Mental Health Thread

[Ascendingthethrone]

Sometimes things come on your path on the right time. Try to find out what you like to do for a living (other than teaching) Maybe there's a great job opportunity near the area you´re planning to move. Hope things work out well man!

Cheers, mate!

 

[Mosh]

Thanks for the response, @MindRuler. I’m glad you managed to get out and find something better.

My frustration is that I work across 3 schools and the behaviour varies across them. One of my schools has excellent behaviour and I just want to be there all week (not realistic).

I have spent over a decade now working in schools in ‘challenging areas’. I have always been about giving kids access to music that they wouldn’t be able to afford. However the kids need to have firm and clear boundaries. They need them. We are failing them if we don’t give them this.

Sorry to hear it. I work the exact same job and similar circumstances. It's rough sometimes even though I believe we are providing something of very high value.

 

[Saapanael]

One thing I hate is when I get fixated on people I don’t like. And then I start to generate that into types of people I don’t like. I’ve wanted so much to become stronger but I’m clearly still fragile. Big gatherings, large masses of people are usually not my thing, but sometimes you have to get out there between the people. And then there’s all this noise coming at you from all sides, people telling you what to do and how to be, it drives me nuts. I’ve done enough to know how I need to be, and no one (unless they know me down to the bits) has the right to correct me on that. It hurts when these are people you’ve known for a long time, and wish they’d already caught the essence of you, but still keep treating you like you’re somebody else. Lately I’ve had so much negative energy from different people, I can’t deal with it anymore. I acknowledge there’s also been positive energy, from one coworker in particular, but the narcissistic assholes get to me. I wish I could ignore them but they get to me.

 

[Black Abyss Babe]

One thing I hate is when I get fixated on people I don’t like. And then I start to generate that into types of people I don’t like. I’ve wanted so much to become stronger but I’m clearly still fragile. Big gatherings, large masses of people are usually not my thing, but sometimes you have to get out there between the people. And then there’s all this noise coming at you from all sides, people telling you what to do and how to be, it drives me nuts. I’ve done enough to know how I need to be, and no one (unless they know me down to the bits) has the right to correct me on that. It hurts when these are people you’ve known for a long time, and wish they’d already caught the essence of you, but still keep treating you like you’re somebody else. Lately I’ve had so much negative energy from different people, I can’t deal with it anymore. I acknowledge there’s also been positive energy, from one coworker in particular, but the narcissistic assholes get to me. I wish I could ignore them but they get to me.

Boundaries, Saap: you've acknowledged that, sadly, it is not possible to completely avoid narcissistic assholes but you've also confidently declared - correctly - that no-one has the right to tell you how you should be. It's not such a massive step from there to refusing to let the narcissistic assholes bother you. One thing I find helpful is to actively pity them for being so pathetic.

Go on Saap - you've got this

 

[Onhell]

Today I got an e-mail I get at least once a semester. A student wrote me saying the reason she hasn't turned any work in is because she's been depressed. She's been going to a psychologist, but just this week she got diagnosed with depression and anxiety. She also stated she is starting to work on it with a psychiatrist this week, but if she can still turn the work in as she doesn't want to fail the class.

Just yesterday and this morning I was talking to my ex and a friend of mine, how I've been struggling keeping my anxiety at bay, it has frozen me at times, but I've been able to push through.

A few days ago a coworker of mine pulled the tired line of how "fashionable" it's become to be "depressed" or "anxious," you know, that "back in my day" bullshit. However it did make me reflect on it a tad and realized that it could be a modern existential epidemic. I too was SEVERELY depressed in my 20s. I failed an entire semester of classes, not just one class. I came to the conclusion that the existential depression in people in their late teens early 20s is due to not having accomplished anything. In previous generations they fought in wars, worked a trade or worked a farm. Physical labor mostly outdoors. Now what do we do? Work callcenters, cashiers, fast food, etc. Not particularly fulfilling jobs. My uncles were working my grandfather's fields as young as 10. They were working MEN by the time they were 14.

I'm not saying the diagnosis of depression/anxiety in someone's 20s are BS, I'm saying they are made worse by being aimless in life. Something that help improve my mental health was finally entering the work force, having something to do. To this day sometimes I wake up thinking, "I don't want to leave the house today," then realize I HAVE TO, because I'm no longer the student, now I'm the teacher and if I don't go to work I'll get messages from at least 5 different supervisors and about 10 concerned students as to why I'm not at work. Once I'm out and about my mood improves. To be fair I suffer MILD depression/anxiety, so I'm not speaking for all cases, but there are basic things everyone can do to help before things get too dark. One of them is leave your damn house, go outside, get some sun, touch grass, do exercise. If you need medication, take it, but as a compliment to all the other things, not in lieu of.

I tell all my classes every semester to be kind to themselves and patient and realize it does get better, to reach out if they need to and that they are not alone.