Ever felt like you hate life? That's how I feel right now!  

Hey, you copied my "laugh works wonders" thing... although it did take me ten minutes to type up my response... I thought first!!!

I'll let this go, this time...

PS: I loved Steve Martin in that one

I have to agree with you there, laughing about things does help. I often say that you have to laugh about life or you'd probably cry!

There is just sooooooo much on my plate right now that I'm struggling to cope and I'm having trouble envisioning the end of the stress.

Hi Guys!

Glad you liked Steve Martin in Planes..John Candy was also very good in it. They worked very well together, I thought. Such a shame John Candy died when he did, I reckon there were a few more films left in him.

As for you, jewel..I know what you mean. I have had problems finding work since I moved locations five years ago. It can get me down at times.

However, today I received a surprise email from the NHS (National Health Service) and I have an interview for them in a few days, which is great news!

I am a great believer in positives outweighing negatives. Good ALWAYS wins through in the end and it will do with you my friend, I can sense it.

I wouldn't guarantee you'll get over it as you get older. If it's a chemical imbalance then it's just something you're susceptible to. That doesn't necessarily mean you have to worry about it, just be aware.

I often tell people not to be ashamed of going to the doctor and asking for help (i.e. antidepressants). There is no shame in depression. I made that mistake, I thought I was just emotionally weak and was scared to admit it. In fact, the opposite is true, emotionally I'm too strong for my own good.

I'm not saying this applies to you but yeah, suffering from depression does NOT mean a person is emotionally weak. It's caused by that chemical imbalance. Sometimes it can occur then go away within weeks, other times it can last months or even years.

Oh, and I don't mind being 'cheered up'. It's just the flippant and shallow responses that don't take the reality of depression into account that I find frustrating.

Personally, I love a challenge but I think sometimes life can be a little TOO challenging and I just want a breather.

The only problem I've found with doing that is that at some point you get tired of all the running around and have to stop... and then the implications hit you again.

And I know what you mean about avoiding people... it's a case of the age old saying, 'Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive'. We're trying to protect others from our negativity at the cost of further guilt and negativity.

Oh don't worry, I don't direct my hatred at the situations/people the cause the stress. It's more a matter that the burden of life sometimes seems too heavy and I just want to escape for a bit.

There have been times I've wished I could die. Not that I would ever act on that, because I wouldn't. But because of my faith I feel that death offers peace where continued existence only offers further stress.

Like you, I don't let it affect me, but I do recognize and acknowledge my feelings. If I just kept it all inside I'd go nuts. I have to express it from time to time in order to relieve it. It's a case of VENT or EXPLODE!

So, I just keep functioning, regardless of what my mental state is at the time. I'm one of those people who soldier on then collapse in a heap AFTER the stress is resolved. I thrive on stress but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I want the stress to go away, if I could make it do that by curling up in a corner it would be nice. But that doesn't work!

Whoa whoa. Don't get me worried here. You are not alone. I have suffered from depression since I was 13 or so, and I know that feeling, the one who makes you so sick of life and you just wish for it to end.
I can't tell you "hey be positive!", because it won't work if you're really depressed; don't know how many times they told me that.

Are you seeing a specialist? I, fortunately, was able to find a great person who's able to help me; I'm not sure if I'd still be here ("sane", at least) without her.

It is hard, because it's not about surviving- it's about living. If you wish to talk about it just pm me, okay? Or I'll have to go to Philippines!

I can relate to how you feel Anne. I would never commit suicide but sometimes I would welcome death because it offers peace and a cessation of stress. I sometimes get these weird thoughts like wishing I'd have a heart attack or stroke or get run over by a car and die in order to escape.

The reason I wouldn't do it myself is because I feel there are too many people who need me... yes, even those who are causing the stress in the first place. Like my chronically ill partner, my nine year old daughter and my older two children.

You know, according to people who have survived suicide attempts (like jumping off buildings and bridges) as they fall they experience sudden clarity that cuts through the feelings of depression and they realize that whatever has caused them to feel that way is actually insignificant in the overall scheme of things. When you think of it that way it's kind of a shame if the succeed in the attempt.

Even my mother attempted suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills and says that as the pills took effect she suddenly regretted the attempt and wished she could reverse it.

I know it's hard, I really do, and I empathize with how you feel but don't allow someone else the emotional victory over you like that. Grit your teeth and bear it, and if you don't feel better in a couple of weeks then maybe you need some medical help to get over it.

Sending you big hugs!!!

Personally, I find it hard to get it out of my mind in order to achieve that feeling of peace.

Yes, a feeling of helplessness doesn't help with our moods.

As far as my employment goes, I'm lucky enough to have a secure job as a check out operator in a major grocery store. People are unlikely to stop buying groceries and I don't have to worry about having my hours cut either since I'm permanent. So I'm thankful and grateful for that.

It's my personal life that causes me stress. Not only do I work 30 hours per week but I have to do most of the housework because my partner is chronically ill and unable to contribute to the household, of course, I also have to look after my partner. On top of that my nine year old daughter is a handful (mainly because she hangs out with the 'wrong crowd' at school), my older daughter and son who live with their father both have emotional issues, plus I'm having issues with my own health.

I know that compared to some people, my lot is 'easy' but it's all a matter of perception isn't it? Doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Sometimes it all gets on top of me and I just want to escape.

Depression is no fun regardless of whether it lasts a day or a year. Unfortunately, mine has been going for years. Most times I just cruise along despite it, but occasionally (like at the moment), it just all seems too much and I feel like screaming.

Hmmm, maybe there's an idea... go out into the middle of nowhere where there is no-one to hear me and just scream my lungs out LOL.. that might just relieve the stress!

I have to admit that is the one things that helps me cope with everything... the transience of situations. I know that two weeks from now the things that are currently bugging me will have changed (or some of them at least). Yes, they may have been replaced by other concerns but the actual situations change constantly.

I know exactly what you mean. As I said, I do have faith in God and that is one of the reasons why I would never seriously consider suicide... besides the fact that there are too many people who need me. It's not for me to take away the life that God gave me. I'm a firm believer that God will never present me with a challenge that together we cannot overcome.

That said, unfortunately sometimes the stresses of life do feel overwhelming, I know it's just because I'm weak and human (and I don't mean emotionally weak, just because a person gets depressed and struggles to cope doesn't make them emotionally weak), the weakness I'm talking about is in reference to faith.