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We are a London-based production company developing a documentary which the BBC has expressed an interest in commissioning as part of their documentary season on BBC 3. The film looks at people who take part in high adrenaline activities as a way of dealing with issues such depression or anxiety.
We were wondering if anybody on this site suffers from depression and how they feel BASE jumping affects them.
Before the documentary is commissioned, we will produce a short sample of the film with a few minutes worth of interview from contributors such as yourselves. It would be great to get in touch with jumpers who either currently or used to suffer from depression. Even if you'd rather not take part in the film, it would be interesting to hear your take on the subject.

I get depressed-when i'm not jumping!!!

DTM.

"people who take part in high adrenaline activities as a way of dealing with issues such depression or anxiety"

OMG not again. Im only depressed when I read bullshit like this.

Are you implying some people basejump to deal with depression? I gotta hear this.

Luckily I am not often depressed, but I do have
a couple people in my life who are afflicted and
it is sad to watch them suffer, not fully living.

At first my motivation to jump was about over
coming fear and proving to myself that I could
do it... handle an intense pointless challenge.

Now BASE is more about having fun while getting
exercise outdoors in various unique enviroments
all over the world with some amazing cool people.

Your request is Biased & asumes we must be mentally ill, this is why we do such crazy things. What is the difference between someone who suffers from depression & also does Triathalons v.s. someone who BASE jumps & has depression? It is more intelligent to do triathelons, but other than that, they still both suffer from depression.

Please take your Biased bullshit documentery elsewhere. We dont want it!

I get depressed when I'm not cutting myself

My take on it is that you are looking for flawed heroes and are focusing on the flaws instead of the heroism.

I have skydived for over 30 years and for a few years of that time BASE jumped. I am retired from BASE but I still feel a connection because of the kind of people who do it.

Extreme activities attract truly remarkable people, and over the years I have often found myself in the company of heroes. Whatever it is that attracts people to BASE seems to attract many to careers as police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, EMTs, and others who have what it takes to stick around when running like hell would be a more sensible option.

But there are many others, who are more like me--ordinary people who find themselves doing extraordinary things. We don't wear badges or pull people from burning cars or buildings--at least that's not what we get paid to do.

We may be sitting at the table next to you in a restaurant, or perhaps we teach your kids in school, or repair your car, or prepare your taxes. You may walk next to us on the street or stand next to us in an elevator and have no clue. We are right in front of you but you don't see us. We are an amazing community, yet you choose to portray us as mentally defective or somehow unable to cope with day to day life.

Really? We see possibilities where you see tragedy. We see a higher level of existence where you see hopelessness.

I wish you the best of luck with other projects, but this one--not so much.

Walt

Well said Walt! +1

why are you all so uptight ?
the OP never implied that BASEjumpers are depressives trying to forget about their depression by jumping.

re-read :
He is looking for specific individuals, hopefully a minority within the minority.

Apparently there are no depressives here

I nevertheless understand the point of view of "not showing the darker personal sides" of jumpers, and wanting to portray them as living in a CareBear world

There's been serious studies finding correlations between particular behavior types and participation in so-called risk-taking activities.

There is as well a correlation between the these behavior types and some neurophysiological patterns - which are as well often correlated with distinctive mental condition as anxiety and depression.

Therefore it's relevant to try to find if that involvement in basejumping affects depressive or anxious people in some way - however medias too often take shortcuts to sensationalize and sell what people want to read.

But we cannot resume everything by adrenaline needs!


Quoting the last paragraph of a classic article: (http://www.alpinist.com/...ntaineering-medicine)




..

I dont do BASE, starting my AFF soon but I ride a sportbike like hell on the streets. What Im doing on the bike is probably suicidal behavior to most people. I do see coorelation between my previous depression that likes to come back at me once in a while and the "risky" things I do. Puting my life on the line makes me really focus and really feel allive, I need that once in a while to wake the f*ck up from my daily life ;) Plus some of the craziest dudes I ride with clearly went through depression or suffer from other problems (ADHD, Asberger syndrome) so there is definetly a link.
Im not saying that everyone who does risky sports have to be depressed or have ADHD but I do think that there is something to it, I have to many examples from my life to ignore it.

You're an ass burger...

I think you guys got it all backwards. Ask anybody with a dog, a mountainbiker, a base jumper or a fisherman. Did you begin your activity because you were depressed, or do you seek your activity when you are feeling down? I've found myself fishing, mountainbiking and spending much more time with my dog when other parts of my life felt like they failed. That is not why I bought my mountainbike or my dog.
Base jumping is so much harder to do impulsively. Also basejumpers are much more stubborn than other sportsmen. I think you'll have a hard time finding anyone here willing to accept your premises to participate in this film.

When it comes to dropping out of society, I think you'll have much more luck seeking a dropzone. Not sure if anyone there will say they did it because they were depressed.

If you ask me why I jump, it's cuz I was bored at the time and it looked exciting. BBQ @ my house all summer. Welcome to join, bring beer.

The other way around

Would you be depressed when you stop, or you have to stop?



i idid

Very common top athletes also get depressed when their carrier is over, and so with base, or any other important thing in your life.

I'll never jump if I'm feeling depressed, anxious, pissed off, or just plain mind-fucked...I feel it takes a lot of the fun and enjoyment out of a pleasurable activity and I don't see the point in going participating in an activity which could end my life with some kind of weird, over-emotional state affecting my decision making process.

To each his own though and I guess it helps some people deal with the stresses of being alive. Although I still have my doubts that clinical depression even really exists and isn't just some awesome plan for pharmaceutical companies to make bank.

When I started jumping I was in a totally healthy mental state. Now I'm depressed a lot of the time because I'm not out jumping and can't get out anywhere as much as I wish I could.

I get depressed living in nz where base sucks. I get very depressed spending a small fortune travelling to Europe 2x a year to go jumping. I get very very depressed when my polish friend goes jumping all over the place and he can't even spell 'work.' I get plain suicidal when I can't do the boogies in turkey, Greece and spain. Guess I need some couch time with Dr Freud....

Walt, brilliant way to put it

But it should cheer you up that even you only get to do 2 base trips a year you are still able to smoke your buddy in a Wingsuit (as long as you don't land on your hand) even though he jumps all the time and participates in every possible boogie there is regarding the pole, I agree, this depresses me as well

I have to agree with Neil and Michi. While I am trying to work my ass off here in Norway the pole is just sitting next to me asking when is the next load

Jeezus Rami, you call that work? you get to jump everyday in the land of the big wallls and all you have to do for work is put a little petrol into a boat and haul people in and out of a Fjord. You should try strapping 100kg guys to your chest and hauling them out of aircraft. Nice meeting you a couple of weeks ago, see you in a week at the Heli-Boogie,
try not to work too hard, regards, B.