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Watching from the outside

Watching from the outside

Hello All,

do you ever feel like you're watching from the outside or wonder if you're still living in this world? I often felt like this as a kid and throughout my life at difficult times and I have felt like it for a long time again now. I feel like I am not really here anymore. Sometimes I wonder if I died and just continue "being here" watching from the outside. I remember pinching myself as a kid until I ask myself as a teenager if I would even be able to judge whether the pinch was real or not. So I stopped pinching myself. I have hurt myself sometimes in the past to "feel something", but I've stopped that too. It doesn't seem to matter anymore.

Do you ever feel like this? It is like there is a thick sheet of plexiglass between me and the world. I functioned for a long time, but I only function "limited" now. I don't want to get out of bed. Then I get out of bed and write my daily planner and try to include self-care. I normally don't follow my planner or do much self-care, but at least I get out of bed and do something. And my brain is foggy and sometimes I struggle to speak properly. I try hard to say it right, sometimes I say words back to front, like "milk cream full" or "roll seed meal whole" and get funny looks. Sometimes I struggle to add up 5+3.I think that is the meds. Every now and then I have a good hour, or two and then I fall back into the same feelings. I considered ending it all many times, but even that feeling is not there anymore. Even life doesn't seem to matter anymore.

I'm just here. Watching from outside. Waiting for a moment I enjoy and endure the rest. Is that what it's gonna be like for the rest of my life?

22 replies

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In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

Hello @CheerBear

Sounds like a beautiful morning where you are. I've travelled half way to see my doc and stopped for a coffee. There are people laughing and chatting around me, I can hear the radio and people putting their cups down after a sip of coffee. It is cold in the coffee shop.

People say live day by day, I say hour by hour. Sometimes minute by minute. Just get through this life. Through another day.

In response to: Re: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

@Former-Member, I hope your day ended up ok. Yeah, I find the day-by-day or hour-by-hour thing way too difficult. I just focus on getting through NOW. And I have to say, even though it is super hard, I actually have got better at it over the past two decades. Progress is sooooooooooo slooooooooow that it is hard to see, but when I look at where I was twenty years ago, I can see that I have actually got better at being in the here and now. Who knows, I may be awesome at it in another twenty years.

In response to: Re: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

Hi @Phoenix_Rising

How are you?

I like your idea of looking back to where I was 20 years ago. I think I was quite good at being here and now, here and now, partying non stop 🙂 Not sure if the outside world agreed that much... I do remember the odd stern talk from well meaning family and friends...

Life was much easier back then, no mobile phones, no internet, or just the beginning of it all. My world was pretty small back then compared to now. I don't know if that's good or bad though.

I'm sure you're awesome already!

In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

Good morning all.

Another day, another miserable day, another day I rather hide than try to do activities. Sometimes I just want to fall asleep and never wake up. At the moment I just don't want to be here. I'm just out of options and too tired to look for new options, too tired to keep fighting.

In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

Hi @Former-Member. Just wanted to see how you're going tonight and how your day was after what seems like a pretty hard start.

I hope things felt a little better as the day went on for you.

In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

Hi @CheerBear

How was your day?

I stayed in bed most of the morning and didn't do much all day. I brushed my teeth and cooked dinner.

I think I just need time. Lots of time.

In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

They're pretty important things to do @Former-Member 🙂

I had a pretty good day today thanks. I had a counselling appointment which was really positive and then spent the rest of the day in the sunshine - a nice change from wintery weather.

I think lots of us here could use lots of time MyMovie. You're in good company with that one here.

In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

@CheerBear

What makes a good session?

Sunshine sounds good, it's been raining here, but then I didn't leave the house either when there was sunshine.

Good night x

In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

That's a really interesting question and one I know heaps of us here struggle to answer because often sessions with support people aren't so good @Former-Member. I'm guessing that's maybe why you asked and maybe it was a rhetorical question but I hope you don't mind me answering anyway.

For me, a good session is one that finds the right balance of talking about hard stuff in a way that is safe. It's sharing something with someone who I feel genuinely 'gets' it, and who hears and sees me rather than just listens. It's one where I walk away feeling just a little more hopeful, or less haunted by my past, or like I have a new way of seeing and understanding things. I got all of those out of today.

I hope you sleep well MyMovie

X

In response to: Watching from the outside

Re: Watching from the outside

Good morning @CheerBear and @Phoenix_Rising

Hope you are both well.

I'm on my way to a scary medical appointment and have tucked my rainbow coloured unicorn in my backpack so I can take it out and cuddle it while I am in the consulting rooms. Thanks for giving me the confidence to do that. I've done it with my psych before but no other medical practitioner.
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