We all feel down now and again. We can feel tired or listless or just ‘meh’ about everything. With the effects of the pandemic still around, it’s understandable to feel down at the moment.
Feeling low or feeling down is not pleasant, but it is very common. In fact, it is one of the biggest reasons young people come to Jigsaw.
In this article, you will find:
We are social creatures and need to feel we belong.
Being lonely is like being hungry or thirsty. It’s our bodies telling us we’re not getting the basic human need of social interaction. We’ve had a strange few years, and physical interaction can still relatively difficult and unfamiliar to us.
To help during this time this article covers:
Based on the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ report 2008, we have outlined five things you can do to help your mental health.
when I feel a negative feeling like anger, sadness or loneliness. I always feel so guilty and overall stupid for having those feelings because I know that I have had a pretty okay life compared to those who in the world who have suffered from so much pain and hurt that they didn’t deserve.
But I was just wondering is it normal to feel your feelings are not valid and unimportant? I just think I have always had some sort of just a numbness in my heart that I’ve just gotten used to, so any different feeling to that numb feeling is followed by guilt. I am grateful that I’m here everyday though. Just its something I think about all the time and I had to ask. Thank You
-chico093
Hi Chico093,
I can tell from your question that you are a very thoughtful, caring, self-aware person. Your question is actually something we hear a good bit at Jigsaw and something that many young people struggle with.
I feel very frustrated and lonely most of the time because i can’t express my problems to anyone i know. At school i only have one or two friends that im not that close to, and i cant tell my family either because ive tried to, but they dont understand me and it frustrates me.
Even if i had close friends, i wouldnt want to open up because in previous friendships it hasnt helped me (to open up) and they never understand anyway.
The problems are about being really anxious, feeling sad and disoriented very often and a lot of negative feelings. I feel lonely because its like im on my own and i cant turn to anyone for help
Epalios
what do you do when you just feel so sad to a point that you can’t even cry anymore. you just feel so empty and worthless and it’s the middle of the night so you can’t talk to anyone about it. and even if u did try to talk to someone they wouldn’t fully understand how your feeling so it would b hard to tell them.
-rosie7765 ( )
Hi Rosie,
It sounds like things are very difficult for you at the moment. Everybody experiences sadness in different ways. Sometimes when we feel overwhelmed, we can feel a bit numb. That might be a reason that you feel you can’t cry anymore.
I thinking about ending it all. i have tried talking to my Guardians about being sad but they didn’t care so i just feel alone
-Max
Hi Max,
First of all, well done for reaching out to talk to your guardians about how you feel. That was a brave and positive thing to do. I am so sorry that they weren’t able to understand how sad you are feeling.
Social distancing measures we need to take to prevent the spread of Coronavirus will no doubt have an impact on our mental health.
Our clinical team in Limerick are staying in touch through Zoom for team meetings. Here they discuss what in particular they are finding difficult, but also how they are looking after their own mental health and what you can do too.
Breaking up with someone is never easy. Making a decision to move on is sad even if it’s something you both want.
If one of you wants to break up and the other doesn’t, it gets even more complicated.
However, if your relationship is abusive, emotionally or physically, you should end it. No matter how much you care about each other, ending an abusive relationship is always the right thing to do.
It doesn’t matter how long it lasted, or how serious the relationship was. It’s about what it meant to you. How you felt about that person and how the relationship actually ended will all impact how you react to it.
There is no right or wrong way to feel. Every relationship is different. Acknowledge and allow yourself to feel whatever is going on for you.
If you’re under 18 and having a difficult time, there are a few options to consider.
First, is there someone you can talk to about what’s going on? A member of your family or friend that you trust can be a good place to start. Or take a look at the articles here to help you figure out what you need. Sometimes this could be enough or can help you make sense of what you need and what you can do.
If you think you might need to get some support or advice from a professional, we’ve made a list of the mental health services available for young people under 18.
Which one is best for you depends on what you’re going through. Sometimes that initial conversation with a trusted adult helps identify what will help. Also, because of the law on consent, you will need to have a parent/guardian involved to get help from a lot of services and professionals.
So, the best first step is usually telling someone what’s going on for you. If you have a good enough relationship with a parent or guardian this can be a good place to start. If not, think about another adult you trust that you could talk to, like an aunt/uncle, older sibling or family friend.
In this article, you will find:
