Mental Health |OT| Depression & Co.

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I think i'm being a little too hard on myself right now. I just finished my math final, got a 80% on it and a B overall in class. Before my last test I was sitting at an A- but my 64% test dropped me to a B- before the final.

This is my second semester back after a 2 year break and I just wanted to come back strong. I wanted that A-. I thought I tried hard enough to get one but I didn't. I'm just walking around bummed, head hanging low after finding this out. It's mostly bothering me because I was never into school really until recently. Over the Summer semester is when I told myself I'm going to try, try and try but I came up short. I'm going to end up with an A- in my english course but I don't think I'll be in a better mood until I actually see it posted.

Sigh, there's always next semester to try harder.
 
Life has been killing me lately... Seems like no matter what I do I can't win.
Work too much? Exhausted and depressed.
Have too much free time? Bored and depressed.
Sleep too little? Tired and depressed.
Sleep too much? Feeling lazy and depressed.

Seems like everything in my life is a no-win scenario.
In January I plan to start applying for new jobs out of state though. I'm mostly looking forward to just working one 40-hour-a-week job instead of two jobs that add up to 60-70 hours a week.
All this shit is getting so hard to handle though. Life is just miserable through and through.
 
Need advice on what to take.
First off, shrink once upon a time told me to get xanax, can't see new one now since I'm living in foreign country and it would be a pain.

Basically I have anxiety. It fucks me up completely, whenever I find something that I can be anxious about it kicks in, sometimes easy sometimes hard like these days. What happens besides constantly being nervous and not being able to focus or do anything is sometimes it causes depression and sometimes rage. I have bad anger issues when it happens, it's close to kill or be killed and I truly believe I could act on it in fit of rage. So I need something to calm me, make the anxiety and all the shit that it comes with go away.
I know xanax is short term solution due to dependence and it's effects lessening with time, so what else can I do without some serious side effects?
I think weed would probably be a good bet but I really would like to avoid smoking(been one of my core principles to avoid it like plague), plus the smell, it being kinda illegal etc but I haven't read too much into using it for this.
 
I fucking hate life right now (not sure if I ever liked it to be honest). People say that when you get a job it gets better, but I feel that they're feeding me bullshit. Have a temp job now in a warehouse but it's boring as shit and 90% of the people there are like 40-50 and I can't relate to them at all. There are only like 3 poeple that seem to be my age there and I don't click with pretty much all of them. There's a cute girl there but I don't get the chance to talk to her as I'm working in an entirely different department to her and I obviously can't go AWOL when on duty.

Missed out on a lot of the fun of being an undergrad due to social anxiety and just hating myself in general. Had to live by myself in my 3rd and final year and basically became a miserable almost-shutin for several months. Such a fucking waste, the expensive piece of paper you get is almost worthless in real life without experience either. Having to listen to my family members' "Congratulations!" is so grating. If they knew how I felt or even understood how I feel like I wasted my time there they wouldn't be saying that. "You did it!" Yeah, fuck off.

I can't win, it seems. Everything is shit and I can do fuck all about it.

My mood every day can be summed up in one word= miserable.
 
Looks like I'm 4 weeks into taking Prozac. Hoping for some positive results in the coming weeks...
 
The country I'm in doesn't have my usual head meds (citalopram), so I've had to switch to Mirtazpine for my anxiety.

Anyone have any experience with this type of medicine?
 
I've only used those as a sleep aid. Made be groggy and noticeably more irritable than my usual curmudgeony self.
But like all medication, it all depends on the individual.

Just started on Wellbutrin for the first time in 7 years.

My depression manifests itself through physical pain and I'm on quite the bad streak.

I'm wide awake.

Depression and pain syndromes and sensitivity are well connected. It really sucks. Hopefully, the meds work.
 
just came back from a surreal teeth cleaning appointment. I was there 5 minutes late, which basically started a discussion about my social anxiety and other issues I'm dealing with. she had 1000 questions about it, while complaining about not having enough time, because I was late (5 minutes, really?). I tried to answer her as vague as possible, just to avoid getting her angrier at me.

I mean, going to the dentist is stressful enough, but answering questions about my childhood didn't make the whole thing any more pleasant.

I'm curious to know, how you guys would react to a situation like this and if you talk openly about your life to a stranger?
 
just came back from a surreal teeth cleaning appointment. I was there 5 minutes late, which basically started a discussion about my social anxiety and other issues I'm dealing with. she had 1000 questions about it, while complaining about not having enough time, because I was late (5 minutes, really?). I tried to answer her as vague as possible, just to avoid getting her angrier at me.

I mean, going to the dentist is stressful enough, but answering questions about my childhood didn't make the whole thing any more pleasant.

I'm curious to know, how you guys would react to a situation like this and if you talk openly about your life to a stranger?

I would have been very uncomfortable and tried to change the subject.
 
My circumstances are on the up and up at the moment, finally. After getting fired then withering in my own despair for 4 months, I have a new job which suits me pretty well, so the year won't be a total loss. However my depression is now manifesting itself as anxiety instead.

Can't win.
 
Just want to vent a bit.

There is, something thats been troubling me alot, going through an existencial crisis awhile ago (according to my doctor, with social phobia) i have a goal of leaving my parents house, become more independent, that is going to take awhile as so far i cant leave house without medicine and have severe anxiety issues, i have been improving alot these past months, but days go with feeling sadness , not any hope or purpose.

My parents are very close and take care of me, as the family is most important to them, but i got used to being criticized all my life, they make me feel bad for not looking wealthy, for acting like a faggot (wich i am) for not making enough money or just my way of speech ( i stutter alot and speak alone, something i started a few years ago)
Many times i feel bad as we are not a bad family ir something like that, but i dread going out with them, my brothers were worse and i feel getting out of the family is going to help me get back the rest of my life. But..really they are not going to understand, they like to order me around all the time, and now how one is supposed to do anything? Feel useless without them, and none if my extended family really knows anything about me, not even my own parents.

Life sure is strange,i feel locked to an existence i almost hate but im so used to that fear of changing is strong, even with some theraphy , medications, work and counseling i feel utterly powerless at times.

We Are supposed to look like a happy functional family to everyone but in the end i cant help but feel only my dad keeps us united the most.
 
Traveling around seeing family this week and next so my responses may be a bit more sporadic.

i wrote a verse. first creative thing ive written in like a year and a half that wasn't absolute dogshit. feels good, probably will never use it or show it to anyone though.

What's important is that it feels, good, Kwixotik. At least, that's my opinion. I hope you're able to keep that good feeling going, some way or another :)

This is a really bad night. The pain is extremely severe and I'm trying to do everything I can to distract myself but it's not really working and I'm a crying mess. I've doubled up on Vicodin and even took an edible and now I'm just a stoned, loopy mess instead of a sober one. I keep telling myself during the worst days (which are now more common than "okay" ones) that I can't take this anymore but I somehow keep going, despite the lack of hope or anything to look forward to. I just feel there's been a heavy price and the person I am now isn't really someone I recognize or particularly like. I've been too sick to make my bed, much less make a very overdue appointment with my doctor (to talk about therapy options).

We all talk about our mental health in this thread (for obvious reasons) but I strongly advise that no one takes their physical health for granted.

I'm sorry you're having such a rough spell, jb. I hope you're able to find it in you to make that appointment this week, I really, honestly, truly, absolutely believe that that is a strong step toward finding some relief. You are a wonderful person, whether you can recognize that every day or not; that is my sincere opinion, whether you agree or not!

Keep me / us posted. You're in my thoughts.

I was doing better for a while, but now things are playing on my mind and my conscience and I haven't had much energy whatsoever. I'm sleeping a lot, too tired to do what I want to do (even play video games) and pissing my father off due to it.

