Acting happy for too long

Hi @Tryingtocope,

Welcome to sane forums, it sounds like you have been through an awful lot and "pretending everything is good" to everyone will likely lead to you feeling worse...

I am not sure if you know much about panic attacks but they get worse if left untreated as the list of what was originally triggering someone gets bigger because they are avoiding things, BUT there is very strong evidence that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is an effective treatment. I think that Utopia is right it might be time to get some help/referral

this website provides some good information - click here

then if that can be dealt with it may give you some breathing room and strenght to look at ways to manage the other dificulties?

how has today been? there may be a period where you have to take it day by day..

can you tell us anymore about what brought you here? seeking support and understanding? and/or people that are in similar situations? hopefully we can help

take care

Hi Trying, Loosing the wife and kids is tragic and combine this with trying to cope with mental torment is just overwhelming. Being a man, I understand that you can't just speak to your mate about this, if you have mates in the first place that would care or want to know. Firstly, you have come to the correct place and you should feel proud of yourself you have done so. It seems your life if so full of uncertainty with no direction leaving you lost as to what to do, where to go and how to go about doing that. Perhaps if you took out the uncertainty then you can form a plan of your choosing to turn this situation around. Bite the bullet, see your GP and ask for a referral to a Psychiatrist to get a diagnoses. This is the base line to establish, remembering the psychiatrist will be able to help you in all aspects of your life, either directly of advice. You can choose how many visits you have with the professional starting at, one.

I am no counselor, but I went through the same as you; being a blue collar worker, foreman my entire life depended on me holding it all together in front of all, including my wife and, not so much, my kids. After everything fell apart, a major motor vehicle accident being my catalyst I went through depths that I never knew could exist. Lost every friend and most of my siblings and wife. So much turmoil went on for a number of years but it wasn't until a couple of more years on I realized that the healing factor here was time. Time gave me the ability to think and rethink everything until all subjects were thought out, it gave me the ability to put a bit of fog around the sharp points of the delema, it gave me the ability to have input into my children when I saw them (massive opportunity for quality time). With time, my children grew up knowing and accepting more and more my physical and mental, "limited abilities" as I refuse to accept they are "disabilities". With time, your life will improve to how you want, only if you choose to get professional help, and it is a choice. I encourage to do it and keep in touch with this forum, Aspro. 😉