Losing faith in everything.
Find a Conversation
| Wed, 06-01-2005 - 7:22pm |
Hi There.
I thought I would stumble into this message board community for some sort of advice/encouragement, really anything that can help me these days.
I am really lacking in my overall faith in life and everything along with it. I have just lost something. I`ve never been spiritual or religious, but I feel like I`m not excited about anything,..I`ve been gaining weight rapidly, I have opportunites all around me but i cant seem to get motivated or excited about them, Im just not happy with anything.
I have an opportunity to go away to college in Sept. but the things I need to do I just dont feel like doing! I`ve never been lazy, and its not a feeling of laziness...its an empty feeling.
I used to be energetic, motivated, extroverted and enthusiastic about everything - now, I just dont care.
Has this ever happened to you? Is there some sort of advice you can give me to life my spirits?
Courtney

Pages
Hey Courtney!
My first thought is depression. I'd pop in to the doctor's office & have a chat with him/her & let them know just what you told us. It could be depression; could even be something like thyroid!
In the mean time, I'd have a look at what I've been eating, alter my diet to have less sugars in it, etc, and try and get a bit of exercise.
Not very spiritual, but hey, you can't get too spiritual if your body's crying out to you, you know? Like Maslow's heirarchy - gotta get your basic needs met first.
So let us know what turns up - having been clinically depressed a couple of times myself, your situation sounds pretty darned familiar - and unneccessary - it's easy to treat!
My very first thought was depression, too.
Huge (((hugs))) Courtney!! I have to agree with the previous posters regarding depression. I too have been there, after my 3rd child was born. Horrible, horrible feeling. I'll second (3rd? 4th?) the advice to see your doctor to rule out anything physical. But don't discount the spiritual either. Journaling might help, if that's something you enjoy. It helps many people sort out their feelings if they can see it in front of them in black and white.
I also notice in your profile that you're getting ready for nursing school. My best friend is doing her prereqs for nursing right now and the amount of studying and pressure just seems horrendous! Have you maybe just pushed too hard for too long and need a break? Are you taking the summer off? Some down time may be just what you need to feel more yourself again. Some time to focus on what YOU want and what YOU need, instead of structuring your life around studies and other people's expectations for a while.
Hope you feel better soon! :-)
Wow!
Thank you everyone for the replies...they are really uplifting and appreciated.
I definiely see how it can seem I have depression haha - but I definitely don`t. It`s nothing that I`m depressed about - It`s this really out of body experience so to say - a feeling like my whole existance is just moving on without even being aware...It`s a very different feeling in my soul.....sedation.
Just empty days and nights though things are normal - I have a good family...Im not suffering from any major issues that could affect my personality....I am just craving this urge to be alone but, not in a depressed way...just alone to be...Alone..?
I really love the reply that praises my feelings as a mind cleansing for perhaps a new beginning or something big soon....That is the kind of insight that I have been craving....some sort of explaination of why this emptiness is present - what is the spiritual, unconventional reason...Is it a soul cleansing? Am I lacking motivation and excitement for a reason? Should I now start listening for these feelings to guide me somehow?
(and im for sure not depressed hehhe)
Courtney
Hi courtney and welcome :)
My initial thoughts on your first post was also depression and there are many types of depression that don't have to stem from any major issues but can seemingly 'appear from nowhere'. You mentioned rapid weight gain and I wondered if that might be to some extent the cause of your feelings. If you have ruled out any medical reason for the weight gain then it seems sensible to assume that it has been caused by overeating of the 'wrong' types of foods. Having been overweight and a yo-yo dieter almost all of my life I know the strong effect that nutrition can have on not only the way you look but also the way that you feel and think!! I have just finished studying for a degree in psychology and my final year dissitation was on nutrition and obesity (a passion of mine as you can imagine) and I can honestly advise that some of the feelings you expressed in your first post can be attributed to a depressive like state associated with 'bad' nutrition. Sometimes when we are in this downward state of mind and looking for answers we can comfort ourselves with food that feels good at the time but has definite longer term negative effects. Even though I have been overweight I always ate what are considered good nutritional foods such as white meat, fruit, vegetables and salad etc though of course I also subsidised this with lots of high fat and sugary foods also, convincing myself that at least I was eating half-way healthily. Knowing what I do now though I have recently cut out 90% of the high fat and sugary foods and am losing weight slowly but in a manner that fits in with my lifestyle and I am feeling far, far better within myself. Not only do I have more energy and zest for life but I am discovering that I have a much clearer and happier mind.