I started Trintellix the other week, and it may be partly responsible for the fatigue. I slept for 12 hours last night, got up and just want to sleep more. I'm tired, can't 'wake up' and have limited interest or energy.

Also, I had issues with my Xbox and had to ask for a replacement, but the one they sent had a loose fan and was making a cricket-like noise that I was able to find online. I asked for another exchange, but now the one they sent me was kind of dirty (dust and dirt under the front faceplate, visible in the crack, and has sticky residue on the front). Plus, it doesn't sound right.

I don't want one that's not perfect. It's not my fault I had to send my new one away because the sound cut out. I don't want a flawed console I can't be proud of/will bug me constantly.

Plus, I'm dealing with a moral dilemma that could be making me feel tired and wanting to avoid life. Everytime I think of it it makes me feel sick.

I don't know much about Trintellix, Chewie, but that sounds like some major fatigue, so please be sure to mention it to your doctor at your next appointment or even sooner if it continues being an issue.

I hope in the intervening days you've been able to find some clarity on your moral dilemma.

Hey Mental Health gaf, I guess it's my first tin here, although I lurked often and have made several attempts at posting but have never been happy with them.

Today was the closest I've ever come to killimg myself. I have recently become more and more depressed, to the point where I have stopped caring about my life. Normally I just think about suicide but today I drilled a hole in my belt so I could use it to suffocate myself.

Then I threw it away and decided that I would jump off a cliff to kill myself instead. I went and drove all the way to the cliffs in nothing but my jeans, my sweatshirt with no shirt underneath and my shoes with no socks.

What stopped me was that it was a long walk to the cliffs and if I did no jump I was afraid I would not be able to find my truck and I would die of hypothermia, and that to me is scary.

I don't think I would have actually jumped. I don't have the guts to, but this sets a bad precident. I don't want to hurt those around me, but sometimes I just don't care anymore and just want to no longer go through life

I'm going on medication hopefully on Monday and I hope it helps.

Xe4,
If you are thinking of hurting yourself, please, please seek emergency mental health care immediately, call a hotline (1 (800) 273-8255) or both. In situations where a life is on the line there's nothing to lose in giving treatment a chance. Are you receiving consistent mental health treatment, or is your medication through your GP?

I think my family is part of my motivation? I would've called it quits when I figured that I don't belong in this major. It wouldn't matter whether it's too late for me to switch majors since I don't have any interest in majoring other fields, so I can only go forward with this major.

Working at my job is getting exhausting, and I also want to call it quits since I'm getting sick of working there. Holidays are the worst when it comes to working at a retail store. My motivation could be money...

Also, I rather be doing something than being a catch potato for the rest of my life.

I only did one part for the project and that's it. I mean I do show up to meetings but doesn't mean I'm any useful. I couldn't even come up with a UI design that would make the app clear. I'm not creative.

Whenever I'm negative or saying things like "I'm a failure, I'm going to fail this class, I suck at coding, ..." Even a friend replied to me stating "What do you want me to say?" and my friend was right. It's like I want people to tell me things that will make me feel better even though its just lip service.

It's hard to stay positive when there are things you can't do because of lack of knowledge and lack of interest.

Well, MisterLuffy, I don't know what to offer other than my perspective, which I hope you can trust is not lip service. It is how I honestly, truly, sincerely feel.

I rarely think of it as a matter of just "staying positive". Yes, over our lifetimes, it's important to learn how to cultivate a positive perspective on things - that is something we're always working on. But from everything you've written, everything I've read, I don't think it's simply a matter of saying "I NEED TO THINK MORE POSITIVELY", forcing yourself to do so and then being happily content. I know I've harped on this many, many times, but it seems most important that you learn, first and foremost, to be gentle with yourself, to figure out why you despise yourself as much as you do and go about working on trying to slowly change that. In nearly every sentence of your post you're being unreasonably harsh on yourself - I hope you can see that as you reread it! Just because you're having trouble in school, or don't enjoy your job all the time, or have friends who don't always know what advice to give does not make you a failure. At all. Yet I can tell you this a million times and it won't override your own opinion of the situation; ultimately, some relief will have to come from within.

That takes a sort of intense self-reflection and learning that I've only been able to cultivate in a therapy setting. I know so much of my advice comes down to "try therapy!" but it really, really, truly can be so transformative to look at how we think and function and actually work at improving it, rather than just functioning under our strict rules and suffering.

For now, I hope you can believe me for at least a moment that you are not a failure. This is your first try at life, same as everyone else, and so finding interests, or figuring out jobs, or what have you, is going to take trial and error. And that is totally okay.

My younger brother suffered from depression years ago. He recovered and got well, but still had some panic attacks here and there. He's getting married next year with a wonderful gal but he has always being insecure. Now, every now and then he starts crying saying that the Girl is going to leave him. He treats to kill himself. The other day he cut his hands and today, he was running from home with a tie on his hands to hang himself off.

I'm so desperate about this. He doesn't care about getting help. He even denies having a problem. He doesn't want to talk about the problem. I've suffered for years because of his depression and the fear of him commiting suicide. I'm getting into a point where I just want to kill myself. I can't live like this any longer. I can't continue to see my brother like this. I just can't live like this anymore. I'm reaching that point where I don't fear about killing myself. I could get help but it would't work, because I'm not the main problem.

I agree with what jb said, PP. You should do what you can for your brother, absolutely, but you must, must look after your own health and well-being, including getting help when you need it. Have you considered mental health treatment?

For some reason I'm very aggitated and miserable this late evening. Freaked out when I saw how low my prescribed drugs were at, especially since I had told my psychiatrist at a prior session recently I did not seem to have enough, which he responded that he had prescribed plenty. I'll have to call him tomorrow, which I don't really want to do. I hate dealing with people, especially over the phone.

Life is just a huge pain. Right now I wish the mental barrier preventing a suicide attempt would break so I could finally go through with it. Being up for over 6 years has not done me much good. I'm still in a shitty place with little to show for it. Just so tired of this life.

I'm sorry to hear you're in such a tough place, AHB. Why, if I may ask, do you hate dealing with people? I hope you were able to get your medications sorted out.

I'm in a really bad place emotionally. I hate my school. I thought this was what I dreamt of since I was 12 years old, but it turns out not every dream is worth pursuing. I can't do anything about it, and the only way to change the situation is to wait another 1,5-2 years. I'm a nervous wreck and I want to start cutting myself again. I have to pretend normal for my SO and mother (especially mother) but I don't know how long I could last.

Why do you feel the need to pretend around your SO and mother, chiimisu? In difficult times it's important that we have others to open up to and offer us understanding. I hope things look up soon.

I feel bad because I meant to reply to this post, but it totally slipped my mind.

Thankfully yeah, I saw my psychiatrist yesterday and we spoke about the medication. She said that it likely wasn't the Abilify causing my increased anxiety, but rather it was the decrease in Risperidone. So we've bumped the Reisperidone back up to its old dosage, and hopefully that'll help curb things.

I've been in a better mood these past few days though. I've still got to get my sleep schedule on track (slept from 5pm to 9pm yesterday, and it's now 5:30am and I have yet to fall back asleep), but I'm a lot more optimistic than I was two weeks ago.

No worries, Tapejara!
I've had good experiences with Risperidone, so I hope it works for you. I agree that sleep schedule should be a priority - I feel much better when I've got a semi-consistent, semi-healthy sleep schedule versus when I'm a night owl.

I think i'm being a little too hard on myself right now. I just finished my math final, got a 80% on it and a B overall in class. Before my last test I was sitting at an A- but my 64% test dropped me to a B- before the final.

