Trying to figure out whats wrong
Heya 🙂
I have been feeling really down for months now, I have struggled with my mental health in the past and was diagnosed with depression. Recently I have been struggling with my energy levels. I go to bed at a good time (usually 9pm) but I cant sleep properly at night because i am constantly overthinking and tossing and turning, then during the day I'm so tired. I had to cancel my gym membership because I just dont have the energy to go. Im finding it difficult to concentrate in my TAFE class because I cant focus, my mind wanders and I think about things that are stressing me out. I don't have a great deal of friends because when I left school, my friends sort of stopped reaching out to me, even though i was still reaching out to them. This has made me feel really isolated as a teenager and ive been experiencing a great deal of fomo. I want to be living life as a teenager with some good friends, I want to be going out and doing things on weekends, not just sitting in my room but I dont know how to meet people now that I'm not at school. I just want to feel like i belong and am accepted in a group of friends that are my age. The problem is that i get really anxious in social situations so I find it difficult to make friends.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated xx
Comments
Hey @Pink_Crab
I'm so sorry you're going through this. It sounds very hard. You are doing an amazing job to just keep going.
I've gone through some similar things. I went through high school with undiagnosed and untreated Bipolar 2 Disorder. I was misdiagnosed with depression for a short period of time, which is understandable since depression is a massive part of my life. I left highschool early to go to TAFE because of it.
For a long time, I was scared of trying to fall asleep because that's when my thoughts were extra loud since there were no distractions. I tried writing, listening to calming music, or even an audio book. It gave me some background noise to focus on instad of my thoughts. I eventually tried some melatonin, which helped. These things all helped to some degree. We're all different, so these suggestions might not work for you, or you might have already tried. I think it's worth a shot.
Low energy levels absolutely suck. Which is another reason where we have to try and be kind to ourselves, because we're doing the best we can in hard circumstances.
Do your TAFE lecturers know about your depression? I was able to make a 'learning support plan' which made it easier to communicate with my lecturers if I needed some extra assistance with my studies.
Mental illness can make friendships so much harder. One-sided friendships can hurt. People can be so immature. And it definietly is hard when you have left highschool. And you're not the only one who gets anxious in social situations! I find it hard to trust people because I don't like being hurt. Depression makes it harder to genuinly interact with others. Apathy, low energy levels, grumpiness, and more, makes it so much harder to function, let alone socialise and make friends. I've tried to find groups that make me feel safe. For example, I feel safer around people who are a little older than me. If it makes you seem a little less anxious, you could try suggesting an activity you could do together. Like going bowling, some baking, a bike ride, or whatever you're intrested it. It gives you something to take about.
Easier said than done, but don't be afraid to be assertive in medical appointments. It's your health, and you deserve the best quality care. Whether this is seeing another doctor, another psychologist, or trying a different psychologist. Don't be afraid to build a medical team that helps you. I know this has really helped me.
You're not alone.
You've got this ❤️
Hey @Pink_Crab thank you for reaching out to us today. We know it can be scary opening up about your feelings so I just want to acknowledge how brave you are for sharing with us.
I'm sorry to hear that you've been feeling down for months now, I can only imagine how exhausting that must be. I'm a big overthinker too so I can definitely relate to not being able to sleep at night. Have you been able to find anything that helps with this at all?
As you have mentioned feeling down, I just wanted to ask if you have had thoughts of self-harm or suicide? Are you safe tonight?
Changing friendships can be such a heart breaking and hurtful experience, so i'm sorry to hear that you have had to go through this when your friends just stopped talking to you. I can definitely see why you might have felt isolated and I just want to say that it is completely understandable that you felt this way. If you are interested at all, we do have an article on Changing Friendships which includes coping strategies and even some tips on making new friends.
It sounds like a lot to be managing on your own, so I was just wondering what other supports you have around you right now. Is there someone that you feel comfortable talking to about this? If you would like to talk to someone, there are a number of services and helplines which might be worth having a look into like Lifeline or even KidsHelpline.
You mentioned that you just want to feel like you belong and are accepted, so I want to say that you are always welcome here and we love having you here as part of our community 💜
