Comment by marincounty | Hacker News Reader

Comment by marincounty | Hacker News Reader

Summary--Your twenties are tumultuous. Mental illness might peak it's head out in your twenties.

There are no quick cures. If you have symptomology get help sooner than later. What kind if help?(see an expensive psychology/psychiatrist for help. What help--I don't know?)

Schizophrenia and bipolar are More closely related to genes if a parent is affiliated. Anxiety and depression are not so closely related to genes.(No stats given)

If anxiety arises in your twenties you probally had it as a kid.(Not in my case.)

If you do have a mental disorder in your twenties most of you will get better with time.(I found this to be true, but it so seriously disrupts your current life, you might spend the next decade, or more rebuilding the mess. Personally, I feel if a person becomes afflicted all treatment should be made freely available(paid by government), student loans should be forgiven immediately, along with any other shinanigans(within reason) you got yourself into while sick. If you know someone who's suffering--reach out, or the very minimal don't take advantage of that vulnerable person. My sister took advantage of me when I was at my worst. She now wonders why I don't call.)

> There are no quick cures. If you have symptomology get help sooner than later. What kind if help?(see an expensive psychology/psychiatrist for help. What help--I don't know?)

Most people just need to be aware of their mental health and to have chats with employers and friends when things dip; and to build resiliance (social support etc).

Some people would benefit from a talking therapy. We know that counselling probably isn't very good. We know that other forms of therapy are better. Cognitive behaviour therapy is the most well known. This can be self-guided from books[1], or computer programs[2]. Or you can find a therapist. In England this is free on the NHS. Either see your GP and firmly ask for a referral, or search for your county name and IAPT (improved access to psychological services). They're often called "Let's Talk" or similar. You should be able to self refer. If you want something different or if your local IAPT stuff isn't flexible enough you can go private. BACP is one reputable registration body for psychological therapists. Sessions cost roughly between £20 to £50. Most courses should last 14 weeks or less. People with strong phobies can achieve long lasting remission with just a few sessions.

My first semester, sophomore year of college. Depression, Alcohol/assorted drugs combined with stress lead to auditory hallucinations. This affected my studies leading to more stress and depression and on and on... I ended up drinking a bunch of anti-freeze that following summer. Fun times.

I lost most/all my friends because of my antics, and (barely) graduated (6 years for a BS, god I'm an idiot).

Things have settled down now though- I'm in my mid-20s and work a lame job. I keep to myself and shitpost on the internet.

You seem really (REALLY) down on yourself because of the whole ordeal -- there's not much some random stranger on the internet can say to make you feel any better about it, but... I'm going to give it a shot.

Parts of your experience mirror mine pretty closely -- if you can, focus on the fact that you pulled through it, even if it was ugly for a while. Like you said, "things have settled down," so now you can focus less on arresting your death spiral and more on heading in a direction you want to go.

You dragged yourself through depression, stress, academic failure, and whatever else you had going on, and you made it out the other side. There are lots of folks like us who didn't.

6 years for a Bachelor's? Try 9. Yeah, I am a real winner...

Now is when you need to be cultivating discipline. Discipline is what keeps you fighting when every other part of you has given up. It's the only way to succeed if you're one of those people whose future wasn't handed to them on a silver platter.

You can suffer setbacks every day, but you haven't actually lost until you stop breathing. You cannot build strength without suffering, and you cannot overcome without strength.

Define "discipline". "Just do it"?

The sustained assertion of your mental will over the baser impulses of your body, usually in anticipation of a better long term result.

This can be something as simple as resisting a temptation (saving money instead of splurging), to something more complex like a routine activity that your body tries to reject (such as exercise or keeping the house tidy). The most difficult is discipline over your own thoughts (which tend to change with your mood and emotions), or remaining focused on a distant goal when daily progress is difficult to measure.

Willpower is great for when you have no belief in your own instincts or smarter approaches to getting what you want, which for some people is always. It's a great tool for smashing square pegs (with sufficient force) into whatever shape of hole you are faced with.

> The most difficult is discipline over your own thoughts (which tend to change with your mood and emotions),

I think thoughts come before and inspire moods and emotions, more than vice versa.

It's hard to maintain discipline over your own thoughts because it's like trying to redirect the Amazon river with a teaspoon. It tends to be more effective to try to gently steer it in a certain direction, or try to quiet it altogether (meditation).

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