this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2024
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suicidal ideation is a common coping mechanism for feeling trapped. i think saying it like this helps because it draws a clear line of causality; you feel trapped -> you feel suicidal. i don't think this accounts for 100% of cases, but from both research and experience, it seems fairly common
this also seems to apply to how you're feeling. it seems like you feel trapped in regard to two situations; one, your job, and two, your anhedonia (fancy word for "can't feel happy")
suicidal ideation is, in my opinion, a sign you need to seriously reconsider your consent about your current life. here's a personal example to illustrate this: when i was a couple of years into college, i was passively suicidal from working myself so hard all the time and not doing anything to enjoy myself. i had to take a step back, and seriously reconsider two things: one, that i had never given myself the choice of doing anything other than college (my parents simply insisted i did, and i had no better plans); and two, that nothing in college was worth burning myself out for, and that i needed to set aside time to enjoy myself, the mounting pile of homework be damned. this addresses consent in two ways: the first, that i hadn't consented to this path in life (and was now, retroactively, giving myself the opportunity to either drop out or continue), and the second, that i wouldn't consent to a life where i was only working and never enjoying myself
so i feel like, following this train of logic, it works out to a problem you can solve with your job (how can you get to a place where you have the time to engage with things you enjoy? do you need to scale back your hours? do you get paid enough to use money to offset the hours you'd have to put into cooking / cleaning / etc? can you put extra time in upfront so you can have more time off later? etc)
anhedonia is a little tougher, because it's hard to know if it's caused by the situation. i would try to improve your situation with your job and see if it improves. if it doesn't, you should look into seeing a psychiatrist (and also maybe a therapist). anhedonia is a common symptom as a result of being in a prolonged fight/flight state, which i imagine has gone along with your job stress. however, you may have trouble coming out of it on your own, even with the job stress sorted. regardless, please keep in mind that it is not a permanent problem. your joy will return to you in time
other things you can do in the meantime are to practice deep breathing exercises, try to exercise in general (yoga is especially good for this kind of thing), take some walks outside in nature, try to be present in the moment and in your body
but i think it really just shakes out to making life worth living for yourself, which i definitely believe that you can achieve. it may take time, it may be difficult, but knowing that's where that time and effort will lead makes that struggle worth enduring
What an insightful comment. This kind of distinction between what is really going on, can help people suffering like OP.
@noctisatrae@beehaw.org, the suicidal thoughts are an indication you’re feeling stuck. Know there are always options, even if you don’t see them right now or are sure there aren’t any. Talk to people, like you’ve done here, and eventually you’ll find a new direction. Bringing it up here already is a great step, I’m impressed you’ve done that.