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I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

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Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#291

Post by kragen »

slantyyz wrote: post #248
insickness wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have to disagree. The fact that he's 20 does not lessen his depression. Depression comes when your status in life is drastically lowered. It comes from moving down the pecking order. It's relative. In other words, if all you've ever had is a job working as a cashier in a supermarket, you may not feel as depressed as if you had a job as an IT manager and got demoted to desktop support--or got laid off. He did have a…

Depression comes when your status in life is drastically lowered. I thought that depression was the result of a chemical imbalance. It might be worthwhile to seek the help of a healthcare professional to help treat it before it gets any worse.

> I thought that depression was the result of a chemical imbalance.

Lots of credulous suckers think that. Might turn out to be true eventually, but for now, we just don't know: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_imbalance

Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#292

Post by thaumaturgy »

LiveTheDream wrote: post #180
thaumaturgy wrote: post #59

So, here's my story; I tell it occasionally when stories like yours come up. I had no college experience, but did manage to jump right in to a good I.T. job while I was still in high school, and from there into an even better I.T. job in another state where I made more money than I knew what to do with. (I've never been good with money, and didn't understand what "savings" meant.) I worked there until suddenly one da…

> At one point, my expenses were literally: food, and gas for the car. And that was it. I had no bank account, I got my checks cashed at the grocery store How much were you paying to cash your checks at the grocery store? This is more expensive than depositing the check in a bank or credit union (I think it's on the level of payday loans, gouging lower income because they don't understand the relative size of the fee…

At the time, grocery stores would cash your paycheck for you without taking any fees. I usually bought a few groceries, signed the check over to the store, and got the difference back in cash. This was 5 or 6 years ago, not sure if it's still do-able. No harm in asking though.

Check cashing places are of the devil, and a great way to prolong your financial trouble. If possible, try finding a friend or family member willing to cash your checks for you instead.

Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#293

Post by kpennell »

I'm 25 now and can say that even in 5 years, life gets better. Your brain develops more and you'll probably find your emotions swinging less violently. I had a lot of depression and anxiety issues at that time and have very few now...I'm still an intense person, but am doing well mentally...

But yeah, being broke at that age can feel really hopeless, even though it's not...you just gotta put in the work to get yourself out of it....

Good on you for quitting, that job sounded terrible...just hang in there and get any job!

Also, keep a journal, and you'll be amazed to look back at all this intense shit later, it'll all seem so ok and you'll wonder why you stressed so much.

Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#294

Post by kpennell »

goo wrote: post #34
goo wrote: post #12

"A lot of the barriers are in your head ;-)" -mannicken, 17 days ago

Also consider light therapy -- a quick look at your profile indicates that you're in Seattle, and SAD sneaks up on you pretty quick this time of year. Now is when it's starting to hit hard. Although some people get it more than most, many people are affected by it at least to some degree. A light therapy lamp has given me the best return on investment of any product I have purchased ever. http://www.amazon.com/gp/pro…

Not to mention that Seattle is a depressing place to begin with...

Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#295

Post by cdavoren »

pnathan wrote: post #232
ramblerman wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A risk taker doesn't sit around feeling sorry for himself. Specially at 20 years old! Not saying it to bring OP down but get a job, any job. Get out of that house.

Winston Churchill had fairly brutal depressive bouts, even through his tenure as Prime Minister through WW2

He was also an alcoholic, and high alcohol intake can cause depression all by itself, so there is a confounding factor there.

Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#296

Post by ebrenes »

samirageb wrote: post #168

I never really post on HN (even though I should) and saw this post and had to respond. First, if you ARE VERY SERIOUS about suicide, please seek help as others have mentioned. I suspect you're simply very sad and venting, but please don't do anything rash. Next, please listen to/watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI And then this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY Perspective is the first th…

Thanks for posting, a lot of what you wrote really echoed with my own life experience. And to the OP, I will add that one makes it through those rough spots.

Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#298

Post by westicle »

jonnathanson wrote: post #277
chops wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many of these folks will take corporate jobs, or law jobs, and lead lives of reasonably well-compensated misery. None of them will be paid nearly what his lost days and months and years are actually worth; this is felt intangibly, in the back of his mind, like a dull pain whose cause he can't quite pin down. Very poignant and well written. If you had a blog, I'd read it. OP: "Friends" who can't respect the stones it…

"If you had a blog, I'd read it." Thank you! Blog possibly to come. Actually, a lot more writing to come. (Speaking of hare-brained leaps of faith to follow our callings, I'm actually working on a novel right now). " OP: "Friends" who can't respect the stones it takes to quit your job and seek your true calling, and furthermore, who insult instead of supporting you emotionally when the shit hits the fan - well, they…

Would also love to read it.

If you're looking for some notes or even a proof read just let me know.

Re: I quit my job last March and it was a bad idea.

#300

Post by dupe123 »

Sounds like you have a lot of negative influences in your life. You should cut them out asap if that is how they are going to treat you. You made a decision. It didn't work out. You should be commended for having the bravery to try it.

Seriously though, you are only 20. You have your whole life ahead of you. People are right here to say you need to stop sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself. Put that energy into getting a new job. Any job. Just get yourself out of the house. Work your ass off to build up your resume, hack projects on the side, contribute to open source, etc.

Don't commit suicide because that is just stupid and nobody is going to feel sorry for you.

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