Suicidal Thoughts

And then, we will all Keep Doing This VITAL, easy, short practice.

One of the many things I learned from the “Resilience Skills” University online course I took that I keep teaching you about here only in this group is that Resilience Needs Mindfulness.

And, 1 of the first things to learn about Mindfulness is how to practice conscious breathing and why.

Mindfulness conscious breathing exercise to practice daily 3 or 4 times—
In/Out: This is the first practice on Conscious Breathing:

breathe in (a good, deep inhale), and say or think “I know that I am breathing in”,
breathe out (a longer, full exhale), and say or think “I know that I am breathing out”

After a while of practicing this, you can shorten the cue words to saying or thinking simply “In” on the Inhale, and “Out” on the Exhale.

“When we continue to practice like this, something wonderful happens—-we stop the thinking.
This is already a miracle happening because when we think too much, we are not truly ourselves. But this way, our mind and our body becomes aligned/in the same place; instead of our body here but our mind is elsewhere— in the past or in the future.

If we practice breathing in and out with some concentration, we attain what is called the oneness of body and mind.
The body and mind are unified and you begin to be there truly yourself.

When you are not really there, you cannot see things clearly and deeply. You miss everything, everything seems to you not clear, vague.”

Running to the future or going back to the past- you miss life, that is only here in the present moment.

Breathing in and out consciously is how to get back to the present moment.

What you are looking for —joy, inner peace, freedom …is all in the present moment.

If you feel agitated and not solid, vulnerable, breakable — then you practice this in order to get solid again:

Practice sitting in a stable position and practice breathing in and out. Saying “breathing in, I see myself as a mountain, breathing out I feel solid.

From time to time, a very strong emotion overwhelms us. That emotion could be anger or despair or fear. And when we are overwhelmed by a strong emotion we feel very vulnerable, like we may die, But we are more than our emotions. We are more solid than we think. And therefore, practicing being solid like a mountain is very helpful.

Source: Thich Nhat Hahn’s The Art of Mindful Living (read by the great man himself on YouTube — I am always so calmed by his voice even.)

#Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Selfcare #Depression #Anxiety #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #MajorDepressiveDisorder #PersistentDepressiveDisorder #MoodDisorders #PTSD #PTSDSupportAndRecovery #Agoraphobia #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Trauma #BipolarDisorder #BipolarDepression #AnorexiaNervosa #Addiction #EatingDisorders #Selfharm #SuicidalIdeation #SuicidalThoughts #Grief #Suicide #Fibromyalgia #ChronicPain #ChronicIllness #CerebralPalsy #Cancer #MultipleSclerosis #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #ADHD #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #PanicAttacks #PanicAttack #ChronicFatigue #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #MyCondition #Relationships #FamilyAndFriends #RareDisease #RheumatoidArthritis #Arthritis #CrohnsDisease #NarcissisticPersonalityDisorder #Caregiving #SocialAnxiety

I changed meds last fall and was feeling so much better. Back to working and keeping house. The holidays and a 2nd job were hard but .... then had disagreement with husband that put me back in the old pit of depression. 2 days ago. Just coming out. SO DISAPPOINTED. Facing the reality this is a lifelong disease and I have to work on it regularly. Ugh. 😪 I feel very alone and would really like some friends here.

Also I had beat a xanax addiction but I'm back on it now. Frustrating!!
#Anxiety
#MentalHealth
#SuicidalIdeation
#SuicidalThoughts
#lonely

Guilt is a complex emotion that can significantly impact mental health and relationships. While often viewed as purely a negative emotion, guilt can serve various purposes when experienced in moderation. However, excessive or misplaced guilt can be harmful to your overall mental health. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy guilt is important for maintaining emotional balance and maintaining positive relationships with others.

The Purpose of Guilt

Guilt can help to guide your moral behavior and create social connections. When experienced in healthy doses, feelings of guilt can show you where you've perhaps caused pain or hurt to someone else, or strayed from your moral compass. It can motivate you to repair mistakes, adhere to personal values, and maintain positive relationships. In this sense, guilt can act as a self-regulatory mechanism, prompting you to reflect on your actions and their consequences.