This is my second semester back after a 2 year break and I just wanted to come back strong. I wanted that A-. I thought I tried hard enough to get one but I didn't. I'm just walking around bummed, head hanging low after finding this out. It's mostly bothering me because I was never into school really until recently. Over the Summer semester is when I told myself I'm going to try, try and try but I came up short. I'm going to end up with an A- in my english course but I don't think I'll be in a better mood until I actually see it posted.

Sigh, there's always next semester to try harder.

You are being very hard on yourself, Daria! A B- is a very solid grade, especially considering the circumstances. Hopefully your english grade can lift your spirits some.

Life has been killing me lately... Seems like no matter what I do I can't win.
Work too much? Exhausted and depressed.
Have too much free time? Bored and depressed.
Sleep too little? Tired and depressed.
Sleep too much? Feeling lazy and depressed.

Seems like everything in my life is a no-win scenario.
In January I plan to start applying for new jobs out of state though. I'm mostly looking forward to just working one 40-hour-a-week job instead of two jobs that add up to 60-70 hours a week.
All this shit is getting so hard to handle though. Life is just miserable through and through.

Kipp, it seems to me that the only common ground between all of those situations is, well, perception itself, how we interface with our moment to moment experience and understand our daily lives. So it would seem to me that that's what needs to change most presently. What that change looks like can vary, though; I hope you're able to find success in your job search. As always, I do think therapy, at some point, could be helpful (sorry if I've gotten annoying with that recommendation!)

In the mean time I hope your week, thus far, has smoothed out a bit, even slightly.

Need advice on what to take.
First off, shrink once upon a time told me to get xanax, can't see new one now since I'm living in foreign country and it would be a pain.

Basically I have anxiety. It fucks me up completely, whenever I find something that I can be anxious about it kicks in, sometimes easy sometimes hard like these days. What happens besides constantly being nervous and not being able to focus or do anything is sometimes it causes depression and sometimes rage. I have bad anger issues when it happens, it's close to kill or be killed and I truly believe I could act on it in fit of rage. So I need something to calm me, make the anxiety and all the shit that it comes with go away.
I know xanax is short term solution due to dependence and it's effects lessening with time, so what else can I do without some serious side effects?
I think weed would probably be a good bet but I really would like to avoid smoking(been one of my core principles to avoid it like plague), plus the smell, it being kinda illegal etc but I haven't read too much into using it for this.

Well, Xanax is tremendously effective, demented, but it only lasts about 3 hours, which makes it useful mostly for short term anxiety situations. There are other benzodiazepines that last longer (Klonopin lasts 6) which can be useful, but if anxiety is a daily or constant thing it's usually better to find a maintenance medication that can be taken every day and have a constant effect. Options include SSRIs and Buspirone.

I think it's important to consult with a psychiatrist; I know you said it's a pain, but that pain is probably worth it in this circumstance. Is there a psychiatrist available locally?

I fucking hate life right now (not sure if I ever liked it to be honest). People say that when you get a job it gets better, but I feel that they're feeding me bullshit. Have a temp job now in a warehouse but it's boring as shit and 90% of the people there are like 40-50 and I can't relate to them at all. There are only like 3 poeple that seem to be my age there and I don't click with pretty much all of them. There's a cute girl there but I don't get the chance to talk to her as I'm working in an entirely different department to her and I obviously can't go AWOL when on duty.

Missed out on a lot of the fun of being an undergrad due to social anxiety and just hating myself in general. Had to live by myself in my 3rd and final year and basically became a miserable almost-shutin for several months. Such a fucking waste, the expensive piece of paper you get is almost worthless in real life without experience either. Having to listen to my family members' "Congratulations!" is so grating. If they knew how I felt or even understood how I feel like I wasted my time there they wouldn't be saying that. "You did it!" Yeah, fuck off.

I can't win, it seems. Everything is shit and I can do fuck all about it.

My mood every day can be summed up in one word= miserable.

RP, I'm sorry things seem so dire and hopeless right now. As I've said before, we can only start from this moment and work forwards, and luckily there are still many, many possibilities available from this point forward (yes, I truly, truly believe that). Sorry if you've already mentioned this, but have you considered seeking mental health counseling?

Just started on Wellbutrin for the first time in 7 years.

My depression manifests itself through physical pain and I'm on quite the bad streak.

I'm wide awake.

I hope the Wellbutrin works for you, EBF. It can cause some sleep troubles at first but you should adjust in time.

My circumstances are on the up and up at the moment, finally. After getting fired then withering in my own despair for 4 months, I have a new job which suits me pretty well, so the year won't be a total loss. However my depression is now manifesting itself as anxiety instead.

Can't win.

I find it interesting, Machina, that you described a "win" in your post (your new job) yet it's ignored when you connect the dots for your conclusion (that you can't win). I hope you see that we're able to connect the dots in several different ways at any given time - not that you can change that instinct immediately, but it's worth considering!


I hope everything is alright, CM. Let us know if there's anything we can do.

<3
 
Why do you feel the need to pretend around your SO and mother, chiimisu? In difficult times it's important that we have others to open up to and offer us understanding. I hope things look up soon.

Hey. First of all, thanks for your attenion, it helps a lot.

About mother... It's kind of difficult situation. We've been on pretty good terms since I moved out and started attending school 3000 miles away from my hometown a year ago. Before that, there were only fights. Sometimes in a physical way.
She's never quite been "here" emotionally. Every time I try to talk to her about my mental condition or problems with socialization/school, she flips out and starts screaming at me about how much more difficult her life is and how I'm too weak for complaining. It's been this way since the middle school I think. I don't even want to think what will happen when I'll tell her I want to drop out of the college. My nerves are pretty weak lately, I don't want to harm them even more :/ It's going to be reeeeal ugly.

Then, SO. He's a pretty great guy all around, the problem is, he doesn't really believe in my mental condition. Probably, the attutide towards mental illnesses in my country is at fault. When I tell him about my depression, he jokingly says something like "Did you decide it for yourself?". Well yes I did. Good therapists are expensive, good meds are expensive, we don't have any money and free medical help may do more harm than good. I told him many times about how I feel, I even had a nervous breakdown about a week ago because of his coldness. My head started twitching to the sides uncontrollably and I was really scared. But he still doesn't believe me. So it'd probably be easier to pretend "normal" I guess. Who would want a girlfriend fucked in her head lol
 
I had a bit of a set back in that I gained 3 lbs the past month. That's fine though I have ratcheted up my routine and going to more closely monitor what I eat I did slip a bit. Other than that things have been real good with me. My younger sister admitted herself to a psych ward a few days ago. I am happy she's there not because I think it will do her any real good but it gives me and my mom a break from her. Maybe this time she will actually learn something about herself and change but I doubt that will happen. Me and my sister just bring out the worst in each other when we are around one another. I have tried my best to figure out why and to change but nothing I do in that regard works. I think the only real answer is cutting ties with her once I am able to live on my own.
 
Just want to vent a bit.

There is, something thats been troubling me alot, going through an existencial crisis awhile ago (according to my doctor, with social phobia) i have a goal of leaving my parents house, become more independent, that is going to take awhile as so far i cant leave house without medicine and have severe anxiety issues, i have been improving alot these past months, but days go with feeling sadness , not any hope or purpose.

My parents are very close and take care of me, as the family is most important to them, but i got used to being criticized all my life, they make me feel bad for not looking wealthy, for acting like a faggot (wich i am) for not making enough money or just my way of speech ( i stutter alot and speak alone, something i started a few years ago)
Many times i feel bad as we are not a bad family ir something like that, but i dread going out with them, my brothers were worse and i feel getting out of the family is going to help me get back the rest of my life. But..really they are not going to understand, they like to order me around all the time, and now how one is supposed to do anything? Feel useless without them, and none if my extended family really knows anything about me, not even my own parents.

