New Here Dealing with Sadness

[Boy101]

Hello,

I am new here, I am 21 and I have quit my job and dropped out of school because i have been overwhelmed with feelings of sadness, and emptiness.

I have felt like this before, however this is on a new level. I have never taken any medication and I do not want to because of the side effects. I want to know if you guys have any advice on dealing with sadness and boredom with feelings of insecurity.

Thanks

[Hidden]

Hey, you. Welcome to the site. We are all very supportive of each other here so you have come to the right place I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling like this, I can relate completely. I hope you have people in your personal life that is helping you through this. Would you consider talking to a therapist? I would hate for you to get worse. If you're not interested in taking meds, I completely understand... I was there too, but I did end up deciding on medication & it has helped me tremendously. If you still are not comfortable with that, I would try searching some natural remedies that could help you. I hope you get to feeling better & if you need to talk about anything, we are all here for you. <3

[GreaseMonkey66]

Well boy101 , All I can offer you are some good coping techniques. Mainly the easiest one is to create a support group , It could be friends or family. People that can positively impact your life and listen to you , just remember that they may not understand how you feel but to release the words from your lips is like lifting weights off your back. Another method would be doing something physical , Like lifting weights and making small goals while you do it or even a small sport league in your town. The reason i recommend this is because when you do such activities you release a chemical in your brain called endorphins which is the same chemical that people produce when there in love or doing something satisfying. Another good technique is finding a hobby , horse back riding , drawing , writing in a journal , doing art , just taking a walk perhaps. My advice to you , is that most people tend to only focus on the negative because its easy to do , but i want you to write a list of all the good you have done over the past year no matter how small it is write it down. Then reflect on it , you should see a pattern about your self on how your a great person and that life is enjoyable. Then I want you to recognize your traits about your self, For example , Brave , Strong , Artistic , Humorous , Honest , Optimistic , Trustworthy , Dependable , Punctual , Respectful , Positive , Friendly , Generous , Active , Admirable , Adventurous and so on. All these traits are good ones and traits you can be proud of. Once you recognize these positive things about your self your insecurities will vanish. If you think it , You will feel it , If you feel it , You will act it. Its not easy but it isnt impossible.

[SamuelJ52]

Hey Dude. I know that feeling, I started a degree when I was 20 and quit before the 1st year finished, I was totally apathetic towards the course and had a low mood much of the time. I spent the months after not knowing what to do or what direction to go next, I felt anxious and insecure, with some help from family I found a job at a cafe that kept me going for the next year and after that ended up starting a new degree at the same university. 3 years later I actually had a degree, sometimes I still don't know how I got through it. Im 26 now and I've struggled with finding work since graduating. Don't feel bad about dropping out you can go back when you are ready. Take your time, once you get that degree or whatever you decide to do you've got still got the rest of life to live.

I would definitely recommend getting help from a therapist if you can, look out for mental health charities if you can't afford private. Finding the root of your negative feelings will be a big help, whether it's a past event or just a cycle of negative thought that's hard to break out of. I was hesitant about medication initially and not everyone will need it but eventually I reached a point where I decided I had nothing to lose. So I started taking SSRIs that my doctor recommended, at first I had some appetite loss and insomnia but it settled down after a few days, I'm about 3 months on now and feeling much more positive, I'm finding day to day life meaningful and even joyful. Be open to help I would say, don't be afraid to open with friends and family either, I was always afraid but once I made that decision to be open and honest the people who cared about me rallied around in support.

Personally for me I've found mindfullness meditation extremely helpful. I use the headspace app (free to try). I'd also recommend looking up Sam Harris who wrote "Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality" it's a very objective look at meditation practice and what conciousness actually is.

Hit me up if you ever want to talk or ask any questions. Good luck dude, we're all rooting for you.