However, it’s important to recognize that guilt’s purpose is not to burden you indefinitely. If guilt seems to be constant, deeply painful, or leading to rumination, there's likely more going on.

Unhealthy Guilt

Guilt can be a destructive force when misplaced or excessive. Unhealthy guilt often stems from irrational thoughts or unrealistic expectations, which can lead to excessive self-blame and emotional distress. This type of guilt can be paralyzing and hinder personal development and relationships. It often can result in taking on the burdens of another as your own, when you may be powerless to fix the other's burden. This can often lead to defeat, feelings of failure, self-blame, feelings of inadequacy, and more self-destructive tendencies.

Childhood

Many people who struggle with unhealthy guilt have brought this with them from childhood. For example, a child who sees a parent suffering from depression or illness, and felt as a child that they were unable to make them better. Or, a child whose parents got divorced and felt it was their own "badness" that may have caused it. And more.

As children, what we see in the world around us is often experienced as something caused by us. For example, "My mom is sad, what did I do? Let me try to cheer her up." And, "I'm trying to cheer her up but she's still sad. Why can't I make her happy?"

The Parentified Child

Excessive guilt in adulthood can also stem from having been in the position of a parentified child. When a parent leans emotionally on a child in ways that can cause you to feel like you have to be the emotional parent to your own parent, this can lead to the feeling that your parent needs you to take care of them. It may make it difficult to develop your own sense of identity, or follow your own path in life out of fear and guilt of what will happen to your parent who needs you to take care of them. This is a common cause of excessive guilt in adulthood.

When this mechanism of guilt isn't appropriately aligned through development, it can be tempting to feel excessive guilt for burdens that aren't yours, and things you may not have much power to change.

The Impact of Unhealthy Guilt

Unhealthy guilt can have a significant impact on your mental and emotional wellbeing. When guilt becomes excessive or irrational, it can lead to a cycle of negative self-talk and self-punishment. This persistent feeling of shame and helplessness may contribute to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. You might find yourself constantly ruminating over past mistakes, unable to forgive yourself or others, or move forward.

Unhealthy guilt can also strain relationships and cause overall social anxiety, as you may become overly apologetic or withdraw from social interactions. It can also lead to self-destructive behaviors or even suicidal thoughts.

Working Through Unhealthy Guilt

The first step in moving forward from unhealthy guilt is beginning to become aware of how you experience guilt -- when guilt emerges to serve you in a positive way, and when guilt is showing up to in some way harm you or drag you down. People often do this in therapy where a professional can help you recognize the differences, or when something old from the past may be contributing to a self-destructive response pattern in the present. It is possible to be liberated from the shackles of guilt.

#Anxiety #MentalHealth #Depression #Relationships

2025 hasn’t started off the greatest. I still ferociously miss Radio who’s been gone 7 months. Still struggling to find a job and some ‘friends’ decided to show their true colors.

A few days before Christmas a former friend, asked to commission me I told them I currently wasn’t open and when I did reopen in January they would be third in line meaning their commission wouldn’t be started until the end of 2025 early 2026.

They continued to talk to me ignoring me every time i reiterated that I wasn’t open. Going as far as to make a body pattern for me asking when they could drop it off. When I once again told them that I wasn’t open they threw a tantrum, attempted to guilt trip me into not only opening early but allowing them to skip the line. Their girlfriend budded in and started misgendering me as well as using vulgarity deleting the messages before I could even finish reading them. This happened all on telegram.

They have now gone on a smear campaign in the weeks afterwards and I’m so tired of their abuse, harassment and bullying.

The red flags with these two were there, I just ignored them because I want to find the good in others. However, over the summer when I wouldn’t give in and gift them a $6000 item they harassed me for months. Telling me I was a shitty person and had led them on. This item had been listed for sale, and they were the ones who approached me for a trade. I told them no, I would only be accepting money. Only in the furry community is it okay to trade for something…

I’m afraid to go to a local convention now because I know they will be there and the likelihood of running into them is very high.

My actual friends have been great during all of this. They are a great sounding board and have had my back but I just feel like i have nothing left to give and the deep sadness I’ve been experiencing has only gotten worse.

