I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety over a decade ago. I tried
medications, etc, and found over time learning to better understand my
mental health has helped a lot and I've been doing markedly better. As
with many people with depression, I f...
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I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety over a decade ago. I tried
medications, etc, and found over time learning to better understand my
mental health has helped a lot and I've been doing markedly better. As
with many people with depression, I found having animals helped me build
a sense of purpose and self-worth. A reason to get out of bed; a reason
to make sure I got home safe at the end of the day. Long story short,
two days ago, one of my pet ferrets, through total awful freak chances
ended up breaking through the back of a cupboard, got into a cavity of
our apartment complex and we have no way of getting her out. She is
likely stuck somewhere which is why she hasn't returned. We have
security cameras and know she went in there and didn't come back out. We
have tried everything recommended by the RSPCA, fire brigade, police
rescue, etc. Even calling pest control to see if they could look in the
walls for me, but they just dismissed me. I've now got to come to terms
with the fact that my beloved pet is likely dying in a hole within ten
metres of me that I can not physically get to. In the space of not even
a day I feel like I've undone years of progress. I can't process the
overwhelming feelings of grief and helplessness . There's nothing I can
do. I just have to keep on existing while my pet dies. I'm mourning her,
but she's still alive, and she's so close but I can't get to her. What
the hell am I supposed to do with myself while I'm helpless to the fact
that the pet I love and care for like a child slowly dies, alone in the
dark. I guess over time I've started to associate the wellbeing of my
pets as a reflection of myself, and a sign that I'm doing something
right, that I'm not useless. This has been such a massive blow, in
multiple regards, I can't even convey this in text. I've never had to
deal with this sort of grief before, especially whilst in a severe
depressive state. I don't know where to start processing this, I don't
know how I'm going to move past what is happening right now. I can't
switch off, I can't pretend this isn't happening. I can't distract
myself. How do I begin to process this mentally and emotionally? Can I?