Hopeless

Posted by Jwag @wags, May 17, 2017

I am 50 years old and have struggled with depression and anxiety my entire life. I was divorced for a second time about a year ago. I struggle with work because my disease makes it difficult for me focus or take interest in anything. Getting up in the morning is a major challenge. I have been on meds for 20 years and I feel that it is hopeless. Two of my kids are grown and the other is 12 and he splits his time between my home and my ex's. I find it hard to take care of myself much less my youngest. I don't take interest in many things. I start things and don't finish them. I am still sad about my divorce. I am lonely. I fear things will never get better and that I will continue to struggle until I die. I am in a relationship now but I don't know if I can maintain it. I have huge abandonment issues. Though I have been on meds and have done counseling, there is really nothing that works very well. I have no joy.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | May 17, 2017

@wags Welcome to Mayo Connect and thank you for sharing your feelings with us in such an open, honest manner. I'm sorry to hear of your divorce. Divorce has a way of taking the "wind out of our sails" doesn't it? But you have come to a good place. Here at Mayo Connect we have many members who share these difficult experiences with each other and you will find community and support here. Please continue to share with us as you feel comfortable .

I would also like to invite you to join a program by Dr. Amit Sood, a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic. This program is called, Happiness a One Week Journey, Here is some information about it from Dr.Sood:

Dear friends,

You and I face one common enemy – suffering. Pain, physical or emotional, when it becomes unbearable, is experienced as suffering. Pain is unavoidable, but suffering is optional. My goal is to help you find a path so you can bypass suffering in this life. One reward of traversing that journey is finding greater happiness.

Happiness is a habit. Some of us are innately happy. But most others have to choose. We often, however, don’t realize we have that choice. We also don’t know how to exercise that choice. As a result, we push happiness away. Let that not happen to you.

Join me, if you wish, to spend the next week of your life, choosing greater happiness. Each day, you’ll be guided to a practice that can make you happier. To enroll, you’ll need to register with your name and email address to connect with us for the next week. Select ‘Happiness: A One Week Journey,’ below for more information.

Take care.
Amit

Here is the website where you can sign up and join us on this journey: http://stressfree.org/happiness/

I wish you hope and peace in the coming days. Teresa

Justin McClanahan, Moderator | @JustinMcClanahan | May 18, 2017

Hello @wags, I would like to add my welcome to Teresa's.

Thank you for your willingness to share your story because that is not always easy to do. I think you may also want to browse the discussion titled "Managing Life-Long Mental Health as a Senior." While I recognize you are not a senior, it is a great discussion that has many members discussing how they manage some of the very same symptoms and feelings you have experienced as a result of life-long depression. You can find that discussion here, http://mayocl.in/2lMcQVA.

If I have learned anything from the members of this group, it is that there are no quick fixes, but many have found help and improved his or her life greatly. I look forward to seeing more posts from you @wags. Keep talking, the community is listening.