Today, my cousin whom I haven’t heard from in weeks messaged me to invite herself over to work on her costume. She didn’t ask if I was available, didn’t ask if the day worked just asked what time she should be dropped off.

I told her that day wouldn’t work, and she got pissy.

I’m so tired, emotionally, physically and mentally…I wish I could just close my eyes and never open them again.

I’m also bummed I feel like the head I’ve been picking at for the last month isn’t turning out :/

#MentalHealth #Depression #MajorDepressiveDisorder #PTSD #SuicidalIdeation #SuicidalThoughts

Hello, it's been quite some time without taking to you. I hope you are having a better time and your holidays gave you joy and happiness.
I've been out because I was admitted at psiquiatric guard due to a suicidal attempt. I just had some nasty time and I got my meds changed, got fired from job and completely disowned by my whole family. My 44th birthday was on January 1st. I was just crying all day, but today I felt numb and a bit motivated to get things better for me and my daughter. I have financial issues and some other issues, but I'll find a way to survive.
Thank you for reading.
#Salvadoran #MyJourney

This is about choosing to look forward with hope and curiosity even when the path ahead feels uncertain.

To embrace the future, you must first accept that change is inevitable.

Life is a series of transitions and every ending, no matter how painful, creates space for a new beginning.

It’s easy to focus on what we have lost; to mourn the life we thought we’d have; or the plans that didn’t work out; but by fixating on what’s gone, we miss the opportunities unfolding before us. The beauty of what’s next lies in its potential; it’s the possibility of discovering something you’ve never experienced —- meeting someone who changes your perspective or stepping into a version of yourself you never imagined.

The future is not something to fear; it’s something to be curious about; what lessons are waiting for you; what dreams are yet to be realized; what joy is just around the corner?

Embracing the future requires a shift in mindset. It’s about reframing uncertainty as an adventure rather than a threat; yes, the unknown can be scary, it can make you feel unsteady and vulnerable; but it can also be exhilarating.

The greatest stories in life often come from stepping into the unknown; from daring to take a leap even when you don’t know where you will land.

Think of a time in your life when something unexpected Led to a positive change.

These moments remind us that life often works in ways we don’t understand in the moment, but they lead us to exactly where we need to be.

To embrace the beauty of what’s next, you also need to cultivate trust of yourself, and trust in the process of life.
Trust that you are resilient enough to handle whatever comes your way. Trust that even if things don’t go as planned, they can still turn out beautifully.
And trust that the challenges that you face are shaping you into someone stronger, wiser, and more capable.

It’s important to remember that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting the past; the past is part of your story; it’s okay to carry it with you; but don’t let it hold you back; use it as a foundation to build upon, not a weight that keeps you anchored in one place.

Embracing the future also means staying open to possibilities— sometimes the beauty of what’s next doesn’t look like what you expected — it may come in the form of an opportunity you didn’t seek, a path you didn’t plan, or a version of happiness you never considered.

Being open means letting go of rigid expectations and allowing life to surprise you.

And finally, embracing the beauty of what’s next is about living fully in the present.

The future isn’t something that exists out there in the distance; it’s something you create moment by moment.
Each decision you make, each step you take, is part of shaping what’s to come.

Here’s to a Happy New Year 🎆🎊 🎉 Together, we will make it Great!

Your friend in this hard thing called life,
Dawn

#MentalHealth #Anxiety #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #MajorDepressiveDisorder #PersistentDepressiveDisorder #MoodDisorders #Depression #ChronicIllness #Disability #BipolarDisorder #BipolarDepression #EatingDisorders #SocialAnxiety #Agoraphobia #Selfcare #Selfharm #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #PTSD #Trauma #Grief #SuicidalIdeation #SuicidalThoughts #SuicideAttemptSurvivors #Suicide #ChronicPain #Mindfulness #resilience #Fibromyalgia #Migraine #POTS #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #ADHD #IfYouFeelHopeless #AutismSpectrumDisorder #CrohnsDisease #Addiction #AnorexiaNervosa #Relationships #Caregiving #FamilyAndFriends