Can't stop feeling down and useless.

Nikname
Community Member

Hey everyone I'm new to this im not sure what to do.. I suffer from bad social anxiety & constantly feeling down, I feel useless at everything i do & have zero confidence.. looking in the mirror annoys me aswell.

I' m over putting on a fake face. I just want to be confident and happy again. I want to enjoy life but I feel like I can't..

It's affecting my life so much I've been unemployed for 3 months now because I'm to scared to apply for jobs as I feel like I'm not capable to do it.

my partner is really supportive but I feel it's going to eat away at us.

I'm not sure what to do im to scared to see a shrink. Is it possible to come put of this slump?

4 Replies 4

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni
hello Nikname, can I welcome you to the forum and it takes courage to post your first comment.

Anxiety can stop any relationship from happening, and it prevents you from not only socialising but being with friends and this causes you to feel down and have no confidence I'm sorry about this, but I have been there many times and don't like it at all, so Iknow how you are feeling.

Putting on a fake face will cause you to feel down mentally and physically it will exhaust you, making you feel as though you aren't capable of applying for any job and I'm sure there are jobs that you could apply for.

Doctors and psychs just talk with you so they can try and help you overcome your concerns, or provide trigger points for you to learn how to avoid them, this is important.

Suggestions could be 'not to compare yourself to others, don't aim for perfection, enjoy the small things you can do and don't criticise yourself if you make a mistake, but please go and see your doctor who may prescribe medication to help you get started. Geoff.

Peppermintbach
Valued Contributor
Valued Contributor

Hi Nikname,

I hope it’s okay if I extend a caring welcome to you to the forums. I think you’re doing a great job expressing yourself so I hope that reassures you a little about posting. A lot of people feel nervous about their first post so it’s commendable that you took the plunge and hit “post.”

Your social anxiety and low mood are clearly having an enormous impact on you. You strike me as feeling dejected, frustrated and exhausted with things.

To answer your question:

Is it possible to come out of this slump?

Um, I don’t know for sure but in general terms, yes, I think it’s possible to come out of this slump. But in most cases, I feel it would require making changes and possibly seeking some professional support as well. Having that trained ear to offload on and possibly give you some guidance can make a huge difference. Just my personal opinion...

I understand that you’re not keen to see a psychologist or psychiatrist at this point in time, and that’s fair enough. What about perhaps seeing your GP then? I think GPs generally have a basic understanding of mental health and you might find approaching your GP less daunting.

Another option is calling some helplines including BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. I have used helplines before and have found them really helpful in terms of giving me support in the “here and now.”

Also, of course you are also welcome to continue posting on the forums for support (if you like). There are many compassionate people here, and as I said, you’re most welcome here 🙂

Kind thoughts,

Pepper

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni
hello Nikname, can I welcome you to the forum and it takes courage to post your first comment.

Anxiety can stop any relationship from happening, and it prevents you from not only socialising but being with friends and this causes you to feel down and have no confidence I'm sorry about this, but I have been there many times and don't like it at all, so Iknow how you are feeling.

Putting on a fake face will cause you to feel down mentally and physically it will exhaust you, making you feel as though you aren't capable of applying for any job and I'm sure there are jobs that you could apply for.

Doctors and psychs just talk with you so they can try and help you overcome your concerns, or provide trigger points for you to learn how to avoid them, this is important.

Suggestions could be 'not to compare yourself to others, don't aim for perfection, enjoy the small things you can do and don't criticise yourself if you make a mistake, but please go and see your doctor who may prescribe medication to help you get started. Geoff.

Meowface
Community Member
Hey nickname welcome to the forum. Yes I believe you can come out of the slump - you’ve recognised that your not feeling the way you want to and have spoken up about it. The next thing is to get help. The biggest step I took was speaking to my GP - they put me on a mental health plan and it took such a weight off. It also helped me feel like I was being pro active so took pressure of my partner. Please keep asking questions these forums are great 👍