Life sure is strange,i feel locked to an existence i almost hate but im so used to that fear of changing is strong, even with some theraphy , medications, work and counseling i feel utterly powerless at times.

We Are supposed to look like a happy functional family to everyone but in the end i cant help but feel only my dad keeps us united the most.

Sub Boss, I'm so glad to hear you say that you feel you're making progress. It sounds like you have some big goals for your treatment and betterment - such as getting out of your parents' house - but the only way between here and there are the small steps and little improvements that we can work on day to day.

Do you have a sense of how or why things are improving these past few months?

As far as relationships with family...well, it's a lifelong process, figuring out how one fits in with ones family, and it's so different for everyone. I found counseling tremendously helpful in unpacking my relationship with my parents and figuring out how I could relate to them best.

It just wasn't going to last. Nothing ever does.

I've been getting so worked up this week. Feeling more down about my country than myself. The US really lacks compassion.

Unlikely as it may seem sometimes, there are many, many people within these United States that are compassionate, if only we can find them. They're often not the loudest voices, but they are there.

Also, do you realize what a universal truth you've stumbled onto there? Impermanence. Luckily it applies to both bad and good things.

Hey. First of all, thanks for your attenion, it helps a lot.

About mother... It's kind of difficult situation. We've been on pretty good terms since I moved out and started attending school 3000 miles away from my hometown a year ago. Before that, there were only fights. Sometimes in a physical way.
She's never quite been "here" emotionally. Every time I try to talk to her about my mental condition or problems with socialization/school, she flips out and starts screaming at me about how much more difficult her life is and how I'm too weak for complaining. It's been this way since the middle school I think. I don't even want to think what will happen when I'll tell her I want to drop out of the college. My nerves are pretty weak lately, I don't want to harm them even more :/ It's going to be reeeeal ugly.

Then, SO. He's a pretty great guy all around, the problem is, he doesn't really believe in my mental condition. Probably, the attutide towards mental illnesses in my country is at fault. When I tell him about my depression, he jokingly says something like "Did you decide it for yourself?". Well yes I did. Good therapists are expensive, good meds are expensive, we don't have any money and free medical help may do more harm than good. I told him many times about how I feel, I even had a nervous breakdown about a week ago because of his coldness. My head started twitching to the sides uncontrollably and I was really scared. But he still doesn't believe me. So it'd probably be easier to pretend "normal" I guess. Who would want a girlfriend fucked in her head lol

I don't really know how, specifically, chiimisu, but it seems to me that you've got to get to a place of better understanding with your SO. Having a sense of support from those around us is instrumental in feeling comfortable in our situation and feeling that we have the strength to push through to a better place (at least, that's how it has worked for me).

If he's truly as disagreeable as you describe about mental health issues then the best I can advise is to be infinitely patient and infinitely persistent. I've had friends who just don't "get it" or, well, I think they could "get it" but they don't want to, because it's too scary for them to consider that the mind could do its own thing and make us suffer as much as some are claiming it does. I've found it best to calmly speak with them about it, describe what it feels like, and whenever they try to generalize it to their experience, reiterate that their experience is not mine, and it is quite different.

I think the biggest thing that a lot of people don't realize (including me until a few years ago) is that we have not felt every emotion. Like, I thought I knew what depressed was because I'd been "sad". I thought I had a good idea of what most emotions were, until one day I started feeling something I didn't know people could feel. And it forcefully opened my eyes to the fact that I cannot completely understand what others are feeling, PERIOD. I cannot completely understand what others are going through. I can try my best to relate, but I must always keep in mind that my experience is not theirs, and theirs is not mine, and we will never feel the other person's.

I don't feel I've done a very good job of explaining what I mean but I hope you get the gist of it. Calm persistence to get others to open up to the idea that they do not understand and have not felt everything (and that's okay!).

I had a bit of a set back in that I gained 3 lbs the past month. That's fine though I have ratcheted up my routine and going to more closely monitor what I eat I did slip a bit. Other than that things have been real good with me. My younger sister admitted herself to a psych ward a few days ago. I am happy she's there not because I think it will do her any real good but it gives me and my mom a break from her. Maybe this time she will actually learn something about herself and change but I doubt that will happen. Me and my sister just bring out the worst in each other when we are around one another. I have tried my best to figure out why and to change but nothing I do in that regard works. I think the only real answer is cutting ties with her once I am able to live on my own.

3 pounds is well within the margin of error, redlegs, in that your weight can naturally vary 5 pounds or more every day just because of metabolism and water and the such. So I hope you're able to see it as a blip. Either way, good on you for keeping up with your health routine!

As far as your sister, I hope that she's able to get the help she needs. You may not understand how you can relate at the present time but as we all the know the present time is always changing, so perhaps one day there will be common ground.

I learned that compartmentalizing is really a thing recently. I didn't understand it at first.

What do you mean? Can you explain it to me?

<3
 
What do you mean? Can you explain it to me?

<3

It's a form of coping or defense mechanism where the person who is demonstrating this behaviour is not aware of the fact.

Wikipedia said:
Compartmentalization is an unconscious psychological defense mechanism used to avoid cognitive dissonance, or the mental discomfort and anxiety caused by a person's having conflicting values, cognitions, emotions, beliefs, etc. within themselves.
 
3 pounds is well within the margin of error, redlegs, in that your weight can naturally vary 5 pounds or more every day just because of metabolism and water and the such. So I hope you're able to see it as a blip. Either way, good on you for keeping up with your health routine!

As far as your sister, I hope that she's able to get the help she needs. You may not understand how you can relate at the present time but as we all the know the present time is always changing, so perhaps one day there will be common ground.

<3

Yeah I know the 3 lbs is just a blip on the radar nothing more. We have common ground in a few things and there are times we are like normal brothers and sisters. Then it's like one of us notices hey we are being somewhat normal time to return to being awful to each other. I think it's because I see much of my younger awful self in her and I don't like it at all.
 
Kipp, it seems to me that the only common ground between all of those situations is, well, perception itself, how we interface with our moment to moment experience and understand our daily lives. So it would seem to me that that's what needs to change most presently. What that change looks like can vary, though; I hope you're able to find success in your job search. As always, I do think therapy, at some point, could be helpful (sorry if I've gotten annoying with that recommendation!)

In the mean time I hope your week, thus far, has smoothed out a bit, even slightly.

Fair point. I also think part of the issue is that I've been working too many hours. That directly leads to the exhaustion from working too much, but I think it also indirectly leads to the boredom when I have too much free time. I've noticed that when I work a lot, I kind of forget how to use my free time and don't know what to do with it.

Also, on the therapy thing, the good news is that I plan to move and get a full time job (with health benefits) in the coming months, and those are two of the things I was kind of waiting on before I sought out therapy. Also, I think my family may be upgrading our health insurance for 2016, so there might very well be some sort of copay for therapy involved in that, which would definitely give me some encouragement to seek out therapy.
 
I feel like I should give an update.

Within a month, I am seeing some improvement even if it doesn't feel like improvements. Building a foundation for good habits and going easy myself with the catastrophic thinking and not to be critical of myself or the situation if I am not "on" all the time. I am not going to lie, it's a struggle, especially with the worrying. There's days that are smooth and then there are days where I wake up with anxiety and feel like I am going to burst into tears.

My biggest worry is feeling accomplished and satisfied when I do something that I like or a challenge I have conquered, like drawing. I feel like I hit a plateau creatively speaking and as such have not gotten enjoyment out of it like I did a couple years ago. My therapist even said that my own worry about every facet of my life is the thing holding me back and I think there's such a degree of truth to that (even if I can't feel it just yet). I think that's what triggered my mental breakdown a few months prior was that I worried about being depressed (forever), I worried about my own life prospects and future, and I worried about finding enjoyment out of my interests (new or old).

