Sucked into a black hole - depression.

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>This omnipresent void sucked us all in, at one point or another.</p>

<p>School, this double edged sword, is to blame. I am to blame.</p>

<p>Every day we go to school, is a day in the trenches; however, I am unequiped to fight.</p>

<p>Assist me in my quest. Help me locate the equipment that I will need, so I can train for the upcoming battle. The remainder of High School; College and Law School.</p>

<p>Lately I am disorganized, not focused, and I can't bring myself to study. I repell from my books!</p>

<p>I can't even concentrate on writing; writing this thread, for instance.</p>

<p>So much drama, I NEED to know how to overcome it. I want to be the best at everything I persue, such as: law. But, I don't know how.</p>

<p>Your help is appreciated,</p>

<p>Kyle</p>

2

<p>Haha, oooooooooooookay..</p>

<p>But, um.. Yeah, the trick is to work.</p>

3

<p>okay, for one thing... you're not depressed, judging by your post. you're just going through what EVERY high school student goes through. i agree, the trick is to just force yourself to work. once you settle into a rhythm, it gets easier.</p>

4

<p>You're not depressed</p>

<p>You're just overworked. Maybe its time you went out and have some fun</p>

5

<p>I can't have "fun." Whenever I go outside and have "fun," I feel like I am wasting time; I could be studying to improve my academic and social status. I am what America deems as poor, so every day I take a step higher and higher to break through that image.</p>

<p>I only have fun whenever I am satisfied with what I had done for the day, which is rare -- lately.</p>

<p>"Your just overworked."</p>

<p>That is exactly what my problem is, though. However, I love working. I feel great after I accomplished what I set out to do. But lately, I don't. It became tedious. I wonder: Is it due to my messy enviornment? Maybe I should clean my room; that way I can focus?</p>

6

<p>it's odd...i have been feeling the SAME EXACT WAY. and guess what i have done for the past week - no homework, more sleeping and watching tv, going out a lot more. hey, everybody needs a break. there is no such thing as a perfect student.</p>

7

<p>I want to break that barrier. I do not settle for "no such thing," and other pathetic justifications of the "impossible."</p>

<p>"Impossible is impossible." (quote said and created by ME)</p>

<p>I just need to find a method to get back on track. I need to get myself together.</p>

<p>Can anyone share his or her experiences in overcoming this obstacle?</p>

8

<p>You need to take breaks. If you feel during your break that you should be working, then you're not taking a break.. you need to do something you like, something fun. Something that will clear your mind. If I didn't talk to my friends or screw around on the computer from time to time, I would have gone crazy this year. Work efficiency increases 100% by this.</p>

9

<p>Burnout is a physical state. Read up on it and I recommend seeing a counselor while also taking a solid break over the summer. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

10

<p>"Burnout..."</p>

<p>That is a bit extreme. I am not there.</p>

<p>I just took a nap, and I thought about this. I know what to do now.</p>

11

<p>if he thinks he is depressed guys, he is depressed. :\ I can sort of relate and I have advice/a story but it is long and very melodramatic so if it's going to bug you, don't read. :)</p>

<p>personally I think your philosophy seems way too gung-ho. If you've slipped into that kind of thinking there is no way you are not going to be depressed, except for short periods of time. Having a "strong, stark" life philosophy says nothing about how strong you are as a person. I went through the same thing this winter, but instead of being the best at school I was concerned with being the best with philosophy, reasoning, and in overall intelligence. Since these are NOT my strong points (especially the first two) it was really demoralizing. I kept a journal and all the time I am saying things like "Friends are the mark of an incomplete soul", "It is a virtue to be totally unaffected by art, music, and literature", "Every person is a prison". I took a two-week long vow of noncommunication to try to "purify my soul" except with five phrases that I could say to get out of difficult situations: "Yes", "No", "I am taking a vow of silence" , "Thank you", "Excuse me". I didn't do hardly any of my homework but I tried to make up for it by doing things that my ideal person (the ubermensch...I read a lot of Nietzsche) would do, such as studying many languages at once. At one point I was doing Spanish, Latin, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian all at once (like a lesson a day). My grades slipped A LOT. I experienced what you said about being unable to study or concentrate, but I rationalized it, thinking I must be way intellectually above the work, and my IQ must be so high that I can't comprehend it, etc. I got over it after getting into trouble for committing a crime as well as with the support of my best friend (whom i had shunned during most of this since I saw her as weak), and it was a really big mental shock but I think I am "wiser" and more modest having gone through it (my grades are still blah though, 3.1 GPA this quarter, have to work on that.) </p>

