BestQuickInfo.com

Robin A asked:


I seem to have more existential angst than others and it’s causing me great pain in my life. I’ve been treated for anxiety disorder in the past but am currently not on meds. Years ago I could barely function. Now things are much more stable and under control, but I still find myself frequently trapped in cycles of anxiety, with no real idea of what triggers them. The thoughts which cause me anxiety seem so strange to some people that I rarely share my thoughts. I have seen psychologists and psychiatrists but all have made me feel more depressed than before.

Just as an example of something that bothers me – I love to read and I get very emotionally involved with the characters. I realize these people are fictional – I’m an adult. I’m not crazy. Even so, after a certain point, I get so attached to them that the knowledge that they aren’t real starts to drive me crazy. The only cure is to stop thinking about these characters and of course avoid reading about them entirely. (Easier for some obsessions than others – at the moment, it is impossible to escape from Harry Potter madness.) In other cases, I might become a huge fan of a musician, actor, etc. and then be in a similar state of dread because I realize I can never feasibly know this person.

Such obsessions then lead me to question everything that I value – if I can be so upset over people who aren’t even real or who I don’t know, then do any of my actual relationships, beliefs, etc. matter at all? Maybe all of it is just as meaningless at the core. I don’t really believe that, but that’s how it feels sometimes.

I also suffer from the more “typical” existential angst concerning thoughts of “what is the point of life?”, “does anything matter at all?” etc. I find it hard to enjoy everyday routines the way I see many of my friends doing, and I’m jealous of them.

While I realize many people go through this at some point, I feel like I should be past it. I’ve been going through this since age 12 and I’m now 27. I only feel truly happy in highly stimulating situations where I’m in a state of constant entertainment. I cannot handle boredom or even being alone with my thoughts.

I’m not suicidal; I would never in a million years do that to my family. I’m just frustrated with having to deal with these feelings again and again after so many years. Does anyone else have these problems, and how do you manage them? How can I live a normal life? How can I just relax and be happy?

I’m sorry this is so long – thank you very much for reading (if anyone still is!)

Elijah