I don’t know this feeling I have right now. It’s almost as if all the feelings I’ve once bottled up inside of me are pouring back out of me through a mix of a fiery rage against my family and friends and helpless tears. I feel absolutely hopeless. I keep reminding myself of all the stupid things I’ve done in the past and I can’t crawl my way out of this ditch of regrets. I’m normally a pretty optimistic person, but lately (mainly tonight) I’ve been feeling as if the world is crumbling below my feet. I’m also tired of everyone saying ‘it’s gonna be okay’ and ‘don’t worry about it’. I get they’re trying to help, but to be honest, it doesn’t help my case at all when someone is telling me everything is fine when it’s really not. Like I said before, I’m known for being optimistic and helping others more than being helped myself so this is an all new experience to me. And yes, I know compared to other people, I have it beyond easy with these issues, but they’re still issues nevertheless that are slowly pinning me to the ground. Bottom line is I feel lost. I don’t know what to do. I feel hopeless.
CONSIDER THIS:
- When life gets you down you can feel like you’ll never get up again. You are brave for admitting to yourself and others that there is something bothering you.
- Be positive. Everyone gets down sometimes. The key is not to let your negative thoughts spiral out of control.
- Everyone makes mistakes and has regrets. Blaming yourself will most likely make you more negative. Forgive yourself because nobody deserves to torture themselves for forever. The best thing to do when this happens to you may be to learn from them and turn them into something positive.
- Focus on other activities besides yourself like join a school group, do art or listen to music. By focusing on something else for a period of time your negative thoughts are more likely to fade away.
- Repeat positive affirmations to yourself.
- Keep a daily journal where you write your thoughts and feelings so you can let them out in a healthy manner.
- You can try volunteering. This might make you feel like you have a more meaningful life. Some great organizations are The Humane Society of the United States, Reading is Fundamental and Habitat for Humanity.
- Sometimes we all need something to believe in. Consider becoming more spiritual. Ask for forgiveness from a higher power and you may feel a weight lifted off your shoulders. Some spiritual activities include meditation, prayer, yoga and attending church services. On the Teen Central website head to the Learn tab and click Spirituality to learn more.
- Also on Teen Central under the Learn tab you can click Anxiety and Depression to learn more about issues you may have. If you click the Help tab there are numbers you can call if you need someone to talk to such as the Crisis Textline.
- If you feel you need serious help consider speaking to a trusted adult or therapist.
HELP YOURSELF:
- How can your negative thinking affect your future and in what other ways can you make sure it doesn’t mess up your life?
- In what ways can you find inspiration all around you?
- In what ways can you become more responsible for your thoughts and actions so they don’t spiral out of control?
- How could you learn from this negative time in your life and let it make you a stronger person?
- Would being a little more realistic help your case?
