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How do you deal with suicidal thoughts?
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this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2024
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suicidal ideation is a common coping mechanism for feeling trapped. i think saying it like this helps because it draws a clear line of causality; you feel trapped -> you feel suicidal. i don't think this accounts for 100% of cases, but from both research and experience, it seems fairly common
this also seems to apply to how you're feeling. it seems like you feel trapped in regard to two situations; one, your job, and two, your anhedonia (fancy word for "can't feel happy")
suicidal ideation is, in my opinion, a sign you need to seriously reconsider your consent about your current life. here's a personal example to illustrate this: when i was a couple of years into college, i was passively suicidal from working myself so hard all the time and not doing anything to enjoy myself. i had to take a step back, and seriously reconsider two things: one, that i had never given myself the choice of doing anything other than college (my parents simply insisted i did, and i had no better plans); and two, that nothing in college was worth burning myself out for, and that i needed to set aside time to enjoy myself, the mounting pile of homework be damned. this addresses consent in two ways: the first, that i hadn't consented to this path in life (and was now, retroactively, giving myself the opportunity to either drop out or continue), and the second, that i wouldn't consent to a life where i was only working and never enjoying myself
so i feel like, following this train of logic, it works out to a problem you can solve with your job (how can you get to a place where you have the time to engage with things you enjoy? do you need to scale back your hours? do you get paid enough to use money to offset the hours you'd have to put into cooking / cleaning / etc? can you put extra time in upfront so you can have more time off later? etc)
anhedonia is a little tougher, because it's hard to know if it's caused by the situation. i would try to improve your situation with your job and see if it improves. if it doesn't, you should look into seeing a psychiatrist (and also maybe a therapist). anhedonia is a common symptom as a result of being in a prolonged fight/flight state, which i imagine has gone along with your job stress. however, you may have trouble coming out of it on your own, even with the job stress sorted. regardless, please keep in mind that it is not a permanent problem. your joy will return to you in time
other things you can do in the meantime are to practice deep breathing exercises, try to exercise in general (yoga is especially good for this kind of thing), take some walks outside in nature, try to be present in the moment and in your body
but i think it really just shakes out to making life worth living for yourself, which i definitely believe that you can achieve. it may take time, it may be difficult, but knowing that's where that time and effort will lead makes that struggle worth enduring
I went to Malawi during 2-weeks for faring in an eco-lodge and I remember that in the contact of new people & nature I felt better than ever, I feel like it’s not my mind but more of the accumulation of shitty stuff everyday.
I’m actually in the situation you lived through, I’m in the french high school system, last year with exams. School has always been hard for me, fighting my mind, being harassed, I’ve come to hate it, I’d be better off on wikipedia learning stuff by myself.
But everyday I’m forced to go to experience the shallowness of people, teachers & educators. I have no energy to do anything but… consume content on my phone to not think about my shitty situation.
And right now, I’m so fed up this existence of student, trapped in the petulent academic system that I can even focus anymore. I can’t think, I can’t write, I can’t remember.
ah, i see. i'm sorry that school is so rough for you
how long do you have left? what are your goals after school? before you can plan what actions you want to take, you should figure out a tentative plan for the future so you know what you're working towards. i would recommend enlisting the aid of a trusted adult for this
i'm unfamiliar with the french system of education; is it possible to drop out and take a certification that is equivalent of graduating? (generally, in the US, this would be frowned upon, but would be worth it if the situation is as bad as you're describing, i think)
all that said, you likely can coast and do minimal work and at least graduate. if you're being harassed by someone, you should report them / tell them to stop / basically go out of your way to avoid them, or cause problems that are clearly their fault (although that can be difficult). it may also be worth talking to said trusted adult about this issue
teachers being vapid is pretty much out of your control, but just because they're vapid doesn't mean the material is. if you take an interest in learning things for the sake of learning, and digging beyond what they give you in school, you can at least attain valuable knowledge about the various subjects of your classes
this is part of what i learned in school myself; even though you're forced to be in school, you're the only one responsible for if you learn something or not. so learn the ways you are able to and get what you can out of the environment. maybe french high school is super difficult, but you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders. you should be able to learn stuff well enough to pass
still practice the breathing, exercising, etc that i mentioned, though. this:
sounds like you losing your executive functioning to stress. your anger at the situation is valid, but you need your brain to be online to cope with it and get out. take a step back, breathe in, hold. release as slowly as you can. repeat
try to notice when you're spiraling with emotion, try to remember to breathe when you are. it's hard at first but over time you'll notice it quicker and be able to respond in the moment
you'll make it out one day. just focus on getting there
What an insightful comment. This kind of distinction between what is really going on, can help people suffering like OP.
@noctisatrae@beehaw.org, the suicidal thoughts are an indication you’re feeling stuck. Know there are always options, even if you don’t see them right now or are sure there aren’t any. Talk to people, like you’ve done here, and eventually you’ll find a new direction. Bringing it up here already is a great step, I’m impressed you’ve done that.
Alexithymia is difficulty recognizing or understanding one's own emotions. I think you maybe meant Anhedonia? (inability to find enjoyment in things, expecially things that were previously enjoyable)
oh you're right yeah, lmao, my b. i'll edit, ty
I'm saving this text for later. I may need it. Thanks.