The thing with worry is that you spin your wheels raw and second guess yourself on everything you do. You become exhausted, fatigued, and afterwards you spiral into a depression. It really drove home the point that I had habitually reframed everything in a negative light, even if there was a good chance nothing catastrophic would of happened. What I can say is right now is that if there is ever a day, a week, or even a year where you feel tired or unmotivated, take a step back and reframe your thought processes and be kind to yourself if you have a setback or two.

I am not going to lie, rewiring your brain is tough as fuck and even as I am typing this it is constant to not think in such a negative fashion, especially if you don't have much positive reinforcement. So yeah, sermon over.

I have to ask though (for my own reassurance) to the 'CreativeGAF' who posts here too, Are there days where you don't feel accomplished of your work? I'd like to hear some opinions on this, thanks.
 
I've posted about it a few times in this thread, but I still haven't been sleeping well. A few weeks ago I was up for 3 days in a row with no sleep...that's the longest I've ever gone. I think it might be related to the med Geodon. I don't take it much anymore (even though I would get in trouble if my program's staff found out) because of this and other side effects, but I still have been having trouble sleeping. Luckily my therapist said that it isn't a serious problem and your body will basically force you to get sleep when you really need it. I have been finding this true, and last night I actually slept pretty well for at least 10 hours.
 
I swear sometimes i just cannot stand liking guys who would never date me. Looking the way i am overweight, short and unattractive, i feel like i want to rent a car and drive it over a bridge or cliff. I've been watching a lot of romantic Korean dramas and relationship movies. Somehow i know i will never take a nice vacation with a guy who wants to be with me or share a kiss under an umbrella in the rain or even hold hands.
 
First time posting, hope I don't mess things up too badly. I've lurked for a while now (before and after getting approved) and tried to post but just ended up deleting a lot of it.

Maybe it's just been the unusually warm winter we're having in Britain but I've been feeling... strange lately.

I haven't been diagnosed with anything and most of the time I generally try to be as upbeat as possible but these past few months have been weird for me.

I feel like I should go talk to someone but I don't want to worry my already struggling mother, especially since I'm going to university next year which will cause a whole heap of issues.
Going to see someone at my school/work isn't an option unfortunately, I don't have a job and my mum works there so anything like that would just get back to her really quickly.

I don't know, I don't feel like I have any recognizable illness but I don't feel like I'm acting 'normal' when compared to others. It's a really confusing situation.
 
Xe4,
If you are thinking of hurting yourself, please, please seek emergency mental health care immediately, call a hotline (1 (800) 273-8255) or both. In situations where a life is on the line there's nothing to lose in giving treatment a chance. Are you receiving consistent mental health treatment, or is your medication through your GP?

Thank you Piano, your responses in sure mean so much to the people in this thread.

I don't think my GP even knows. I know I signed a release of information form so she'll probably know when I go in for my next checkup.

I go to a mental health hospital in my area that's actually under my insurance, and try to go there every other week. Problem is they're a bit underataffed, so before ibknew how to consitantly get appointments it would be months in between visits. I don't know if that answers your question or not.

Going in to see a neuropsychologist who can prescribe on Tuesday so hopefully I'll get on medication then, but I don't know how things like this work.
 
It's a form of coping or defense mechanism where the person who is demonstrating this behaviour is not aware of the fact.

Interesting, thanks for the explanation TW. I've heard various definitions so I'm glad to get an official word on it.

Yeah I know the 3 lbs is just a blip on the radar nothing more. We have common ground in a few things and there are times we are like normal brothers and sisters. Then it's like one of us notices hey we are being somewhat normal time to return to being awful to each other. I think it's because I see much of my younger awful self in her and I don't like it at all.

Well, perhaps her road to finding a better self is a bit longer, or perhaps she's just a few steps behind you. Either way, it's surely always changing, so I hope no matter how bad things get you always find a way to leave the door to a good relationship at least slightly open.

Fair point. I also think part of the issue is that I've been working too many hours. That directly leads to the exhaustion from working too much, but I think it also indirectly leads to the boredom when I have too much free time. I've noticed that when I work a lot, I kind of forget how to use my free time and don't know what to do with it.

Also, on the therapy thing, the good news is that I plan to move and get a full time job (with health benefits) in the coming months, and those are two of the things I was kind of waiting on before I sought out therapy. Also, I think my family may be upgrading our health insurance for 2016, so there might very well be some sort of copay for therapy involved in that, which would definitely give me some encouragement to seek out therapy.

That sounds like a great plan, Kipp.
Free time is an interesting question. The question is, what's the purpose of that free time? Are we trying to "unwind" and recharge? Are we trying to kill time until the next "exciting" thing happens to us? Are we trying to pursue meaningful experiences? I think it's a bit different for everyone, and it's interesting to consider what it is you want, and what it is you need from your free time (the two may be different).

For me, I've found I have to balance my recharge time with meaningful experiences, and it really makes me anxious when I just feel like I'm killing time. Of course, sometimes you've gotta kill time, and that's that, but it has naturally decreased the length of my gaming sessions. Rarely can I play a video game alone for more than an hour these days without feeling like it's pretty pointless.

I feel like I should give an update.

I have to ask though (for my own reassurance) to the 'CreativeGAF' who posts here too, Are there days where you don't feel accomplished of your work? I'd like to hear some opinions on this, thanks.

First of all, I am so, so glad to hear you talk about some real, real progress, FITG. It sounds as though you've already learned some valuable things, and I'm excited for that journey to continue.

I don't know if I count as "CreativeGAF" as I don't necessarily consider myself an artist, but for the art projects and things I have involved myself in I've found that my perspective on them will often go through phases. Sometimes I look at the work I've created and all I can see are the shortcomings, the ways it is isn't "real art" or the places where I was obviously parroting some other art I'd seen or read or heard or whatnot. Other days I am able to appreciate the emotion that went into the things I've created and feel that they've got real qualities.

I haven't really been able to figure it out yet, but I think, as in most things, the best perspective is likely somewhere in the middle.

I've posted about it a few times in this thread, but I still haven't been sleeping well. A few weeks ago I was up for 3 days in a row with no sleep...that's the longest I've ever gone. I think it might be related to the med Geodon. I don't take it much anymore (even though I would get in trouble if my program's staff found out) because of this and other side effects, but I still have been having trouble sleeping. Luckily my therapist said that it isn't a serious problem and your body will basically force you to get sleep when you really need it. I have been finding this true, and last night I actually slept pretty well for at least 10 hours.

I presume the reason they're not changing the Geodon, whiterabbit, is because insomnia isn't commonly understood as a side effect of Geodon. In fact, in most people it causes somnolence and excessive sleepiness. That's not to say it's impossible that it is having that effect on you, but it certainly is a less likely explanation of what's going on. I'm sorry you're having trouble with sleep, that's no fun...though yeah, it's good that your therapist has eased your concerns somewhat.

I hope you can speak openly with the program staff about what's going on. Perhaps you can find a middle ground on the medication? If you're taking it inconsistently there's a good possibility that withdrawal effects are contributing to your sleep troubles.

I swear sometimes i just cannot stand liking guys who would never date me. Looking the way i am overweight, short and unattractive, i feel like i want to rent a car and drive it over a bridge or cliff. I've been watching a lot of romantic Korean dramas and relationship movies. Somehow i know i will never take a nice vacation with a guy who wants to be with me or share a kiss under an umbrella in the rain or even hold hands.

