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I Need Help

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11–20 of 65 posts

Re: I Need Help

#12
Quit what you're doing professionally, go out and forge a path elsewhere. Maybe, not in the western world. Go to India, South Pacific, South America. Find a need there, and start filling that need & see what can come about from making a different kind of positive change in a persons life.

Maybe, it's digging a well. I don't know, but, what you're doing now doesn't seem like its gratifying for you. If all of that is a bit extreme, go help out at a homeless shelter, or food bank.

Re: I Need Help

#13
I am not a therapist, but if nothing seems to work (pills, medical attention, diet), I would suggest doing something else totally drastic - sell everything you can, take a long deserved break from the digital world and go on an amazing year long adventure. Find some country to volunteer in for a year - could be nature conservation related, assisting the poor, whatever. Don't over think it (but do enough to be safe) and just GO. I might get down-voted, but shit, that is what I would do.

Re: I Need Help

#14

Quit what you're doing professionally, go out and forge a path elsewhere. Maybe, not in the western world. Go to India, South Pacific, South America. Find a need there, and start filling that need & see what can come about from making a different kind of positive change in a persons life. Maybe, it's digging a well. I don't know, but, what you're doing now doesn't seem like its gratifying for you. If all of that is a…

Totally agree. Didn't see this as we posted at the same time ;)

Re: I Need Help

#15
I am by no means an expert but here's my two cents in the hopes that it helps:

1) Stop invalidating how you feel. Just because you feel like other people have it harder then you doesn't mean that you're not allowed to feel sad or down. Personally I find one of the most demoralizing things is feeling like your emotions are invalid, and feeling guilty for feeling bad only makes things worse. It may not seem obvious but everyone has their freak outs and times where things are rough and that is ok.

2) It may sound weird but try exploring how the emotions feel. Do they feel different in different situations? Is it more pronounced in certain situations? Does the feeling have triggers or feel connected to any aspect of your life? I find simply thinking about how it feels can help me determine the source.

3) Find things to look forward to. It doesn't have to be big but it's important to plan things to look forward to, it helps a lot with getting through the rough times. Even something as simple as a nice dinner every once and a while, going out with friends, or even a cold beer after a days work.

4) Seriously think about what makes you happy and what you want to do. Don't let other people define happiness or success for you because ultimately they are not the ones who have to live your life.

Hopefully that helped. Feel free to send me an email (in my profile) if you want, I'll try and help out if I can.

Re: I Need Help

#16
Not having been in your shoes I feel that my suggestions may not actually be helpful. But I do want you to know that I and I'm sure many others are reading your post and we care and want to help.

Looking back through your life, what experiences and activities have been most comforting or enjoyable? Try to focus on the things that you've enjoyed and valued.

Here's a crazy idea for you: hike the Appalachian Trail. It's an opportunity to disconnect and reflect. It's not for everybody but maybe you would enjoy it.

I also encourage you to seek new professional help. Work with someone new. Try a new approach. It sounds like current support mechanisms are not working.

Re: I Need Help

#17

Quit what you're doing professionally, go out and forge a path elsewhere. Maybe, not in the western world. Go to India, South Pacific, South America. Find a need there, and start filling that need & see what can come about from making a different kind of positive change in a persons life. Maybe, it's digging a well. I don't know, but, what you're doing now doesn't seem like its gratifying for you. If all of that is a…

Changing your life is one thing. leaving behind everyone this guy knows personally and potentially could help sounds like a big mistake... especially with anxiety attacks and severe depression.

Re: I Need Help

#18
1. Get professional help ASAP

2. I was in a similar position to you and survived, only just. The key is that if one therapist doesn't help - find another and another until you find one with whom you "click".

3. Medications can work, the tricky part is to find the combination that works for you. And then to ease off the cocktail once the positive effects of therapy kick in.

4. The thought process that saved me was rather simple: If I go ahead with this self-harm idea it is final. Since I'm willing to chuck it all in, then why not try ____ and see if it lets me start again from a better base. If not I can try something else. There's always another day for that.

Anyway, that's what worked for me. But the first step is to keep the dialogue going and go to step 1 ASAP --- please

Re: I Need Help

#19

1. Get professional help ASAP 2. I was in a similar position to you and survived, only just. The key is that if one therapist doesn't help - find another and another until you find one with whom you "click". 3. Medications can work, the tricky part is to find the combination that works for you. And then to ease off the cocktail once the positive effects of therapy kick in. 4. The thought process that saved me was rat…

good advice

Re: I Need Help

#20
Sign yourself up for an MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) class. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness-based_stress_reduct... If you live near a major city you should likely be able to find a certified instructor who conducts classes on a regular basis.

Its not a magic pill but it works and has been around for many many years. I can assure you it has helped many people in your situation. (I actually wasnt too far off from your situation when I went through it.) I would also guess that there may be others here on HN that may have gone through it and could chime in with their opinion.

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