What do you do when you wake up everyday hating life? Nothing seems to work out in my favor ever. I wake up sad and down and just miserable. I cry every single day. What do I do? Is this something that I might need extra help with? Meaning anti-depressants. I just feel so lost - dazed - confused - lonely.
Quick Question Consult Lady Answers:
The fact that you have identified clearly that you feel lost - dazed- confused - lonely -- tells me that you know something is wrong -- that feeling this way for long periods of time, "crying every single day" isn't normative for you. Although life can be have many moments of really tough struggles, tragedies, and mishaps feeling miserable shouldn't be the "norm". I think you know there is something more than this.
In terms of what you can do: if you don't already know this for sure, you should figure out if you have a clinical depression going on, and whether that depression is linked to particular "triggers" (events that caused that pattern of thinking and feeling), or if this is a long-standing depression that seems like it has been with you all your life. Some depressive moods respond to treatments that don't involve psychotropic medications (i.e. anti-depressives). If you are suicidal or have repeating thoughts of harming yourself and you don't want to "give in" to those thoughts, I highly recommend you to call your doctor's office or find a therapist you can talk to, IMMEDIATELY.
If you aren't suicidal and you have a little bit of energy, you can do some things to boost your mood: eating nutritious food, moving your body around, getting a little sunshine (Vitamin D), listening to music you enjoy, engaging in an activity that makes you feel hopeful, taking supplements like Fish Oil, and talking to a good listener who won't judge you negatively for how you feel can all be helpful approaches. Even if you need the excuse of walking your dog (or someone else's dog!) in order to move you around the block outside, use that excuse.
Some things to keep in mind: are your feelings about hating life associated with the end of relationship (partner, friend, job, family, a death, trauma)? If so, is there something there unresolved that can be explored so you can start some healthy grieving and recovering?
In terms of knowing if you might need extra help: a good rule of thumb is this -- if you have tried everything you know, and nothing has worked to change how you feel, AND you find that you aren't functioning well in other aspects of life, you have nothing to lose by changing what you are doing by getting professional help. If you simply continue to do what you have been doing without positive results, it begins to feel even more pointless to try. Having another set of eyes -- and another heart! -- right there with you can be very cathartic, restorative, and hopeful.
If you have private access to a computer and/or phone line, consider giving me a call or an email. All contact info is on my website, www.seattledirectcounseling.com. I may be able to get you resources even if you aren't in my area. My purpose help you get what you need to feel better ... and soon.
Good luck!
Quick Question Consult Lady