Well, it goes without saying that, as frustrating as it is, those sorts of movies aren't accurate to real life. I spent a long time looking for a manic pixie dream girl to whisk me away and fix all of my problems. I finally realized (via the movie 500 days of summer) that as long as I was hunting for that ideal, instead of a person, I was not working on making myself a whole, balanced person and therefore was not a good partner for a relationship.

The point is, while there is some distance between us and the fantasies that movies sell to us there is something to be said for looking at what aspects of that fantasy are realistically attainable and taking steps towards living something close to a real-life version of that ideal. I don't think you (or I, or anyone) will ever live one of those Korean movies, neojubei, but don't you think we could find ourselves in a similarly decent place if only we could find the path there?

First time posting, hope I don't mess things up too badly. I've lurked for a while now (before and after getting approved) and tried to post but just ended up deleting a lot of it.

Maybe it's just been the unusually warm winter we're having in Britain but I've been feeling... strange lately.

I haven't been diagnosed with anything and most of the time I generally try to be as upbeat as possible but these past few months have been weird for me.

I feel like I should go talk to someone but I don't want to worry my already struggling mother, especially since I'm going to university next year which will cause a whole heap of issues.
Going to see someone at my school/work isn't an option unfortunately, I don't have a job and my mum works there so anything like that would just get back to her really quickly.

I don't know, I don't feel like I have any recognizable illness but I don't feel like I'm acting 'normal' when compared to others. It's a really confusing situation.

If you're feeling off, TP, I think you've got nothing to lose, really, in consulting with a therapist. Is there any way you could calmly discuss it with your mother? What you're saying now doesn't alarm me, but it does sound like it's worth checking out, for whatever that's worth.

Thank you Piano, your responses in sure mean so much to the people in this thread.

I don't think my GP even knows. I know I signed a release of information form so she'll probably know when I go in for my next checkup.

I go to a mental health hospital in my area that's actually under my insurance, and try to go there every other week. Problemvisvtheyre a bit underataffed, so before ibknew how to consitantly get appointmwnts it would be months in between visits. I don't know if that answers your question or not.

Going in to see a neuropsychologist who can prescribe on Tuesday so hopefully I'll get on medication then, but I don't know how things like this work.

Ah, okay, I see. Is a neuropsychologist an equivalent to a psychiatrist, Xe4? Because yeah, it sounds as though it's important that you get in soon with someone who specializes in symptom relief medications that can tide you over.

<3
 
So, to the best of my recollection, it's been about 9 months since I was formally diagnosed with PTSD.

Some days are really hard.

Just 4 days ago, I told one of my friends; this makes the 5th person I am able to tell about my condition.

I... Want to tell more, but I want it to go away. But I don't want it to go away, and then I start sobbing.

I am afraid right now...

Will I have this with me for the rest of my life? It's that reality that is creeping in, and I am scared.
 
My circumstances are on the up and up at the moment, finally. After getting fired then withering in my own despair for 4 months, I have a new job which suits me pretty well, so the year won't be a total loss. However my depression is now manifesting itself as anxiety instead.

Can't win.

My situation as well....hang in there man.

So, to the best of my recollection, it's been about 9 months since I was formally diagnosed with PTSD.

Some days are really hard.

Just 4 days ago, I told one of my friends; this makes the 5th person I am able to tell about my condition.

I... Want to tell more, but I want it to go away. But I don't want it to go away, and then I start sobbing.

I am afraid right now...

Will I have this with me for the rest of my life? It's that reality that is creeping in, and I am scared.

I used to think that way about my severe panic disorder and possible PTSD. Try your best to remind yourself that it will, if it did for me, it will for you.
 
First post back from a ban I requested a couple months or so ago. I just needed some time away from my regular routine for a while. I go back to school next month, first time since I graduated with my bachelor's exactly 11 years ago. Which freaks me the fuck out when I think about it....time really does go faster the older you get. I'm going to 'the' big community college in my city for the Electrical Engineering Technology associates degree and will take the classes necessary to transfer into a 4 year program to become an actual electrical engineer. It's way more ambitious then anything I've done since I started college in terms of things I've actually followed through with. I may be biting off more than I can chew, especially when I think about the fact that I'll have to go through calculus etc (which I sucked at my first time around because of depression and total apathy), but I'm excited as hell. This is the first time I've been excited about something I'm embarking on than I ever have maybe in my adult life. The idea of going back to college, into the classroom/school environment, and being surrounded yet again by thousands of people in their 20s (maybe I'll actually start dating?) just makes me happy and positive about my future which is a feeling I've actually never been familiar with before. And hopefully it will be the jumper cables my social life desperately needs.

Also I just signed up for a health insurance plan with a company I trust for next year on a plan with a $0 premium, $500 Deductible/OOP, and a few $1 copays a year. Yay.

Also, after quitting my stressful job from hell 3 and a half months ago and taking a month break, I started a new temp job at a health insurance company. And my job description is, as far as I can tell, surf the internet for 8 hours a day, and coming in late and leaving early is encouraged because your boss won't notice/care. And maybe once a week there will be 1-2 hours of mindless work to do while you listen to podcasts. After my last job, it's like.....karma is real.

Oh and I bought my first Apple product ever, a Macbook Pro Retina. It's like trading in a Chevy for a Lexus. Buh-bye Windows.

Anyway, that's my little update. I never thought I'd get to a place where I'm this excited for my future and happy, but here I am. Hope I don't fuck it up.
 
If you're feeling off, TP, I think you've got nothing to lose, really, in consulting with a therapist. Is there any way you could calmly discuss it with your mother? What you're saying now doesn't alarm me, but it does sound like it's worth checking out, for whatever that's worth.

I can't really talk to a therapist because again, no money and no transport whilst living in a small rural town. I would talk to my mum but the thing is she's had experience with mental illness both in herself and in others before (used to work as a counselor) so she'll worry much more even if it turns out to be fine.

I agree it's not alarming, I'm not having extreme suicidal thoughts or anything, but I've just been thinking a lot more negatively about myself and the world lately (especially my future). I'll try and talk to someone to determine whether it's just this shitty winter and the run up to Christmas or something else. Thanks for your advice.
 
I don't see how reminding myself of the fact that it is never going away will help.

There is a difference between reminding yourself of it and ruminating on it.

Reminding yourself can be helpful in that it reminds you not to push yourself into environments or situations that may set you off or aggrivate symptoms. Negatively obsessing about the "gaps" it can cause in your life does about as much good as freaking out over the things you can't do for a while because of a broken hand.
 
Fair point. I also think part of the issue is that I've been working too many hours. That directly leads to the exhaustion from working too much, but I think it also indirectly leads to the boredom when I have too much free time. I've noticed that when I work a lot, I kind of forget how to use my free time and don't know what to do with it.

I struggle with the opposite version of this, in that I'm unable to work and I feel like all I'm doing is killing time with entertainment and it sends me into an anxious, depressed spiral faster than anything else.

I've actually had comments from people who are jealous of that particular lifestyle, like it's an endless vacation or something. It's not. It's lonely and ultimately meaningless. It's slowly killing me because I feel like my life has no purpose.
 
The people who care about me are the ones further away from me. I'm isolated in a city of 8 million. People who want to come here don't even acknowledge me. I attempt suicide and they act like they care but when I'm out of hospital I become invisible again.

I'm not a good person, I've been lying about where the cuts on my arm come from. They're self inflicted. This is the first time I've ever got to that point despite multiple suicide attempts.
 
The people who care about me are the ones further away from me. I'm isolated in a city of 8 million. People who want to come here don't even acknowledge me. I attempt suicide and they act like they care but when I'm out of hospital I become invisible again.

I'm not a good person, I've been lying about where the cuts on my arm come from. They're self inflicted. This is the first time I've ever got to that point despite multiple suicide attempts.

Im so sorry to hear that, try and find a support group or an activity that keeps you busy.
 
I struggle with the opposite version of this, in that I'm unable to work and I feel like all I'm doing is killing time with entertainment and it sends me into an anxious, depressed spiral faster than anything else.

I've actually had comments from people who are jealous of that particular lifestyle, like it's an endless vacation or something. It's not. It's lonely and ultimately meaningless. It's slowly killing me because I feel like my life has no purpose.

I've definitely experienced that in the past before I was able to find a full-time job and I know how awful it can be. There's definitely a middle ground.

Luckily this week I've "only" worked 40 hours, so it's been a great balance of work and free time. After this week of a reasonable mix of work and free time, I'm feeling significantly better. Still fighting off depression, but on average I'm in a better mood.
 
I struggle with the opposite version of this, in that I'm unable to work and I feel like all I'm doing is killing time with entertainment and it sends me into an anxious, depressed spiral faster than anything else.

I've actually had comments from people who are jealous of that particular lifestyle, like it's an endless vacation or something. It's not. It's lonely and ultimately meaningless. It's slowly killing me because I feel like my life has no purpose.

This is literally how I feel right now. It's rough.

Well, not unable to work, but seemingly unable to find a decent job.
 
Sub Boss, I'm so glad to hear you say that you feel you're making progress. It sounds like you have some big goals for your treatment and betterment - such as getting out of your parents' house - but the only way between here and there are the small steps and little improvements that we can work on day to day.

Do you have a sense of how or why things are improving these past few months?

As far as relationships with family...well, it's a lifelong process, figuring out how one fits in with ones family, and it's so different for everyone. I found counseling tremendously helpful in unpacking my relationship with my parents and figuring out how I could relate to them best.


<3
Thank you so much for responding Piano :)
Another rough day but its true the smaller steps are the ones that count most. even if sometimes we cant feel them.
 
Debated with myself for weeks whether I should post this or not. I'm still not sure it's a good idea and might end up deleting it, I don't know.

Anyway, 2015 has been the roughest year of my adult life and possibly my entire life in general.

So here's a bit of backstory about me in general. It takes a lot for me to actually like a person and not just tolerate them. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call myself a misanthrope; maybe just an introvert with some pretty specific types of personalities I'm compatible with.

I've always had friends that do fall into that category, with some leaving and coming back over the years, but they were there. My most recent group, friends from college, became the primary one while everyone else I grew up with was out of state or far away doing their own college thing. I ended up becoming roommates with them and it was great. Fun was had, inside jokes were made, ridiculous events happened that made for good stories, etc. And we all graduated without issue.

Fast forward 4 years to 2013 when I ended up living with one of those guys again (and another older friend), while the others I remained in close contact with. Things were going great for a while. In late 2014, the college friend moved out due to financial issues, but that was no big deal as we were still friends.

Well, fast forward to February earlier this year. The guy essentially tells me he doesn't want to be friends anymore. I won't go into great detail on what happened, but it was a lot of misinterpretations, misreading how the other felt, jealousy, accusations of immaturity, and just a general breakdown of communication with both of us at fault. I thought we could work our issues out, but he was having none of it.

A month later, the other college roommate friend tells me the same thing.

Not only was this the first time I had a pretty brutal falling out, but it was two happening in quick succession. It was the kind of thing that kept me up at night, with feelings of regret, anger, all that fun stuff. All those inside jokes, all the fun times, all the stories; I couldn't think about them with any degree of pleasant nostalgia; only bitterness. I started having panic attacks and for the first time in my life, experienced actual crippling depression that hindered my ability to carry out my job or enjoy my hobbies. This was made all the worse with some post-falling out bullying from the 2 guys and one of them even trying to turn me against my one remaining friend in that group. That's neither here nor there though.

Over the months, I settled down. I was of course still depressed over the whole thing and still am now, but not to the point of near-paralysis back in February and March. However, another unfortunate symptom had developed from it. I started feeling incredibly cynical and even apathetic to the concept of friendship and even interpersonal relationships in general. I didn't go out with my remaining friends much, and when I did, I felt incredibly self-conscious, paranoid, and was again prone to panic attacks, though I did my best to hide them even if my whole body would end up shaking from it.

My psychiatrist absolutely urged me to not give up on friendship, whether it be making new ones or maintaining the ones I have. He said he met many people that could happily go through life with absolutely no contact with another human being, and I was not one of them or else I wouldn't be so depressed over losing a few friends. Unfortunately, it's become such a foreign concept to me and is only getting worse as time goes on. I really tried to keep his advice in mind, particularly when I went to my 10 year high school reunion last month. Unfortunately, nothing came out of it. I caught up with a few people, but I had no desire to reconnect on any significant level. If anything, it made me feel worse, seeing all these people with their lives progressing while mine remains at a standstill or even regresses.

Another incredibly upsetting symptom of this depression is it may have completely killed my biggest aspiration: writing. Back in January, I had just finished my third novel, one I was incredibly proud of and super excited to release. The plan was to take a month off and then start on the fourth book, which was to be a super ambitious prequel to the third. Unfortunately, all this happened and I haven't written anything serious for nearly a whole year. I can't even fathom starting the book now, even though I do really want to. Knowing my writing skills have dropped (which was made apparent to me when trying to write the blurb for my third book) has left me jealous of my past self. Of course I'm jealous of my past self due to pretty much everything I mentioned.

And on top of all this, there are still people that do care about me, but I've become so numb to human interactions that I can't appreciate them at all. I don't deserve great people like that.

I guess the biggest take away from all this is to never live with your friends, at least after college.

I'm happy to put 2015 behind me, but right now, I can't fathom things getting better. Hopefully they will someday and I can look back on this post and see the kind of mindset I was in during my worst days. Provided I don't delete the entire thing first, of course.
 
General question for you lot: how do you handle aloneness in a negative sense? It's a weird feeling to experience; normally I am mondo chill, especially when meditating and the like. But lately, I've taken on this self-image that feels like this isolated victim, a "poor little me" of the mind which I know in the most sincerest sense is bullshit, yet feel like that's the game going on. Constantly comparing "me" to the "other" in a sense of futile games.

Maybe I need to meditate more as I've not engaged in it in a while, as the problem appears to be identifying with a separate self, which itself isn't real. The mind is a weird thing. Gives me a perspective to see how one can feed such illusions, though: it seems real enough, so it can be confused as such unless you know better. I imagine that is the problem of many others here, too.
 
General question for you lot: how do you handle aloneness in a negative sense? It's a weird feeling to experience; normally I am mondo chill, especially when meditating and the like. But lately, I've taken on this self-image that feels like this isolated victim, a "poor little me" of the mind which I know in the most sincerest sense is bullshit, yet feel like that's the game going on. Constantly comparing "me" to the "other" in a sense of futile games.

Maybe I need to meditate more as I've not engaged in it in a while, as the problem appears to be identifying with a separate self, which itself isn't real. The mind is a weird thing. Gives me a perspective to see how one can feed such illusions, though: it seems real enough, so it can be confused as such unless you know better. I imagine that is the problem of many others here, too.
You can definetly "feel" alone , even if you are around people that are friendly or even care for you.
Developed this "Social Phobia" and started having panic attacks and being afraid of my classmates, who had no fault but werent exactly friendly at the time.
Going like 9 years trying to isolate me the most i could, i noticed i was complacent being alone, but still had sadness for not having anyone that even knew me well or someone to talk to. You go through life thinking you would be happier/safer without anyone around, but at some point you start to miss "friends".
Then again the company at house is not exactly positive or always happy people.
I realized i cant be happy feeling alone, but at the same time i needed to change myself so that my mental well being will never depend on others again.
Sorry if this not makes much sense:p
 
So, to the best of my recollection, it's been about 9 months since I was formally diagnosed with PTSD.

