Quote Originally Posted by Jaquaia View Post
Hi and welcome. I've added a trigger warning as you mention suicide. It's nothing to worry about, it's just so people can avoid your thread if it would trigger them.

The first point I want to make is it doesn't matter if people have had it much worse than you. If it affects you than it's important. I can't remember the exact words but I saw a great analogy on fb of all places! It was basically saying that we shouldn't compare suffering, that some people have paper plates and some have ceramic and those with paper plates can't carry as much as those with ceramic. It made a lot of sense to me. Suffering is very personal and what some can cope with, others can't and that's ok.

Have you seen a doctor about how you're feeling? They can signpost you to services that could help. Maybe contact Mind or Andy's Man Club if you have those locally. There's also Recovery College, they often do courses to help with things like self-esteem.

For what it's worth, I'm 35, and although I have a degree, I don't work because of how ill I got. With the right help, I'm only just getting my life how I want it. I've started driving lessons and I've gone back to uni to start retraining. In just over a week I start doing my practical qualifications. It's not how I imagined my life but I have adapted and it's how I will live it now. My driving instructor has a brilliant way of putting it. "We can get to Bridlington a couple of different ways. It doesn't matter how we get there as long as we get there".
I apologise if I broke any rules, I've just joined and didn't realise.

I do enjoy time with the dogs, funny how before we met I wasn't a 'dog' person, again though it just comes down to that lack of motivation. I know there is a lot of moping going on I just don't know how to reverse it. The answers are there I just can't give myself a kick up the arse, excuse my language!

I've looked into a few home study courses as I work full time, a few I'm greatly interested in. Again though its that 'thinking of' part rather than getting it done. I'll admit I've always been very scared of change, yet I really do want to change the direction of my life. Very contradictory I know.

I appreciate your reply and what you've shared and both the analogy and quote make a lot of sense.