Depression, Struggles and Light at the End of Every Tunnel

[The Gem Cutter]

I hope you feel better soon @JMack  That sucks.

 Just in case you're one of those people who add "frustration that I have a problem I cannot manage to my preferred Awesome Standard" to any problem, you might consider you've been put through the ringer and of course you are drained and not at your best. Soon, Fall proper will be here, and the cool and change of colors will shift your mood.

[ScarletBea]

*hugs* @JMack
We're here.
And that is normal, being cheerful all the time is what's weird. I had to have that told me several times until I accepted the bad days...

@Eli_Freysson that sounds really nice - you really are making a difference to all autistic children in Iceland

[ScarletBea]

I read this last night
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45400714
It really upset me

I tried listening to her/their podcast a few months ago, but I just couldn't, it wasn't doing me any good. People say it's very good, though

[The Gem Cutter]

I tried listening to her/their podcast a few months ago, but I just couldn't, it wasn't doing me any good. People say it's very good, though

We don't all need the same things or can stand the same things. What's great for others isn't always even good for ourselves. I hope your peace of mind comes back quickly and with ease.

[ScarletBea]

I read this last night
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45400714
It really upset me

Just found out she died today. I got really emotional
In the middle of the bad thing, I just feel so incredibly lucky, because my cancer was the easiest to treat, the one where investigation has resulted in the most success (ER positive, HER2 negative) - hers was triple negative, which is the hardest.
The world is complicated, right?

[The Gem Cutter]

The world is a lot of things, and not all of them are good. I intend to take it up with management at the first opportunity.

[J.R. Darewood]

Sorry I haven't been around to respond-- live swallowed me up like a black hole for the last 2 weeks!

@ScarletBea  I can't imagine what a brush with cancer must be like, but it's beautiful that you can have such an intense compassion for people who are facing a similar struggle.

@JMack you and I are getting old-- you'll kick that body back into gear before you know it.  but I know what it feels like to have your body fail you, and I'm feel for you man.   but get better soon so you can rescue us from the mega-megalodon!!!!

[SugoiMe]

@JMack - Hope you can bounce back soon. It's okay if you're not happy all the time. Life has a lot of ups and downs.

@ScarletBea - sorry to hear. Life is complicated, but I'm encouraged by people like you and others here who have faced such difficulties, survived, conquered and are doing the best they can despite everything going on.

I just popped in here to give what encouragement I can and see how everyone's doing. My life's been up and down, doing a lot of self reflecting. Some real highs and some real lows.

[JMack]

@JMack - Hope you can bounce back soon. It's okay if you're not happy all the time. Life has a lot of ups and downs.

@ScarletBea - sorry to hear. Life is complicated, but I'm encouraged by people like you and others here who have faced such difficulties, survived, conquered and are doing the best they can despite everything going on.

I just popped in here to give what encouragement I can and see how everyone's doing. My life's been up and down, doing a lot of self reflecting. Some real highs and some real lows.

So glad to hear from you, @SugoiMe!
As you say, life isn’t happy all the time. Highs and lows are all good.
As longs as there are highs. 

[Eli_Freysson]

Best wishes for everyone here.

This weekend I sent emails to a major autism association in the UK and another one in Canada, asking if they're interested in publishing my autism booklet in English. The Brits have already responded with interest and I've sent them the manuscript. The Canadians are thinking it over.

[Eli_Freysson]

I'm not really sure what to make of myself lately.

I feel much less motivated to attempt social interaction or participate in goings-on. It's not that I'm depressed. It just doesn't interest me. One possible explanation is that I've tried it enough to know that it just isn't for me, and knowing that I'm content to keep more to myself.

I'm not sure if this is good or bad for my emotional well being.

[The Gem Cutter]

Just to stir the pot and hopefully facilitate a deeper consideration, you might consider the thing-beyond-the-thing. By this, I mean the thing(s) that the interaction leads to, which can vary quite a bit depending on the setting and who you're interacting with.

Interactions lead to romance, business contacts, friends and acquaintances for specific things (poker or board games, fishing, hiking, etc.), general purpose friends for hanging out, the list goes on. My point in all this is that interactions, for you, come at something of a cost. This leads you to think that it's not worth your time and effort/discomfort - and perhaps it isn't. But it cuts you off from the second, third, and subsequent orders of effect - and those affects might be very much worth your time, effort, and discomfort.

Hope this comes across well and not preachy. For my part, I love meeting new people, meeting old friends, etc., so of course I am biased.

[ScarletBea]

Gem makes a good point, Eli.

As for me, I wonder if you tried to do too much in too short a time, so you sort of 'burnt out'.
I also have to make an effort to go out sometimes, so I try to balance the invitations I accept/make, knowing there's a limit to what I like to do with other people, and even be out of the house.

Have you restarted uni already?
Maybe commit to go out once a month, it doesn't sound too bad - you'll soon realise if that is enough or not.

Good luck

[Eli_Freysson]

My grandmother died yesterday, at 13:00.

Her name was Kristín Aðalheiður Þórðardóttir, and she was getting close to ninety. I'm told she was looking forward to it being over, as she'd been feeble for several years now. We've all known it was coming for several days now, and she was kept medicated. She died in comfort, with several of her daughters in the room, including my mom. One could certainly do worse.

It comes for all of us, doesn't it?

She was a good woman, and I have some fine memories of her. I guess I'd sum up my feelings as "bittersweet". It's not a tragedy when someone this old passes away. It's a mercy. It's also been quite  a while since I had a significant relationship with her, but then she had nine children, each of whom had several children of their own... who now have children of their own. She had a lot of descendants to think of.

The funeral is in two weeks, and I've been offered to serve as pallbearer.

[ScarletBea]

*hugs Eli* that's a nice remembrance