How do I start again?

Question

I am female 50 years old,due to a psychotic episode I lost my home, my dog and all my possessions. I spent 10 months in a psychiatric hospital (mainly due to being homeless) I got an house got in with some wrong people and lost that house also. I wandered the sreets, totally disconnected from reality...spent time in 'dodgy peoples' houses had some horrendous experiences and ended up in an hostel. I got a supported accommodation bedsit..deeply depressed and the building was fullof drug users and even a murder happened. Presently staying with a fried but still deeply depressed on anti-depressants that I feel are lifting me a little. How the hell do I start again..I had a beautiful home in an area I loved everything was perfect..now nothing feels worthwhile..I wish I was out of it all....I need to either die or do something...I want my past back and that is crucyfying me....Any help appreciated.


Thank you

Answer 1

"What is done, is done, and cannot be undone.", so the saying goes. You can't change the past, but you CAN change your attitude to it, and use it to motivate you to achieve something even better: a productive and happy existence in a place of your own. For that to occur, you will need a realistic plan, divided up into readily achievable parts. First, you will need to recover sufficiently to seek employment, possibly retraining, or acquiring new skills. The search for suitable work will probably not be easy, and you may have to accept less than ideal positions in the early stages. It is important that you stop thinking about the past, because it prevents you from living in the present, and regularly making plans for the future. Firmly resolve here and now to absolutely refuse to focus on what is behind you, and if you catch yourself doing that, say to yourself as forcefully as you can: (aloud, if alone) "I know this tactic: GO AWAY FOR A WHILE!!!" You might like to use "ruse, ploy, game, trick, or scam", instead of "tactic". Eventually, you will reprogram your thinking, but you have to be watchful and persistent. Some people put a rubber band around their wrist (not tight!), stretch and release, if they backslide, to help them change their ways sooner. Practise for 15 -20 minutes daily, and when needed, the method at http://www.dbtselfhelp.com or gaze at a burning candle in a quiet, darkened room for 20 mins, acknowledge stray thoughts, and gently redirect focus to the process. Maximum results come from using 3 times daily, some hours apart. Tai Chi & yoga suits some (http://www.yogasite.com).[Tai Chi: Try watching a Kung Fu movie, and doing some of the easier moves in slow motion, one after another.] Work up slowly to 30 mins of moderate daily exercise, preferably in sunlight, eat healthily, and keep occupied. If you can afford it, take a vitamin B complex, and 4 fish oil supplements daily(discontinue 2 weeks before surgical procedures, resuming after recovery). I am loathe to advise you to taper off the antidepressants slowly, trying Arctic root (health food stores) or St. John's Wort instead, as I don't know whether it is clinical depression, or thyroid related, but if you do, tell your health care provider first, and about supplements, too. See http://www.anxiety-and-depression (-depression-solutions.com) & http://www.beattheblues.info/? & chat/groups are at http://www.onestepatatime.com/ and if you join (free), you are permitted 1 email question to their resident expert. Phone: [phone]. Also view http://www.coolnurse.com/self_ (.com/self_esteem3.htm) Social workers (contact through public hospitals), charities, churches, and internet employment websites are some of the places worth looking at, as well as "positions vacant" in the newspapers, and try asking around locally, too.

Answer 2

I am 34 an suffer from depression and have been hospitalized but I can not even imagine what it would be like to lose everything you loved. One loss is bad enough but your home and your dog, etc. Of course, material posessions can be replaced over time but you are definitely greiving and have every right to and it will take time. You lost a lot. I too had a problem with living in the past but you need to try and I say try because I understand it is not easy to look at what you have now and compare. You can't. NO matter what, you can not have the life you had. You can look at the positives.......you have a friend who has taken you in so you have people that care about you when some people have no one. You have shelter. Most importantly you are alive even if you do not understand why at this point. With more intensive therapy things can and will get better but you have to want them to. Make sure you stay on and take your meds as prescribed. You deserve to live and have a chance at happiness just as everyone else does. If you feel that depressed please go back to the hospital so that you can remain safe or contact your Dr. so that your meds can be regulated. There are many ups and downs and things that are definitely not understood in depression but I live with it too and I just have to tell myself that no matter how I get there is always someone out there that has it worse than me and I am still here for a purpose. You are only 50. You have a long life ahead of you and we never know what great things will happen in the future. There are many organizations such as United Way, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross and normally State organizations or churches who can get you started on your feet again and you can build from there. It is often hard to ask for or get help but NEVER give up!!!!! I wish you the best and hope you can start getting your life back and feeling better very soon ~

Answer 3

Forget the past. Nothing will ever be better than what you have yet to experience. How can you think the past was so great when you haven't even experienced tomorrow? You are wasting precious time dwelling in what was. Forget it and begin to live for today and every day to come as long as you are blessed enough to be alive. Life is only as fulfilling as you make it. Yesterday is gone and only a memory. Tomorrow has yet to be conquered and holds unlimited potential. Go live your live. Look at the simple things and build your way up. The sun, flowers, animals, friends, etc... It will get better. Good luck.

Answer 4

Stop looking back. Your constantly looking at where you've been, as opposed to where your going. I can't begin to fathom what you've went through as far as life experiences. Do know however, living in the past will not help you reach for the future. You know where you went wrong, you know what made you happy. You have the will to do good, and get your life on track, you just need to do it. With all the knowledge of what NOT to do, you shouldn't fail. Any move you make to better yourself and your situation, is a step in the right direction. Just once you take that step, don't stop moving. Good luck.

Answer 5

mental illness can rob a person of their dignity, their homes, their dreams, and their loved ones. sounds like you have lost all these things in your life. do not blame yourself, but blame your illness. if took you probably quite a while for you to lose all these things and u cannot expect to regain them in a short period of time. you may never regain all those things again in your life. you have to give yourself credit, that u went through hell, and was able to make somewhat of a recovery. you might want to take things on a day to day basis, and just set small goals for you. your first priority is to continue getting treatment, and perhaps your second priority is decent housing. if you can get suitable housing for yourself, then that would raise your self esteem, and feel like you are more independent. thinking about the past is always does not help you. sometimes life is hard and pain full, but you are still young and never give up hope, that your future may be better for you. good luck to you. try to keep you spirit up. you are worthwhile.

Answer 6

'Don't look back'....that statement is easier said then done.
The only advice I could give is to count whatever blessings you have (yeah, you've got some). And it feels good to help other people, do some volunteer work. Reach out and try to help someone who may be going through the same thing that you have experienced. Group therapy, addressing your kinds of troubles, might do you some good. I wish you well.

Answer 7

Wih your experience in handling rough times you should live to be 90,,

You must have been able to reach back and find something to make you move on.
so, reach back and see if there's any left.
And, don't die. i bet you have some stories to tell.

Answer 8

Jump off a table or something and make sure when you land you bang your head on the ground really hard. Maybe you might get amnesia. Then you will have forgotten all that ever happened, and you will be able to explore the wonders of the world once again.

Answer 9

I would highly, highly, highly recommend you watch "The Secret" or at least do some studying of The Law of Attraction.

http://www.thesecret.tv/
http://www.stevepavlina.com/

Answer 10

To be happy see this video;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4P5Pmdvgp4

About Psychiatry see this video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3895596783332855545&q=psychiatry+is+fraude&hl=en

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR9vtdueubc&mode=related&search=