Complete loss of Interest in Life.Subscribe |
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Sat, 03/31/2007 - 14:18
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Paul Gaitanos
Join Date: 2006-12-27 Forum Posts: 6 |
I'm leaving this message asking for help. It's been almost two months and since then I've begun to notice a lack in any emotions whatsoever. From what I gathered off of the Internet this isn't much of a farfetched concept since many others seem to experience the same type of problem. In order to give you a better grasp of what I'm going through I will explain to you my situation. A few years ago I discovered that I'm suffering from a sever inferiority complex; Basically very very low self-esteem. This begat problem after problem until I was so afraid to try anything in fear of not being good enough, it just rendered me inactive. As you know its just a cycle that feeds its own fire. The anger that formed from not trying fuels my inhibitions. This is problematic enough for me and since I am trying to go into a field of art seeing others work I always feel pathetic in comparison. Of course this is just one example although it is primarily the reason why I tend to recede so often throughout the course of my week.This persisted, so bad in fact it cost me dearly. I lost my girlfriend, majority of my friends, and it caused me a tremendous amount of emotional torment. But I carried onward, doing my absolute best to regroup everything to piece my life back together. A bad decision left me in another rut going to a school I hadn't really picked and a roommate who betrayed me. So being as fed up as I was I found my second wind. I wanted to do things my own way, with a new job in hand! Placing together my portfolio was hard but defiantly rewarding. Having two colleges in mind I decided to apply for both, I was accepted to one of them. It was a milestone for me and most certainly a great goal achieved.My job turned into the center of my problems, turned out my coworkers were all drug abusers. It was a local electronics store right in the middle of the city; People there were abusive thieves who constantly badgered me. I even went above and beyond to help the place out until I was laid off after the holidays. I went jobless for two months and during which I was forced to help out my parentals. You see they had placed a large investment to place an indoor soccer facility and the gimmick is that its the first of its kind in the entire area. Problem was poor management as everything turned for the worst. All of the partners, including my father ran out of funding and since our house is up on the line the stress just hit everyone. Now I mention this because for the past two and half months I was actually helping with construction of the field, which was one of the worst jobs I've ever had.I now work at a local coffee shop three blocks away from my house, since my car always breaks down this is quite a blessing for me. Though now I'm having trouble finding any enjoyment in my life. I have no friends where I live which forces me to use the Internet for any conversation and even that is extremely limited. My bad mood swings, including my fears of dealing have caused me to lose nearly all of my contacts. Even now my conversations are dry and mainly consist of me rambling on about my problems, if they don't people eventually up losing interest in talking to me. I can't find any excitement that I'm going back to school, or any interest for my hobbies. I no longer enjoy anything. It feels like the world is floating around me and no matter how hard I try to grasp it...I just cannot. I don't know what to do, I feel utterly helpless and each day is becoming harder to cope with this. People have suggested I seek professional help but I cannot afford it nor do I have health insurance of any kind. I no longer experience dreams of any kind, I've slept horrendously ever since I came back home. If anyone has any advice or help from personal experience please let me know. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read my outcry, thank you in advance. |
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Join Date: 2004-06-04
Forum Posts: 144
When we face difficult situation in life it seems that they are immpossible to overcome and we feel that there is no hope but with time and personal effort things change and become better. It is important for us to learn how to fight against whatever we are faced with and it is actually those situations that will make us very strong.
The main thing that you should learn how to do, is not to get identified with your problems becaue when you do they become bigger and stronger. Whenever you have a problem you have to learn how to stop thinking about it all the time. Just when you see that the same negative thoughts are reoccuring just try to push them aside and just try to return to the present moment (just feeling yourself where you are and all your five senses) Everytime you get consumed by a negative thought or emotion just get back to the moment. With time you will be bale to feel clearer and clearer and your negativity and low states will gradually disapear.
Another thing that could really help you is praying. Just ask for things to change and for strength to help you cope with whatever problems you currently have and to help you learn from them. Be sincere and do it from the heart and it will be granted to you.
I suggest you take the free course Self discovery that is given here, when it begins. You also can read some good books that could help you understand yourself better. The books that would be good to read first are Revolutionary Psychology and Great Rebellion. Here is the link: http://www.gnosticweb.com/index.php?PageID=112
All the strength to you,
Stas
Join Date: 2004-11-30
Forum Posts: 2610
Not the same, it is unique... but I have been in the similar situations.