Some days are really hard.

Just 4 days ago, I told one of my friends; this makes the 5th person I am able to tell about my condition.

I... Want to tell more, but I want it to go away. But I don't want it to go away, and then I start sobbing.

I am afraid right now...

Will I have this with me for the rest of my life? It's that reality that is creeping in, and I am scared.

HUELEN, I've never had PTSD so I cannot precisely attest to what the path forward is from here, but I generally believe (whether accurately or not) that you can fight your feelings your entire life and you'll never win. It's important to let feelings in, no matter what they are, and spend time adjusting to them and learning to work with them instead of trying in futility to shut them out forever. Of course, if the feelings are very difficult then this work may be best done with a therapist.

The point is, emotions may not "go away" in short order but it's possible to adjust to them and greatly decrease your symptoms and suffering.

At least, that's what I think. It may or may not be correct. In the mean time, I'm very sorry to hear that things are difficult for you presently.

Anyway, that's my little update. I never thought I'd get to a place where I'm this excited for my future and happy, but here I am. Hope I don't fuck it up.

First of all, I'm so, so, so SO glad to hear that things are looking up, demon!
I hope you don't look at the next (inevitable) setback as "fucking it up", though. There will always be setbacks. But that doesn't make you a failure!

I can't really talk to a therapist because again, no money and no transport whilst living in a small rural town. I would talk to my mum but the thing is she's had experience with mental illness both in herself and in others before (used to work as a counselor) so she'll worry much more even if it turns out to be fine.

I agree it's not alarming, I'm not having extreme suicidal thoughts or anything, but I've just been thinking a lot more negatively about myself and the world lately (especially my future). I'll try and talk to someone to determine whether it's just this shitty winter and the run up to Christmas or something else. Thanks for your advice.

Of course, ToastiestPlum. I hope you're able to gain some insight from talking to others and encourage you to do so.

The people who care about me are the ones further away from me. I'm isolated in a city of 8 million. People who want to come here don't even acknowledge me. I attempt suicide and they act like they care but when I'm out of hospital I become invisible again.

I'm not a good person, I've been lying about where the cuts on my arm come from. They're self inflicted. This is the first time I've ever got to that point despite multiple suicide attempts.

Why do you feel you're not a good person, Son Of D?

I struggle with the opposite version of this, in that I'm unable to work and I feel like all I'm doing is killing time with entertainment and it sends me into an anxious, depressed spiral faster than anything else.

I've actually had comments from people who are jealous of that particular lifestyle, like it's an endless vacation or something. It's not. It's lonely and ultimately meaningless. It's slowly killing me because I feel like my life has no purpose.

For a long time my goal was to get to a place where I had nothing to do. And then when I finally got there it only took three weeks before my perspective on what is meaningful in this life changed.

Luckily, I found that regular school or work isn't necessarily required to create meaning, rather we can find ways to structure our own lives to be meaningful. But my life certainly wasn't going to do it on its own as I spent 8 hours a day playing video games.

This is literally how I feel right now. It's rough.

Well, not unable to work, but seemingly unable to find a decent job.

Can you find some meaningful pursuits to occupy you in the mean time, TSOZ?

I'm happy to put 2015 behind me, but right now, I can't fathom things getting better. Hopefully they will someday and I can look back on this post and see the kind of mindset I was in during my worst days. Provided I don't delete the entire thing first, of course.

Sudden and unexpected ends to friendships are deeply hurtful, cosmicblizzard, and I'm sorry you had to go that. I am inclined to agree with your psychologist, though - the instinct may be to pull back and close off from others in order to protect yourself but in doing so we cut ourselves off from connecting to others, and ultimately if you were able to find friends once (however slow of a process it was) you can find them again. Unless you live in a town of 25 people on the arctic circle, maybe, but I am guessing that is not your situation!

Do you have any fix on why, perhaps, it takes you so long to warm up to people or like them? Are you suspicious of other people, or afraid of their judgments? Or perhaps something else entirely?

(Also, I do not think your takeaway is universally true, though there is something to be said for only some friendships working as roommates)

General question for you lot: how do you handle aloneness in a negative sense? It's a weird feeling to experience; normally I am mondo chill, especially when meditating and the like. But lately, I've taken on this self-image that feels like this isolated victim, a "poor little me" of the mind which I know in the most sincerest sense is bullshit, yet feel like that's the game going on. Constantly comparing "me" to the "other" in a sense of futile games.

Maybe I need to meditate more as I've not engaged in it in a while, as the problem appears to be identifying with a separate self, which itself isn't real. The mind is a weird thing. Gives me a perspective to see how one can feed such illusions, though: it seems real enough, so it can be confused as such unless you know better. I imagine that is the problem of many others here, too.

I agree with Sub Boss that the feeling of being alone is very different from the literal physical reality of being alone. You can be totally physically alone but feel a sense of belonging if you're able to carry others' support and care with you; conversely, it's possible to be in a crowd of people and feel totally disconnected. The question is, what sorts of things affect that sense of loneliness or connection in you? It's slightly different for everyone.

I don't think meditation is ever really a bad idea, because at the very least it'll let your feelings sort of bubble up to the surface and express themselves. I often cry when I meditate because I'm finally letting through my feelings of sadness and loneliness, and I feel better afterwards.

I want to stop feeling miserable most of the time but nothing seems to work. Lately I just can't find positivity in the world. Everything has a dark shade.

It's ultimately a question of perspective, I think - everything has its lighter and darker sides. What have you tried that hasn't worked, AHB?

<3
 
How do you generally feel about light exercise and more water?
I got to the gym three times a week, 90 minutes of that cardio. Exercise doesn't make me feel better, just tired. What does make me feel better is seeing my weight drop (~25 pounds in one year). You might be onto something with more water; while I drink sparkling water now overall I've been drinking less than what I was.
It's ultimately a question of perspective, I think - everything has its lighter and darker sides. What have you tried that hasn't worked, AHB?
Exercise, eating healthier, studying topics that interest me, pushing myself to go outside my comfort zone and finding purpose. My home environment doesn't help nurture those ventures; I really need to move out on my own, but not working is a massive obstacle. My goal right now is to get enough income to move somewhere that better serves my needs and hopefully stabilize to become a productive member of society. It all takes time, too much time.

Right now I just can't see anything in a positive light. I know it's there, but it's being covered by all the negativity.
 
For those who are dealing with their own personal demons, emotional baggage, or whatever, I want to say this:

It sounds so cliche, but suicide is never the answer. Even if you feel like there is nothing else to live for, there always is. You are in charge of who you are & what you do in your life, and you have to make the most of it. If you are alone and you are considering doing yourself in, PLEASE seek help!

You wonderful people have a solid Christmas (or winter holiday, if you prefer me to say that). And stay safe, where ever you are. :,)

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For a long time my goal was to get to a place where I had nothing to do. And then when I finally got there it only took three weeks before my perspective on what is meaningful in this life changed.

Luckily, I found that regular school or work isn't necessarily required to create meaning, rather we can find ways to structure our own lives to be meaningful. But my life certainly wasn't going to do it on its own as I spent 8 hours a day playing video games.

This is so true. I was (am?) at a point where nothing to do was the 'norm' and was content with it. Now I am an impasse on how to create meaning. There are days where (like right now) I feel like doing nothing because I don't feel accomplished nor do I feel any interest in indulging my interests and it makes me incredibly anxious. Thus, I feel like I am struggling to gain a sense of meaning in my life. I don't want to become some 'edgy internet nihilist' because quite honestly, that type of thinking is annoying, even to me.
 
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