If you could tell your 23 year old self anything, What would they be?

[Shanm2]

I think this is a good questions to ask and would like to know your answers. Thanks!

[saracar]

Don’t worry! You are doing everything you know how to do with what you were given. Recovery is hard work!!!

[Shanm2 in reply to saracar]

And that maybe the answers you were seeking were deep inside yourself? Recovery is hard work and never gets a day off, But its worth every single up and down with the life you wish to live!

[Eagledove]

Haha where do I start

[Shanm2 in reply to Eagledove]

Maybe with something you wish someone would've told you?

[Agora1]

I'd say "follow your heart and go for your dream" "Don't allow anyone

to make you doubt yourself" "I can do this/never give up" xx

[Shanm2 in reply to Agora1]

Love your positive message! You know yourself a lot more than you think? And i guess looking back at a certain time in your life when, you thought you wouldn't of made it through....but you did and with that, you'd become proud you never gave up! xx

[san_ray70]

When I was 23 I was happily married with 2 young children, later in life 18yrs I got divorced from the man I thought loved me. So I do not know what I would have told myself at 23. Life would be easier if we could see our future I suppose. 16 years later I have been very happily married to my second husband for 15 years, life goes on.

[Shanm2 in reply to san_ray70]

Sometimes i guess some things are not meant to be. Had you not of gone through the first marriage, you'd never of met your second husband - I'm glad you are now happily married

I don't know if it would be a gift to see into your future though! Life does go on. It goes forward - very fast. I would've said that life will go forward for you and beautiful things would come again!

[mrmonk]

Write more poems.

[Shanm2 in reply to mrmonk]

Poems are such a good way to write creatively!

[Hidden]

I would tell myself learn to kindly say no and don’t be a doormat to family members. And fight fight fight through my social anxiety. I’m 55 now and I allowed my social anxiety to prevent me from having a job and friends. Now I am lonely and bored have been for a very long time. Also don’t use alcohol to numb the pain. It only makes things 100 times worse. Oh, if only I could have a “do over”. I would do so much differently but those were the first things that came to mind.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Also, have confidence in yourself and don’t worry so much what other people think.

[Shanm2 in reply to Hidden]

This is also so important! in this day and age it't so easy to get caught up in other peoples opinions....

This reminded me of a quote i saw the other day: "No one can "give" you, your self-esteem. If you can't see your own value. There's a high chance that others won't either. As a result you end up settling for less than your deserve"

[Shanm2 in reply to Hidden]

I struggle to say 'no' and really need to practice doing it more! I can relate to being a doormat to family members - a habit that's hard to break.

Alcohol is a problematic thing in my family, and learn't from a young age to not indulge in it to relieve yourself of 'feelings'

I'm sorry your social anxiety has been a struggle for you and that you feel this way now. Have you considered doing some volunteering at some local charity shop OR doing a hobby that gets you outside and interacting with people? I understand that the thought of that might be unsettling and kicks up your social anxiety 10 notches! But sometime pushing ourselves outside our comfort zones can be a much needed thing....It never too late!

[CCPM]

I would tell myself to learn good coping skills ASAP. Feeling like you can cope seems to help greatly with anxiety and depression. How great it would have been to have a bootcamp for both emotion-focused skills and problem-solving skills when I was young. (examples: verywellmind.com/forty-heal...

[Shanm2 in reply to CCPM]

Learning good coping skills is so important! It can take a such a long time to let your brain learn a new way of coping with negative or bad situations. A boot camp would be so helpful - Luckily we can have access to sites like these that are super helpful!

Also thank you for the read..for the link you sent me, i find these things interesting!

[CCPM in reply to Shanm2]

You're welcome. Thanks for posing the question. Very interesting. And, yes, it's wonderful that we have access to so much information online to help us improve our skills.

[Shanm2 in reply to CCPM]

I thought it was a good question to ask. I'm currently 23, and was asking myself what i would say to my 17 year old self..and so it prompt the question, i wonder what others would say to themselves at this age

[CCPM in reply to Shanm2]

Such a great idea!

[Bluetj]

Wow, don't have an answer for this one. When I was 23, I was happy & single. I was living life & loving it. Don't regret marriage or my children but life didn't start bad 4 me til I was 27, when mental illness started. Don't even know wat I would tell myself then. 😔😢

[Shanm2 in reply to Bluetj]

Maybe something like: Times will be tough ahead but you will get through it, Stay strong!

I hope you are doing okay now