When we are completely overwhelmed with a problems and stress, when our friends go away, and our girlfriend sleeps with that guy with a moustache we can't take seriously, and we don't have any money to pay for the coming bills, and that piece of metal mistakenly called "driving vehicle" is broken again, and when we see a day, but we don't see any beauty in it, and we just want it to be over, we don't really like anything or anybody, anymore...
then
...it is a great moment to look within. It is a great starting situation for the marvelous spiritual transformation because then we really have the motivation to change things,
we want it badly.
As it is explained in the Gnostic courses and over all the works of Samael Aun Weor, the root of all our problems is within. If we do change internally, external situation changes too. Similar attracts similar, the right inner state is a magnet for the right external circumstances.
All the difficulties, which life gives to us, can be a marvelous fuel for our progress in life!
First we need to dare to look at the situation this way, understand its meaning objectively and pick up the positive direction,
and then put up the efforts to change it. It's the best to start from the easy practices and the simple solutions like
.writing down my dreams
.mantra "O" -10 min- 2 times a day
.awareness walk -30 minutes -once a day
.prayer to be helped -15 minutes
.I make sure that I do my all work hours and don't leave early.
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and then move on from it, working with egos, causes of our problems and
LEARNING HOW TO MASTER OUR LIVES!
Maybe, one day in future you will look back and say "thank you", for this situation...that's what I did.
All what I just have described, is much better explained in the Gnostic courses and books by Mark Pritchard, also feel free to be around this forum or use any other opportunities to be closer for Gnosticweb community, shared energy and experience can help a lot to get out of problems.
Good luck, just keep fighting, it will get easier!
Vadim
Join Date: 2006-06-21
Forum Posts: 142
I read your story and it struck a chord with me. I can relate. Sometimes it can seem like things just keep happening which bring us down further and further - like the world is against us.
Speaking for myself, I would periodically stop getting enjoyment from everything life had to offer. I would get into very dark episodes of depression... and I didn't want to go on. I always got upset over one particular thing and then sought a way around it which didn't deal with it but just put it aside. There was a kind of snowballing effect... losing friends and having bad events occur over and over, and me getting to be in a worse state internally. I always thought that it was the things which were happening to me which was the problem. I never gave notice to what my internal reactions were...
I felt so much despair with life, and existence in general. Nothing had gone right; everything had gone wrong. I felt cheated, defeated, lost and confused. But I had always known that there must be 'something more'... something that can be done to find out what's going on. Up to the darkest part of my life everything I had heard about just seemed like total nonsense to me. I needed something practical... something which was tangible and real.
Coming across the Gnostic teachings changed everything...
I never thought I could get out of the hole I was in. I thought I was just a mean, upset type of person. But the fact is that radical change IS possible! The darkness which is within is not a part of our 'true' self. Through awareness of the present moment and self-observation the beginnings of true change become possible. Peace and happiness are there within us. I think the work to get those spiritual feelings (permanently) makes life something really worthwhile. There's no longer a lack of interest on my part! Although things may still get hard, that is just the nature of life... but if we can learn from the situations we are placed in, we can hope to emerge with real wisdom and progress towards liberation.
I recommend the Self-Discovery course when the courses are back up and running. For now you could read the 'Student Experiences' to the left of the page, particularly those under 'Awareness' and 'Self-Knowledge'. There's also 'Revolutionary Psychology' by Samael Aun Weor which can be downloaded from this site.
So please hang in there! You're not alone. We all go through the same or similar things.
Much Strength,
Jon.
Join Date: 2006-12-27
Forum Posts: 6
Join Date: 2005-01-26
Forum Posts: 745
There are two worlds we live in. One is the sacred world, the real world created by nature we can experience in clarity with conciousness when we are aware of our inner states and our senses, and then there is the secular illusion-world perpetuated by people's egos and problems they identify with. We are aware of this illusion world that isn't real when we side with those negative inner emotions and counter-positive thinking that creates it.
These egos and problems are not us and when we become aware of that, you start to not care about any of them. Simply choose not to be part of them.
My experience with depression, although mild compared to others, is that there is some hidden part of the psyche that actually wants to feel that way so it uses any excuse it can to identify with it.
I found the right steps towards eliminating this are EASY, and found in the courses offered here.
After you get rid of this, you can look back in retrospection and just laugh at how ridiculous and small the insignificant part of the mind that wanted this was. Life is truely a pendelum that swings from one extreme to the other. Bad things happen, good things happen, then this recapitulates constantly. It's how we deal with it that makes us stronger or weaker.
