Feel stuck

[jacklopez]

I've been feeling lately that all the progress I've been making has slowed/stopped. I've come a long way in the year since I started going to therapy and taking medication but I don't know what to do next. Maybe in another year I'll look back and see that I was wrong. But for now I just feel stuck.

[Mary-intussuception]

Our present feelings don't change the facts though do they?

Facts : you've been making progress ; you've come a long way . . .

You may feel stuck but perhaps this is a short pause ? A rest break ?

Do you make lists, set goals ?

Having a rest is not going backwards. Hope you find your way forward, no matter how slowly, and can fight off the negative thoughts with positive ones.

[courageovercomfort]

I hate feeling stuck. Always feels like that is “wrong”. But maybe it’s not? Maybe it’s just where you are right now. Sometimes I have to tell myself to stop trying so hard.

[Poodie]

Hi jacklopez.

I am happy that you have felt better and have made progress. That’s great!

I get that same stuck feeling. I think taking a break is a good way to think about it.

I realized just now though, that for me there is a sense of anxiety, an almost panic that goes along with the stuck feeling. I am afraid of not holding my own but instead never moving or even slipping down further.

Setting one tiny goal is a good idea too. And I mean a really small goal. Doing or even thinking a tiny bit differently can be moving forward.

I also think it is helpful to keep in mind what triggers that feeling of being stuck and anticipate the possibility of it occurring so you can make a plan. Nothing changes in a straight line up. Instead it is like you go around, repeat and even sometimes regress a bit before making more progress.

Just now I was thinking of it like being stuck in quick sand. You can not move, you are stuck but it is a fact that you won’t get swallowed up. So you tell yourself to calm down, not to panic. Instead you just have to know what will help so you can wiggle yourself out.

You are not alone. Lots of us feel stuck sometimes. Good luck moving forward when you are ready.