Published on 12, July, 2020
We all have really bad days and when I do I often feel I’m floundering and don’t know where to turn to find some comfort and make the world feel like a less completely hostile place. What strategies do you use on those days when everything feels completely overwhelming and bleak and you’re feeling hopeless about life? What helps?
I just try to bury myself in a video game and hope it goes away eventually. Interspersed with trying to think of a bearable way out.
About a year ago I tried video games but somehow I just couldn’t connect with them or enjoy them. My eldest really does and gets so much pleasure and interest from them - which is great. He finds they help a lot when he’s stressed - he gets in the zone and forgets other things that he might be struggling with. In terms of ‘a bearable way out’ - I’ve never come up with one of those. I don’t think there is one. The only viable thing is to try and make life more bearable, or (best case scenario) more enjoyable. My problem is that when I get into this ‘tunnel’ state of mind I can’t seem to see out of it. I know it WILL ease - it always does eventually - but it’s hard to FEEL that it’s going to. I want to stop feeling like this but I get into a kind of inertia where I can’t help myself. Eg I know music improves mood but I can’t bear to listen to it. I suppose it’s a bit of a vicious circle in some ways. I’m always eager though to learn about what helps other people - and people in this community really do understand. I feel people with autism often have to work really hard to keep going with life sometimes. It can be a battle.