe helps ground me and clear the literal fog in my mind. I'm an old Chinook driver who has Parkinson's

Thanks for sharing brother. What you were saying struck a chord with me and my mental health which really helped. I will start looking for a pipe and try to stop smoking the cigarettes. Thanks again my friend. Kind regards Si ✌😎.