Search results

I feel it is wrong because it invalidates the sacrifices my family and I made to get that degree. It might be different if I was in the field for awhile and then decided to change, but to not even use the degree at all? Even if I could switch, no one would take me seriously anymore. The field...

Sailorgirl, I don't think I'm at a point in my life where I can change careers. I don't have the skills to do anything else and I can't afford to go back to school. Even if I could, it would be met with skepticism and disappointment by everyone I know and love. You're right, it is the economy...

I don't take it as offensive. You are probably correct. I have heard of the secret, but never read it. I think the cycle is this. I used to always avoid going after things I want because I was afraid I would fail. At first I wouldn't even acknowledge that there were things I wanted at all. Then...

I can't even get an interview. I'm not qualified because I don't have 3+ years of experience supervising people some particular specialized skill. I've never held a full-time job. I am sorry you have to listen to self-defeating messages. I have them too. I don't have any advice on how to stop...

I know I'm not unique in any way and lots of good people are out of work. I guess I'm just feeling the pressure both outside and internally. It's not just my family that asks me all the time. My partner is very successful in her Phd program and her family asks all the time if I've "found a job"...

I don't know where to put this, but as it's work-related, I'll post it here. I'm alone from the holidays still so I have nobody to talk to about this. I'm 25 today and everything I feared as a kid and young adult about living in the real world is coming true. At this point I don't know if I'll...

I am glad you're in a safe place this year. I always have a reaction to a holiday (for me, it's Halloween). Your counselor is right that it doesn't have to be about the holiday. Perhaps you could try treating it as a normal night and stay in doing something you enjoy? If you don't mind, I'll...

I wasn't sure what to put. I really need alone time but if my partner's gone for more than a day - anything overnight, really - I start having issues. It's not so much anxious as I just lose the ability to function normally. I'm actually in the middle of that now. My sleep patterns go out the...

Hi guys, I made it through Christmas! I talked to my family and partner on the phone, and everyone liked the gifts I sent them, so that made me feel good that I did well by them. I played with my dog and spent most of the day on the chat and watching TV. I drew Christmas dragons for people in...

If you're still lonely, you're welcome to drop by the Christmas chat I created. I'm drawing Christmas dragons for anyone, to spread a little cheer. (watching How to Train Your Dragon today).

Thank you. It's always nice to know someone is thinking positive thoughts for me! It was so hard to hear all the well-wishes for Christmas at work today, especially when I know they're all going home to their families later. I miss my family terribly. I know the mood on the board can be one of...

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I always spend it with my family, and it's one of the few times I get to see my brother. Even after I moved to a new state, I made the trip back with my partner at Christmastime and then spent my birthday/New Year's with them (our families live in the same...

Don't give in to Bad voice. A therapist once told me in the depths of depression and PTSD that this was as good as it was ever going to get and I shouldn't hope for more. She drained whatever spirit I had left and I wanted to give up then and there, because if this was all there was, I sure...

I promised my partner I would see a doctor because I have trouble walking and often can't breathe. I'm terrified of all doctors (the medical field is the biggest trigger for my PTSD). I hyperventilated before and after calling, and my voice was shaking leaving the message. They called back and...

It doesn't make you stupid. Relationships can be very powerful and painful. Everyone wants to feel loved and valued, and when relationships go south, it can really take a chunk out of your self-esteem. It can be so hard when you feel that nobody will want to be with you, and people telling you...

I was thinking about something my mother said to me recently. She told me that she was surprised that I was still here. She was always worried that I would die young, as a child. No reason – I wasn’t sick or reckless or in danger. Apparently I was too good a person – a little light that she was...

Please stay safe. The best thing I ever heard about how to deal with suicidal thoughts is to remember that suicide happens when your pain outweighs your ability to cope with it. You can stop it by either reducing your pain or increasing your coping resources. It's wonderful that you are...

Thank you Saffy. I notice on here people talk about their support system. I do not have much of a support system. My trauma is difficult to talk about with my family or partner. My parents do not understand PTSD, and when it comes to the trauma itself, their response varies between how bad they...

That's ok, I realize that posting in pieces leads to gaps and misunderstanding. PTSD was somewhat explained to me by my psychiatrist. We were looking into CBT and EMDR but needed to focus on the depression first, and then I graduated and left the area. I've been learning about PTSD on my own...

I was hospitalized because I was deeply suicidal, although I never attempted. I never cut, but when I was younger I used to hit myself in the head with notebooks when I was frustrated. I don't really know why. It usually wasn't hard enough to hurt unless I used a calculator or a textbook by...

Everyone has already given you really good answers and things to think about, but I just wanted to add that I too loved reading as a child and young adult (I read books cover-to-cover) and that I too am now just able to read again. It can come back. For me, it is as if I'm discovering a new...

I'm sorry. I don't understand fully myself. I beat myself up about it often because it shouldn't be there. It has no right to be there. Maybe I just don't understand how psych hospitals are supposed to work. I don't understand when people call them a "safe" place or say they have found any...

Thank you all for responding. It really means the world to me to reach out and get responses back from other people who know what I'm talking about and don't call me crazy. I am so impressed by all your courage and willingness to keep moving forward. I wish everyone on this board nothing but the...

Last night my partner told me she doesn't really understand PTSD or how I could have it. She too thinks it's for people from war/disasters/accidents/abuse. I feel even worse. She was trying to be loving and supportive, but admits she doesn't know how and can't understand why I'm having trouble...

I'm sorry to hear about your weekend! Is it at all possible for you to take the weekend and go somewhere overnight? A hotel/motel either in the city or outside it to avoid the robbery simulations altogether? You may have thought of that already, but the cost may be worth the health benefits. If...