This post has turned out to be much longer than I anticiapted but what I really am trying to say is look for the reasons that the emptiness is present in a spiritual sense but don't ignore the physical contribution that you may be making to it. It could well be that you are experiencing this as a way of understanding how the body works in harmony with the mind and the spirit to enable you to help and empathise with others on your life's journey working in nursing.
Blessings Carol
Courtney - psychiatrists list 2 categories of depression - one which is caused by social or environmental things (big life changes, loss, self-esteem issues, etc), and one that is biochemical in nature & can't be explained by circumstances (so therapy won't help). The second type is just a chemical imbalance, pretty much. Mine has been defined as the second - again, like you, I've got a GREAT life - frankly, I can't think of anything I'd change. My main complaint, the one that made me ask my GP, was I was having a lot of trouble sleeping. I know for others, it's weight changes. Anyway, I was floored when my GP mentioned depression, as you can imagine!
So like the others, I wouldn't skip over the spiritual, but would definitely address the possibility of physical causes for this feeling. Worst case, you learn it isn't depression - but at least you can feel confident you've ruled that out, right?
Hate to think you'd spend any more time than you already have feeling this way....
Irakrause, you may be right that it is a change in her life, she says she is going to school and you are right that she needs balance. One of my biggest problems is constantly learning to balance my mind/body/soul. But, it may be a good idea to also read the message boards on depression. There are techniques that may not require medication or maybe she might read a post that relates to her. One thing with women is, we don't only get chemical imbalances causing depression, but there are many other "hormones" in our bodies too that can trigger imbalances and make depression worse. Even our younger posters.
I m the lorax, What has helped you and have you taken medications, herbal supplements, etc.? I am always looking to learn new ways to deal with chronic depression. I have been kind of down lately and feel like I am fighting with my feelings again. Funny thing is, I just got a pretty awful virus the other day and I haven't been sick in awhile. There have been issues in my life that may be causing it that I need to rectify, but none are really bad. Just a husband who has been dealing with an ear infection ( and driving me crazy because I have to force him to go to a doctor and getting aggravated by his complaining and not doing anything about it.LOL ) and the start of the hurricane season and seeing all the crap on TV forcing fear into all of us. This affects me bad because I can walk to the Gulf of Mexico and my husband and I already made a choice that if this year is as severe as last, we are moving to another state. If we do, I am moving away from mine and his whole family and we will be starting over alone.The anxiety is driving me crazy. Moving is making me anxious and, for anyone who wasn't down here and saw what happened to many of my neighbors and relatives last year, that is making me anxious. If we get a hurricane that hits directly from the west coast, it will be totally devastating because of the storm surges and the overbuilding of our coast. It would be ten times worse than the destruction last year in Polk County where they were in the path of 3 hurricanes. I try not to let it bother me, but I feel like it is constantly stuck in our heads. You can't stop watching the weather forecasts, because we have such severe storms on a regular basis and just yesterday, a tornado touched down by my husbands' job and destroyed a subdivision! Sorry, I am rambling bad now....I guess I had to get it out!
If anyone can give me some good techniques to calm my mind, I would appreciate it! I have been doing regular meditation, but when I get really anxious, I can't calm my mind well. It hasn't been doing much for me lately. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Sorry about the rambling, this post really got to me because I have been kind of feeling the same way lately!
Thanks!
Robbyn
Pages