Does anyone feel like they’re wasting their life away with mental illness? It depresses me so much everyday. My mental health has ruined my life since I was 15 and now I’m approaching 24 and am still in the same place- actually worse. I feel like when I get my life together I’ll be 28 and all my good years would’ve passed. It just makes me so sad 😔

Clementine

Date posted: 5y

I feel the same but I haven’t experienced it for as long as you. I’m 15 now and I’m terrified that my entire life is going to be like this. I don’t know if I can cope if I’m stuck with this forever. I had so much to look forward to in life and now I feel like everything’s been ruined and is now pointless

Clementine

Date posted: 5y

Sorry that wasn’t helpful but it was kinda nice to relate to someone a little. I hope you’re ok.

ginaa

Date posted: 5y

That’s okay xx because you’re so young I would say try and do everything to get the help you need now and make sure you always have a community of people who support you. You should be okay x

Learning

Date posted: 5y

I get what you're saying about losing a lot of your life to mental illness. I often feel the same way. Let me just say though that 28 is still young and you have lots of time to meet some goals in life. I don't know if anyone accomplishes everything they want to. I'm 44 and have lost things to OCD and anxiety, but I also have lots of good things in my life. I guess one idea might be to focus on what you're grateful for. It often helps me.

ginaa

Date posted: 5y

Can anyone share their experiences with this and any advice please? X

Sadman

Date posted: 5y

I had Hocd as my first ever like theme when I was 15 as well I had it all sophomore year and recently got it back 1 year of college it’s been 4 months since and it’s been difficult. These false memories are still there but just try to do your best to not do any compulsion and it’ll help. I’m 19 now btw, everyone has their own journey and I’m sorry that yours is lasting this long. Don’t stop fighting. You got this !

asdfghj

Date posted: 5y

Im 29 and have been sick since 12. And yes I have a lot of grief for missing out on life. On parties. On love. On friendship. I have lost a lot. But now I also have hope. Hope that I can GET life back. The years I missed will never come back, but maybe I can learn to be mindfully present here and now and be satisfied with that. I will learn to let myself grieve the years I lost. I just got confrontation that I'll get my first appointment with an OCD specialist within 6 weeks so im so hopeful! It is sad that we have missed out on life. Let yourself be sad. When Im able to grief, truly, after all the tears suddenly I feel present and good about something else! ❤

ginaa

Date posted: 5y

Thank you for this and I’m sorry for your suffering. I hope your appointment goes well 💛

asdfghj

Date posted: 5y

@freedomproject Thank you! Actually I also realized some of the thinking about "life never gets easier, i have lost so much" is actually OCD. Intrusive thoughts making me do compulsions. I let myself grieve, but with the feelings, crying, letting it out. While I try to identify the times its just another way of OCD making me hate existence. Dont know if this might apply to you? I mean we definitely have something to grieve, (we have lost years of our lives! Been traumatised!)but sometimes its not grieving its ocd masquerading as grief.

ginaa

Date posted: 5y

@asdfghj I often wonder about this. I find it hard to tell the difference between ocd and real feelings. I’ve especially been struggling lately.

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