<p>anyway, here are some points of advice
- recognize that some things are impossible. For example it would be impossible for me to become a famous french hornist because I don't like the French horn. If my parents and friends and everyone told me over and over that being a star french horn player was the most prestigious career ever and taken up by only the highest quality human beings, I might delude myself into thinking I had real passion for the french horn, but it wouldn't be there. It might be similarly impossible for you to be "the best" at law (and it is definitely at "everything you do"); I don't know you, but think about it.
- try not to think of other people or opinions as "pathetic"; it's really unhealthy, messes up your worldview, and might be contributing to your depression.
- Modesty is really important, see above
- like others said: take a break, preferably with friends! If you feel like you can't relate to them that is a baaad sign.</p>

<p>These are just my opinions; if you want to not recognize that your mindset is harmful because of the potential benefits (it does have them, if you can handle depression, cynicism, etc) then that's ok too, good luck in school and I hope you figure out how to fix your concentration. :)</p>

12

<p>I can relate to above.</p>

<p>However, that is not the issue I presented. I just lack the drive to be a better student.</p>

<p>"- like others said: take a break, preferably with friends! If you feel like you can't relate to them that is a baaad sign."</p>

<p>I can't relate to them. It is not a "baad sign," either. My school justifies everything. I am the most driven student in my grade! That is not an understatement, it is a fact. Many teachers have told me so, including my Law teacher.</p>

<p>Your advice is appreciated. It will be taken into account, however I need to succeed academically. Everything else will follow suit.</p>

13

<p>ok, just beware that drive is very transient.</p>

14

<p>"however I need to succeed academically. Everything else will follow suit."</p>

<p>You could be making a poor assumption. Do believe that your social success is chained to your academic success, such that when the latter progresses, the former will progess as well?</p>

15

<p>Yes.</p>

<p>Social success, nothing much to it. It is just the ability to communicate with others; I can do that.</p>

16

<p>well from how I see it, you seem to be the people who can get along perfectly fine without the need of friends.
Just get out, take some air, have some good food and study. If you love studying as you said, just.. study. Don't study too hard. Just study till you are satisfied. Then reward yourself with something. Like, take a trip to the library and read some good books. Then go to a cafe and have a nice latte. Then maybe ring up some of your friends and hang out and talk about law, girls, boys, food, computers.. your pick. </p>

<p>I guess you should just study, then reward yourself with something you like to do.</p>

<p>(lol i dunno, you said that your not very interested in social success so.. i dunno. Persue into your love of acadamic succes i guess).</p>

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<p>Results 1 - 10 of about 1,480 for "Impossible is impossible.". (0.35 seconds)</p>

<p>You must get around. . .</p>

18

<p>melodramatic much?</p>

19

<p>You say you're worried that you're wasting time, but if you allot some time every week NOT working it actually pays off. It helps you relax, gather your thoughts, and rest, so that way you have more energy when you're working. It's not a waste of time but rather a way to help you work more efficiently.</p>

20

<p>Wow, you're a lot like my boyfriend and my best friend - and neither one of them is exactly 'normal' by medical terms. For them what I do is make them stop and breathe, massage their shoulders and distract them by doing something fun - even if it is just watching a movie. Then when they freak out about working, I help them by making it less monotonous - sometimes you just need breaks and need someone to distract you. </p>

<p>If you're overworked, you need to take a break. Not a don't-do-anything, but do just enough to get your homework done, and then have a set time to relax. I work during school/lunch, then take a break after school from 4-7, then work again until 9. Another break until about 10:30 and work again if need be. Weekends I don't do anything but relax and spend time with my horse and friends.</p>

<p>If you're depressed, then you need to see a counsler or psychologist; someone to talk to. They can help you figure out what exactly you're going through and ways to help (I suggest seeking out non-medicine ways first). If you really actually are medically depressed to the point where a psychiatrist is needed, I suggest not doing the whole medicine experimentation part until summer when work has ceased because those things will screw you up for a few weeks until the right ones/dosage is found.</p>

<p>Seriously, you need to relax, listen to other people, and stop being a smartass.
Goodluck though.</p>