kag101

Have you ever tried visualization and affirmations?

In other words, dying physically... ?

I'm sorry you're going through so much shit. I hope you get better, man!

Just careful not to get neurotically nihilistic.

You should definitely work on removing that. Perfectionism can be a huge problem. I struggle with that as well. It's getting better, but it sure is a persistent son of a bitch... That's very common. It's called spiritual ego. The sneakiest of all egos... To transcend the ego, you first need to have one. No-self is not about being dissociated from the physical world. IMO, I think you're right. You should let go of spirituality for now. If you keep on this track, it will make matters worse for you.

So you're saying that to get enlightened, you need to lose your sanity?

Interesting. One that I like to use that is very powerful is: "It's okay to ........." For example, it's okay to be lazy, it's okay to be selfish, it's okay to be an asshole, etc. The moment I accept a nasty thing, it begins to fix it on its own.

Brute force and will power are not the answer to all life's problems.

Nah. I'm just saying that any type of practice that promises "amazing super-human results" are usually fishy. For example, NoFap...

Do you think that suffering is for a "greater purpose"?

Detaching yourself from worldly problems won't help you. This is called spiritual bypassing. For example: "Oh... I am not really this person, so all of this shit I'm going through doesn't matter because my spirit transcends all of that."

It seems like you're going through hard times...

I'm very skeptical about intermittent fasting. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

Lmao

It's good to hear the opinions of others once in a while. But it is really important to filter it by asking yourself. "Does this make sense to me?" Taking advice blindly is bad; not giving a shit about the opinions of others is also bad. The middle path is always the best path. Hope that helps.

This is a highly irresponsible advice.

Did you find that funny?

A good therapist: 1) Does not give too many blunt truths to you 2) You feel like he/she truly listens to you, so does not fake empathy 3) Doesnt speak too much. But when he does open his mouth, you knwo that something worthwhile will be said. It may be a remark, or a question. 5) is willing to change his opinion about something. Some shitty therapists are arrogant. if they say something, They expect for you to believe it as if it were handed by God. 4) you leave the consultation feeling less anxious, and with at least one insight. 5) does not rush your progress. He instead helps you to slow down your pace 6) you don’t feel as if you need to justify yourself all the time for him. 7) you look forward to going there 8) you feel some sort of progress maximum by 2 months

I can really relate to what you described. Depression is hell on Earth. It has a zombie-like feature -- not totally alive, not dead either. The thing is, no amount of books, advice, venting will get you out of this. Sorry. It might kinda help, but depression will sooner or later creep in once again. Why? Because it's a chronic illness. I'd highly suggest you go see a psychiatrist. Yea, I know that sounds kinda lame and pointless. But it is the best chance you have from getting out of this quagmire of numbness. Technically, depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. So, sorry, you ain't gonna win against your biochemistry alone. There are good psychiatrists out there. If you manage to find a decent one, it's totally fucking worth it. If it's a shitty one, it's better that you don't do anything. Bad treatment is worse than no treatment at all. See depression as a chronic illness, such as diabetes. It has no cure, but it is possible to keep it under control, If a person who has diabetes doesn't take insulin, things will get really bad for him. And as time goes by, it'll get worse and worse. Antidepressants have a bad rep, but if the doctor finds the right one, it can be life-saving. I speak from personal experience. Feel free to send me PMs if you feel like it. Best of luck, man! Remember that it is possible to get out of this and be your natural self once again on a consistent basis. And lemme tell you: it feels like paradise. The worldly problems that people complain about are fuckin peanuts compared to what depression feels like. The hope is in science.

Well-said!

I've been in this kind of situation before. Here's my advice: distance yourself from them gradually until you stop seeing them altogether. If you do that, they will probably insist that you go out with them, but say no nonetheless. It is simply not worth it. This action is not easy to do, especially if you're a people-pleaser. However... when we are able to let go of people that no longer resonates with us, it gives room for new people to come into your life. What do you think about that? Good luck, you deserve better friends!

He did a tremendous job. Jk, i never read any of his books. i'd recommend you read some of the reviews of his books on goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1032.Trump

I don’t think you need meditation right now — but instead good psychotherapy.

@rav You only tried one antidepressant. I think should try it again. Bupropion has worked really well with me, and it didn’t give me any sexual side effects (which was my bigest fear). It is not a SSRI. It doesn’t act on the serotonin receptors, but on the dopamine ones — which really help boosting your vitality and motivation. I’d suggest You ask your doctor if he thinks you can try this medication. It’s been life-changing for me... good luck ??

It feels so fucking good to be healthy It's so interesting to be healthy mentally. It's like I'm living in paradise. Sure, there are problems and everything -- but nothing can be compared to depression. It's a whole different thing. I've had depression since I was 9. On-and-off. But the thing is, this illness tends to get worse overtime. So my "breaks" from depression were getting shorter and shorter. Has therapy been helping me? Yes, for sure. But it wouldn't be as effective if I were not taking the medication. It's a wonderful feeling to feel like I am here. I am present in my body. No more of that zombie-like feeling. Yuck! I'm still in early recovery! I have to be extra patient with myself during this process. I think that the biggest trap in my case would be to be on a excessively high pace. I have to remind myself over and over again that I am not running a 100m, but a marathon. I want to learn how to use my energy in the most balanced, productive, and healthy way as possible. Did I suffer a lot in my life? Yes. And did that made me get behind people my age in terms of experiences, accomplishments, and development? Yes. Will I be able to catch it up? Definitely. But it takes time. If I simply manage to not overwhelm myself, then I am good to go. Affirmations: reminders I've been doing some affirmations daily. And it's not just a "I am" type of affirmation, but also reminders and acknowledgments. For example: "I tend to overreact" >> Repeating this 3x in the morning helps me identify when I am overreacting something. But anyway, the one that I wanted to share is regarding self-negotiation, which is: "Should I accelerate, break, or do nothing?" This is a practice, and I feel like I'm getting better at it. It has a lot to do with self-knowledge. My recovery strategy: 2018 - year I sought help 2019 - coming out of depression 2020 - stabilizing with easy and fun acitivites 2021 - begin to think about work & study