What would you say to someone you don't know but needs support?

just
keep
going

There is no-one like you and you are very precious

Find at least one thing every day that you can enjoy. That can remind you that there are other things like that around.

Or you can follow my other maxim:

“You can cry or you can laugh, but if you cry your nose hurts.”

I would try to tell you the truth: that your feelings are symptomatic of a common and curable illness called Depression, and that help is available if you want it. Depression is very amenable to treatment; we know much more about it than we do about other psychological disturbances, and you need not suffer any longer than you wish to. Get some well-qualified help, and recover.

I’d share with you this and this.

“There there” (Double pat on shoulder).

Some people give their problem up to drugs or drink, others to god and religion.
I give my problems up to something I heard a very wise woman say, “bloom where you are planted”.

@Darwin – My nose gets stuffed up, too, and I don’t like it!

@jazzjeppe – Just doing what you’ve done here is a step, this reaching out. So some part of you deep down knows that there’s something to live for. Please get some therapy, and preferably Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It will teach you how to think more positively and give you concrete actions to take so you know what to do when these sorts of sad, scary thoughts descend upon you. You have more power than you know. I’m dealing with a lot of the same things and I feel better than I did six months ago. It’s not easy, but it can be done, one step at a time. Also, 20–30 minutes of exercise everyday works.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming

@pdworkin is right, you could very well be dealing with depression. Please know that things can get better and you can feel normal again.

This may sound corny but the biggest difficulties in my life have always presented the biggest opportunities for growth. Keep moving forward, know you are a valuable person, you are uniquely you, worthwhile, strong, and you can make it. You can get to the other side.

Fluther is a wonderful place to come when you are feeling down and alone, you are guaranteed to smile and when you reach out, your fellow jellies will always be there for you.

I know life can be a bummer at times. I can be painful, and not much fun. But…

That is only half the story. Where there is yin there is yang.

Focus on the positive. You got food? Health? No holes in your shoes? Car that doesn’t leak on your leg? Warm computer to communicate with? Quit focusing on the dark. Go in search of the lighter, more positive things.

Go find someone who needs more help than you and give them a hand. It will make you feel way better.

Reach out to others when you need support. (Like you just did)

Things always get better. Life is not a flat, straight road. It has peaks and valleys and plenty of curves. You are in a valley, but if you keep pushing on you will start coming back up. Some people live in nice rolling hills with gentle mood changes, others live in the Rocky Mountains with severe ups and downs… but everyone gets to the top again.

This is not your fault. It is a medical issue that can be treated.

Keep a gratitude journal. Write 5 things per day that you are grateful for. Even if you start with things like Fluther or peanut butter, write it down. Your answers will get more meaningful over time. You will start to see over time that there are definitely things to live for.

(((((((hugs)))))))

You will never have to cope all alone while you remember to reach out. Some of my best boosts have come from members of communities I have participated in online, when I just can’t ask any more of the people physically around me.

Even the lowest bits eventually start getting better. Fight it. Be gentle with yourself. Get out in the sunshine if it’s at all possible.

If there is something that is just playing on your mind that you can’t let go of, write it down. Check it for realism. Think of a rebuttal (play high-school debating team) and start repeating that rebuttal to yourself. Eg: my life sucks -> there are people on Fluther who care about me and I am smart and strong enough to reach out to them for help -> I am smart and strong and people care about me.

{{{hugs}}}

A couple of things.

First of all, your feelings are just feelings. You are much more than your feelings. It can help to acknowledge that, and to gain some mental separation from your feelings. You don’t have to fight them, and you don’t have to change them. You can leave them be, and just go on with your life. You can focus on the feelings that help you, and not pay attention to the feelings that hurt you. This is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (also known as mindfulness), an alternative to CBT. CBT doesn’t work for everyone.

Second, focus on what you like to do, and do it. Don’t beat yourself up because you don’t think it’s useful or lucrative. Just do it. You don’t really get anywhere in this world posing for other people. You might get along, but you’ll never be as happy as you would be if you were passionate about what you do.

Well, be passionate. Let yourself do what you are inclined to do. Be like Nike. Just do it. If it has your passion, it will bring you what you need in life. Posing and faking and trying to please others never really works. You get trapped in the prison of your own making.

I guarantee you that you have passions. You may have stifled them to the point where you’ve forgotten them, but they are there. If you “follow your bliss,” you will get to where you go. It’ll be more fun, too.

Finally, it sounds like you could be depressed. Get a checkup, and see if your doctor thinks you should see a psychiatrist, or if your doctor wants to prescribe an anti-depressant. Depression is a glitch in brain chemistry. It is not something you are responsible for. You didn’t bring it on yourself. You are, however, responsible for dealing with it.

Good luck.