[MtnTime2896]

What do you feel you have lost (relationships, opportunities, jobs etc.) due to depression and other mental illness?

How have you attempted to counter it?

Do you believe you still have a chance to get some of those back?

Jobs--During the last seven years, it reduced my ability to handle stressful jobs resulting in "job hopping" rather than "climbing the ladder". And after the attempt, I was unable to work at all for a year. I currently only work on temporary assignments from home (one company I worked for prior to my attempt still employs me). So now I am part of the "gig" economy. I no longer work the way I used to (I used to sometimes work a 50-55 hour week), instead, I am with an employer that only requires a 20 hour week and the schedule is flexible. Thank goodness my husband still really works. I no longer make very much money and the thought of applying for other jobs and explaining my "period of unemployment" makes me anxious. My spouse doesn't want me to work full time. I'm grateful and happy not to go back to a real job but now have nothing saved for my retirement. If I had been more stable, I wouldn't have raided my retirement accounts!
Relationships--it has mostly been repaired with my spouse but I worry about how my stability and attempt affected my children. They isolate a lot.

[MtnTime2896]

It takes a lot of uncomfortable talking, silences, angry outbursts, isolation and finally working through it together for a kid to get through that sort of event. Could be different for your kids, like it is for all but that's what I went through. I didn't discuss a lot of things with my mom and then I got extremely explosive and angry with her all of the time. Then I went back to not talking to her. When I was ready to ask questions, she answered. She explained things to me a bit more.
I don't know about the details they experienced. I was the one who had to pull my mom out of traffic and hide medication/alcohol. I think just the events themselves messed with me, let alone the idea that (true or not), my mom wanted to leave me in the most final way possible. I understand better now but it took me a while. They'll get there eventually. Takes time.
I'm glad you and your spouse have been able to repair the relationship. That will help out tremendously with everything. As for the job, you can't re-write the past and to be honest, I think you did and are doing pretty good, considering. To maintain any form of stability during a mental crisis is the most difficult task I've ever personally endured. To recover from it takes both patience and a lot of work. Be proud of that.

a chance at a half deecent education

my family

real life friends

deecent sleep

going on vacation/ other places because of agoraphobia

ability to plan ahead because mental health issues always seems to get in the way

quiet/ relaxing time (I hate voices)

deecent looks (self injury and overeating have both taken their toll on my body for sure)

willingness to live

a deecent memory

hope...

[MtnTime2896]

Originally Posted by shattered sanity

a chance at a half deecent education

my family

real life friends

deecent sleep

going on vacation/ other places because of agoraphobia

ability to plan ahead because mental health issues always seems to get in the way

quiet/ relaxing time (I hate voices)

deecent looks (self injury and overeating have both taken their toll on my body for sure)

willingness to live

a deecent memory

hope...

I'm so sorry about all of that loss. Is there anything that you've been able to hold onto? Something that makes it worth it to take another breath?

[blacklight]

literally everything.. I didnt finish school. I can't keep up any friendships cause I'm to tired and sad all the time so I'm literally all alone. I just got a great job but I'm afraid my depression and anxiety will **** that up too. I want to take medications to help but I'm not allowed to (I'm 18 though)

[boomerango]

I lost friends, marriage, professional potential/direction, time.

I have tried, and still participate in, counseling, medication therapy, acupuncture, massage, meditation.

I have well and truly lost many opportunities with work and friends. I really want to find more clarity inside to be present in each moment. I have friends now, 2 part time jobs (which may be too much). I'm trying to simplify my goals to match my limitations, and this is so difficult for me. Today, for example, I had a few simple plans, and now they seem impossible because I feel paralyzed in sadness and self-doubt.

[Unrigged64072835]

I lost my job and any chance to go to college.

I lost the ability to leave my house by myself

I lost the ability to drive, and therefore see my friends.

I'm trying to accomplish things within my limitations but I feel overwhelmed by the slightest thing.

[bugbear83]

Originally Posted by Mysterious153

Jobs--During the last seven years, it reduced my ability to handle stressful jobs resulting in "job hopping" rather than "climbing the ladder". And after the attempt, I was unable to work at all for a year. I currently only work on temporary assignments from home (one company I worked for prior to my attempt still employs me). So now I am part of the "gig" economy. I no longer work the way I used to (I used to sometimes work a 50-55 hour week), instead, I am with an employer that only requires a 20 hour week and the schedule is flexible. Thank goodness my husband still really works. I no longer make very much money and the thought of applying for other jobs and explaining my "period of unemployment" makes me anxious. My spouse doesn't want me to work full time. I'm grateful and happy not to go back to a real job but now have nothing saved for my retirement. If I had been more stable, I wouldn't have raided my retirement accounts!
Relationships--it has mostly been repaired with my spouse but I worry about how my stability and attempt affected my children. They isolate a lot.

It's like you're describing my life... and honestly hearing that a real person has also had their working life affected by mental illness makes me feel so much more validated and worthy... Thank you so much.

I've been job hopping since my teens, and I'm now in my thirties. I've had so many jobs and kept none of them for more than three years. More than one of them I've quit because I was having dark thoughts and was convinced I wouldn't need money where I was going. Kinda dramatic I know, but it sure did make sense at the time...

As for OP's original question of getting back what's been lost, I think it's a question of reworking your thought process and redefining what success means. In my opinion you're very successful. The fact that I'm able to work a part time job at all is successful in a way. Even though my brain likes to tell me it's not.

I'm still working on that thought process thing I guess, heh.

[qwerty68]

In short, my life.

I gave up on friends and relationships well over a decade ago.

While I did manage to finish school and was feeling positive about the future, my MH collapsed a few short months after my thesis defense. I can get job interviews but they are all day affairs; sometimes multiple days, and no matter how well I answer questions I can't hide my MH issues for that long so I don't get the job.

It is my birthday and I am sitting here taking stock and I got nothing. A completely wasted life and I am not sure if I could change that, or how. I am off my anti-psychotic and my energy levels are returning but now I face the prospect of having to live with psychosis unmedicated since dopamine antagonists were the cause of my low energy levels. So it is one step forward and a couple steps back.

Too many things. To dwell and list it all will probably trigger me massively (it did last time I thought about it). So yeah. I've lost a lot, hoping to get some kind of life back but I don't know how long that will take...

[missbelle]

better.....right now......Orthopaedic surgeon wanted to fix knee(total knee replacement) in a month...too soon, have other family issues.....hard decision to make to not do it now