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Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

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Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#211

You need to see a therapist. Your problem is largely on your outlook on where you are in life. This is not meant to be a buck up or shut up comment, it's just that you can't improve your life until you change your outlook on things. You won't be able to move forward on things until you confront your feelings and accept your position to move out of it. To answer your question, yes. My 30's were a mess with a divorce,…

A therapist is helpful but I would also suggest seeing a psychiatrist. Clinical depression and mood issues need to be treated with medication. I would recommend finding a psychiatrist and get a referral for therapist from them if you are able to. You would be able to work together with both medication and theraphy to get better. It will take bit of a time to get better but don't be discouraged, OP. Progress will be s…

> Clinical depression and mood issues need to be treated with medication.

How to know someone is American before they even mention "other English speaking countries"

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#212
I am 42, single, similar situation. I was in a pretty dark place around 38 or so. I happened to read "man's search for meaning" by victor frankl and it honestly helped A LOT. When we are young and nature is working for our benefit, we should search for happiness. Beyond that, we need to search for meaning.

There are 2 meanings implicit and third one you can pursue. 1) Search for meaning is meaningful itself.

2) Human life has intrinsic meaning. I dont agree with nihilism that life has no meaning. Life has no 'given' meaning - correct. But since we are conscious, there is a living being going through experiences, there is intrinsic meaning to human life. Consciousness gives meaning to everything. In absence of consciousness, nothing has meaning. This intrinsic meaning is irrespective of life success. Even for a complete failure, since a real living being went through this life, the life still has meaning.

3) External meaning. This is related to success happiness relationships helping others etc. This is a bit fragile, since if you lose these things then you lose meaning. And if you are not successful, life might feel meaningless.

A healthy life is a balance of pursuing external meaning and accepting and giving value to internal meaning.

It is not happiness vs meaning. happiness is one of the things that gives meaning to human life.

Wish you all the best.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#213
I'm sorry to hear that you're going through such a difficult time and that you've been feeling isolated and depressed. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help and to reach out for support, and I'm here to listen and offer some suggestions.

First, it's important to address your suicidal thoughts. If you're feeling like you might harm yourself or take your own life, it's important to get help as soon as possible. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the US at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or in your home country, you can find resources through the International Association for Suicide Prevention.

It's also a good idea to speak with a mental health professional who can provide you with support and guidance. If you're unable to access mental health services in your small town, there are other options available to you, such as online therapy or teletherapy. These services allow you to meet with a therapist remotely, either by phone or video, and can be an effective way to get the help you need.

In terms of your long-term goals, it sounds like you're feeling lost and unsure of how to move forward. It's understandable that you're feeling this way, given all that you've been through and the fact that you've been out of the workforce for a decade. But it's important to remember that it's never too late to make positive changes in your life.

One thing you might consider is seeking out opportunities to gain new skills or education that can help you reenter the workforce. This could be through online courses, local community college classes, or vocational training programs. You could also consider volunteering or interning in a field that interests you, as a way to gain experience and build your professional network.

It's also important to take care of yourself physically and emotionally. This can include finding ways to manage your stress and anxiety, such as through exercise, meditation, or other activities that help you feel grounded and centered. Surrounding yourself with supportive friends and family can also be helpful.

I understand that it's not easy to make these kinds of changes, especially when you're feeling down and discouraged. But please remember that you are not alone and that there are people who care about you and want to help. Reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional for support, and don't hesitate to seek out additional resources if you need them.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#214
post #199

I am 30, for the last 15 years I have always been thinking: What the hell do I suppose to do when I am in age of 45-50? I will be old at by that time, not healthy, not smart and competent as I was in 20s. Obviously would be replaced by younger generations. And I will have a couple of kids too. I will raise them, work, earn money. All of my time will be devote to that. My days will likely pass meaninglessly. And in a…

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Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#215
You absolutely do not have the best behind you! My bug "turnaround" came in the beginning of mt 50ies. Finally got to a stage in job life I like and also meet the woman of my life (after many years as single) and got married. I still feel that I haven't had the best yet when it come to job life and I plan to continue at least 20+ years working and have no plans of retirement. Today it make no sense at all to think about age, just keep up your motivation, drive and stay healthy and you can go on "forever". Find out what you really want to do and do it. There are no limits here in life

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#216
Seems like you’re taking an approach of - things are happening to me, instead of things are happening for me. This view closes off numerous possibilities and opportunities. It’s a vicious cycle where you keep reinforcing your beliefs instead of looking at how you can do things differently. Try to take a alternate perspective on what is happening in your life. Ask yourself, this thing that is happening, what opportunities is it creating for me? Think about these things from a different perspective than you currently hold and keep challenging yourself to do so, even in “good times”.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#218

You need to see a therapist. Your problem is largely on your outlook on where you are in life. This is not meant to be a buck up or shut up comment, it's just that you can't improve your life until you change your outlook on things. You won't be able to move forward on things until you confront your feelings and accept your position to move out of it. To answer your question, yes. My 30's were a mess with a divorce,…

A therapist is helpful but I would also suggest seeing a psychiatrist. Clinical depression and mood issues need to be treated with medication. I would recommend finding a psychiatrist and get a referral for therapist from them if you are able to. You would be able to work together with both medication and theraphy to get better. It will take bit of a time to get better but don't be discouraged, OP. Progress will be s…

You're absolutely right that a therapy isn't THE solution to depression but I feel like it's a good starting point. A good therapist should be able to recognize if OP should be seeing a psychiatrist who then can prescribe the appropriate medication for managing his/her condition.

Re: Ask HN: Has anyone here turned around their life in their 40s?

#220
43 isn’t that old. Had my last kid when I was 41 and that was by design. The fact that you have and MS and savings means you are, by those kinds of measures, better off than most of the population. Don’t feel rushed - that will make you feel out of control. Realize that you have time to make decisions about what to do next, and prove it to yourself by stepping back and taking that time. Good luck.
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