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In the meantime, a good thing I found is to be aware of the greater picture. If I had any problems like you mentioned, I would just try to be aware of the environment around me, then zoom out and see the bigger picture with the town I live in, then see the region and eventually the entire Earth. Be aware of how the Suns light hits it, and how many people are on it, and where your own place is. Such a big place and how insignificant your problems are to the whole of the world. Is feeling BAD doing any GOOD?
No matter what happens, the sun will always rise and set, the earth will always turn, the solar system will always revolve around it's galactic center.
How many other people are out there with problems that don't even matter compared to the big picture? When your dead and gone, what will matter? It won't be your problems themselves, but how you dealt with them. How you revolutionize against the natural way people take by gravitating down the path of least resistance by doing nothing to rid themselves of the secular illusion they identify with.
Definately take a look at the self-discovery courses. Samael's book "Revolutionary Psychology" can help illustrate some more.
Best of luck to you, I hope you stay around Gnosticweb because you will definately benefit from it if you sincerely try the work offered.
Join Date: 2006-06-21
Forum Posts: 142
Something practical which I would suggest for you to try out before the courses begin is to try and concentrate on every activity you do throughout the day, whether it be eating, showering, dressing etc. Try not to get lost in thoughts and emotions. Every time some thought or emotion comes in just come back to awareness and whatever task you are performing at the time. You will begin to notice how impermanent the internal world can be. This is a beginning of the process to 'wake up' psychologically.
You can also pray for strength and guidance at any time.
Jon.
Join Date: 2006-12-27
Forum Posts: 6
I apologize for changing the subject like this but I was hoping someone could give me a better opinion of what my mind is trying to tell me here. Of course I can create my own depictions but another's opinion always counts more to me.
I will try my best to realize my actions throughout the day, but as for emotions I do not believe they are applicable at this point. Take it from me if I could analyze any of them I would. Again I thank you all for looking over my post...
Many thanks.
Paul Gaitanos
Join Date: 2004-06-04
Forum Posts: 144
In oder for you to remember your dreams you really got to try to be in ht emoment during the day. I described how in my previous post. It might take some practice until you understand what does it mean to be in the moment or to be aware as they are the same thing. Also if you want ot remember your dreams better you should try not to move when you wake up and then try to remember your dreams. As you remember something just keep replaying it and you will be able to remember more and more as you keep replaying it will just go further back into your dream.
All teh strength,
Stas
Join Date: 2004-11-30
Forum Posts: 2610
If you experienced depression for years, obviously you won't be able to change it in a one day.
We discuss oftenly here how bad is fanaticism, in its variety of forms and with all the harm it brings, however some element of beleif is necessary.
Beleive that the change is possible, that is is worth to try it... and do all what you can for it... and you will see that the things will start to change.
Step by step, one victory after another.
Determination and will-power, helping to move and growing with movement.
And Gnostic courses are coming...patience will be rewarded.
They also can't change some things right away.
Fruit needs to grow to become ripe.
Good luck, bro!
Join Date: 2004-05-28
Forum Posts: 907
stay strong. keep trying. yes, there are a lot of things you can do to keep trying, but you know no one can answer you really knowing how hard it is for you right now, it is hard to see like that, and no one can fight your battles for you. everything works both ways -- if you want to jump really high upward then you have to exert a tremendous force downward, this might seem silly or like it's not applicable, but i say yes, yes it is very applicable.
pray even if it seems as though they're not answered.
do your very best, seriously, even if it all seems hopeless. likewise even if things seem to start getting better, if you become attached to that then it is all worthless, what is important is to always be applying ourselves in the best way that we can, in rain or sunshine.
as far as the lack of emotions, i had a friend who was similar, although i'm not sure if it's the same. his position seems to be from an extremely overactive brain, he intellectualizes all the time, always watching documentaries or formulating grand speeches about this or that theory. this cause an intellectualization of even being human. so if this sounds somewhat the same, i would try really to practice the "art of attention" to quieten the mind. this is done simply by being aware of everything that is going on right NOW, the way it feels to breathe, the words you are reading and how they sound in your brain and what they mean, the sounds you hear, the smells you smell, etc... attend to every detail constantly, when your mind strays with this or that thought just pay attention to every detail of what you're looking at, so closely that the mind doesn't have room to formulate ideas. this takes work, constantly, even when it seems to get easy you can't relax otherwise it will all fall, just keep attending to this particular Moment.
all in all, yes life can get very difficult, but you learn from it and keep moving, keep pushing.
sincerely,
Jim
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i find it's helpful to watch Krishnamurti videos on YouTube. here's a pretty good one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIHrQ1ZQZqM